The TRUTH about 21st Century Roadside Assistance: Review

updated Mar 7, 2022

For more than six decades, 21st Century Insurance has been protecting motorists, for reasonable rates, throughout the United States. The company has a solid financial outlook (maybe because they are owned by Farmers Group), as well as solid customer reviews. As with most auto insurers, 21st Century Insurance offers a complimentary Roadside Assistance benefit to compliment their auto policies. 

How Much Does 21^st Century’s Roadside Assistance Cost?

Every vehicle covered by a 21st Century auto policy is automatically enrolled, at no cost, in the company’s robust emergency roadside program. The company’s zero premium roadside service is unusual when you consider the big-name insurers all charge fees for roadside assistance, anywhere from $23 annually (Farmers, Progressive) to $48 annually (State Farm). Of course, drivers that prefer to join a motor club, like AAA, can expect to pay even more to secure emergency roadside assistance. 

What is Included in 21^st Century’s Roadside Assistance?

All drivers and cars listed on a 21st Century auto policy are covered, including licensed four-wheel drive passenger vehicles, vans, and pickup trucks. Motorists that find themselves in need of roadside services can expect to receive help 24/7 anywhere in the United States or Canada. 

Keep in mind, there are specific benefit parameters 21st Century has established. For instance, motorists are limited to five service calls per car per calendar year. This is a generous roadside service benefit in comparison to the 3 per year roadside calls provided by State Farm, Progressive, Farmers, and Allstate. 

The company provides a full menu of all the usual roadside services, like fuel delivery, jump start, and flat tire changes. For certain emergency roadside activities, 21st Century caps their benefit at $75 per incident. This benefit limit applies specifically to winching/extrication, locksmith, towing, and on-site mechanical adjustment. It’s not unusual to put a benefit limit on these roadside features but several of the other companies do provide a richer, $100 benefit limit. 

What is NOT Included in 21^st Century’s Roadside Assistance?

Only private passenger vehicles are covered under the 21st Century’s Roadside Program. So, don’t expect any roadside services from the insurer for motorcycles or stored/collector vehicles. In addition, the company’s Roadside Assistance plan can’t be used for comprehensive vehicle losses, particularly when it comes to accidents. This means you can’t phone 21st Century after a car crash to have your auto towed from the accident scene. 

The fine print of 21st Century’s emergency roadside program states that their emergency benefit only applies to labor and not supplies (e.g., belts, tires, batteries). This is pretty much how all roadside programs and auto clubs are managed.

How do I Contact 21^st Century’s Roadside Service?

Drivers that need roadside assistance can phone 1-800-439-5587 toll-free, day or night. If you have any general questions about your 21st Century emergency benefit, the company makes it easy for you to talk with a Customer Care Specialist via (877) 310-5687. 

How Does 21^st Century’s Roadside Assistance Compare to Other Providers?

As we mentioned above, 21st Century’s Roadside Assistance provides drivers with all the same types of emergency assistance as their competition. Perhaps the biggest perk is that 21st Century insureds are automatically covered by the company’s roadside benefit without paying one cent. You can see from the below graph that’s unusual considering other insurers do charge fees for their respective roadside assistance programs. 

When comparing popular roadside assistance plans, you can easily see that 21st Century caps four of their emergency roadside services at $75 versus the $100 (or $150). On the other hand, 21st Century allows covered motorists to call for roadside help up to five times per year while the big-name carriers keep the covered incidents to 3 per year.  

Which Roadside Assistance Should You Choose?

Each motorist must decide which emergency roadside program will work best for them and their family. However, there are a few important tips you should keep in mind when deciding on a great roadside program. For instance, you’ll want to take into consideration: 

• The number of miles driven annually
• The services you and your family are most likely to use
• Your plan for handling auto breakdowns should you go without an emergency roadside program 
• The amount of money you’re willing to pay for roadside assistance

Obviously, you’ll want to compare auto insurance quotes in their totality before making a final decision. After all, having a roadside assistance benefit is important but most of your focus should be on each policy’s other coverages and their associated premiums. 

Overall 21st Century Insurance is a solid auto insurer with positive client feedback. In fact, 21st Century was honored by the ACE Awards for Customer Excellence five times. Therefore, it seems you can feel reassured that 21st Century will take good care of you and your family, including when you are stranded with a disabled vehicle on the side of the highway.