The TRUTH about Mercury Roadside Assistance: Review

Rated A+ by AM Best, Mercury Insurance has been saving customers money on home and auto insurance since 1961. Named by Forbes Magazine as one of “America’s Most Trustworthy Companies”, they have a 4.7 out of 5-star rating from over 5,000 customers. Mercury sells multiple insurance products through a network of local agents in certain states only. According to their site, they sell insurance in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia. As part of their Private Passenger Vehicle Insurance offered, Mercury offers roadside assistance as an optional addition to your auto policy with them, which provides coverage 24/7 for things like a locksmith, a flat tire change, and even a tow up to the limit on your policy.

How Much Does Mercury’s Roadside Assistance Cost?

Based on our research, Mercury roadside assistance generally costs $10 per year for newer vehicles or $20-$40 per year for older vehicles. It can only be used if you have a current auto policy with them. Although not technically free, these rates seem fair, as they align with the average for most roadside plans that are not automatically included with a policy. 

What is Included in Mercury’s Roadside Assistance?

Mercury Roadside Assistance Covers things like towing services, jump starts, flat tire change, emergency fuel or fluid delivery, and locksmith services. See below for a breakdown of each feature:

Towing – Have your vehicle towed to a location of your choice. Rates are as follows; up to 15 miles or $75 for basic plan subscribers, $500 (100 miles), $1,000 (200 miles)

Locksmith – If your keys are lost, stolen, or accidentally locked inside your vehicle, a service tech will come and help you get back in. Cost of new keys not covered. 

Jump start – If your battery cannot start the engine, your vehicle will be jump-started by a tech to help you get you on your way.

Flat tire – No need to panic if you have a flat tire. A roadside will come and change the tire for you. You must have your own spare. 

Emergency Fuel/Fluids – If you run out of gas or your vehicle overheats, get the needed fuel or fluids delivered to you. You handle the cost of the gas or fluids. 

What is NOT Included in Mercury’s Roadside Assistance?

While Mercury’s roadside assistance covers towing and other services, it does not cover the cost of repair parts, replacement keys, or mechanical adjustments in the event of minor repairs being needed to the engine or vehicle. Also, when you have roadside assistance through Mercury, the service is only available on the vehicle that the coverage is listed. There are other roadside providers that will allow you to use their services regardless of whose vehicle you are in. They also do not cover winching or extraction, so if your vehicle gets stuck, you foot that bill. It does not cover boats, RV’s, or motorcycles. As stated above they only sell their products in certain states. (Currently, AZ, CA, FL, GA, IL, NV, NJ, NY, OK, TX, and VA.)

How do I Contact Mercury’s Roadside Service?

Mercury customers can request roadside assistance online through their company website, or they can call (866) 519-6478. You can opt-in to get text alerts in real-time for status updates on your service request. You can also download their iOS or Android app to gain easy access to your coverage and services. 

How Does Mercury’s Roadside Assistance Compare to Other Providers?

We were able to compare Mercury Roadside Assistance coverage against other top insurance competitors such as Root, Farmers, Progressive, Allstate and State Farm. See the table below for details:

Mercury is relatively generous with their Incidents Covered Per Year, covering up to 5 incidents. One thing that is also very intriguing, they offer a unique towing service which covers up to $1000 for a long tow. Most other carriers only cover up to a certain mileage in near proximity, or they have a low limit cost coverage for this type of service. Mercury does lack certain features such as they do not offer winching, while many other plans seem to offer this. 

For the most part, Mercury seems to offer all the standard features of most basic roadside assistance pans and a generous number of incidents covered per year. 

Which Roadside Assistance Should You Choose?

With a unique and thoughtful towing option, up to 5 incidents per year, and a solid company reputation, going with Mercury roadside assistance seems reasonable, especially if you already have an auto policy with them. However, always keep in mind it is important to do your research and consider every factor that is important to you and your specific needs. Just as most insurance companies requiring you to have a basic policy with them to get roadside, this does not mean you accept that policy. You as the consumer have a right to choose the best option for you. 

There are many routes you can take to get the right roadside coverage for yourself. You can choose to go with the roadside plan offered by your current auto policy provider, or you can do with a standalone plan or motor club plan, such as AAA, to get premium coverage or services while keeping your current auto policy. This is an example of considering creative options and considering the overall cost and coverage of your policies, not just the roadside portion.