Mazda Roadside Assistance vs. AAA

mox44ah

Member
:
2018 CX-5 GT
For anyone who has ever used this service, how was your experience? I'd like to know because I am contemplating cancelling my AAA account since I now have Mazda's Roadside service for the next 3 years. More specifically, how is their response time? Whenever I've had to use AAA, it typically takes them 15-30 minutes to arrive no matter what the issue is. Is Mazda's service as reliable? I read a thread a while back of someone having a truly nightmare experience when they had to use the service but was that a one time thing or are they genuinely slow in response. Also, if you need to have your vehicle towed, did you have to pay any extra fees?
 
I'd cancel the AAA if I were you. It's a new car and chances are minimum that you get stranded in the middle of nowhere.
 
Short version: Drop AAA and use the free Mazda Roadside Assistance until it expires.

Long version:
"Mazda's service" is a third-party dispatch company used by most major manufacturers. Whether you have a $20K CX-3 or a $120K BMW M5, your call reaches the same agents, who dispatch the same local towing companies. The only real difference is that in busy times the higher-end manufacturers' incoming call queues get priority, and the coverage levels (tow distances, amount of free gas, etc.) each manufacturer provides.

Service standard in most urban or suburban areas is 30min for a utility truck (battery boosts, gas delivery, and lockouts), 45min for a regular tow truck (which will usually have dollies if the vehicle is AWD), or 1hr for a flatbed. Unusual situations almost always mean a longer wait, whether it's needing a tow out of an underground garage that only has 6' of clearance, or in Dallas after an inch of snowfall.
 
I bought a CPO 2014 CX-5 last year and used the roadside assistance once until my CPO warranty ran out.

Had a flat and Mazda RA got Pop a Lock to come out and put the spare on. Very good service and response time was pretty fast.
 
Here's the text in the 2019 brochure regarding 24/7 ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE (bold emphasis by me):

If Mazda vehicle is not drivable due to a warranted part failure during the coverage period of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty
(36 months/36,000 miles), towing service will be covered to the nearest Mazda Dealer. In addition, if a Mazda vehicle is not
drivable due to the failure of a warranted powertrain component, then towing service will be covered during the coverage
period of the Limited Powertrain Warranty (60 months/60,000 miles).​

I don't see anything there that implies they'll deliver gas, fix a flat, pop a lock, or any other extra service. Since a flat tire or driver negligence is not a warrantied thing, I don't see this as a replacement for AAA. Am I missing something?
 
DOES MAZDA PROVIDE ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE?


If a Mazda vehicle is not drivable during the coverage period of the New-Vehicle Limited Warranty or Limited Powertrain Warranty, towing to the nearest Mazda dealership is covered. For more information about roadside assistance and warranted part failures, please visit Mazda's Warranty page.

The following Roadside Assistance Services are also covered during the New-Vehicle Limited Warranty period of 3 years/36,000 miles from the original warranty start date:

- Lock-out Assistance

- Gas Delivery

- Jump Starts

- Flat Tire Assistance

If you require immediate assistance, please contact Roadside Assistance directly at (800) 866-1998 or download the MyMazda application for iPhone* or AndroidTM**
 
DOES MAZDA PROVIDE ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE?


If a Mazda vehicle is not drivable during the coverage period of the New-Vehicle Limited Warranty or Limited Powertrain Warranty, towing to the nearest Mazda dealership is covered. For more information about roadside assistance and warranted part failures, please visit Mazda's Warranty page.

The following Roadside Assistance Services are also covered during the New-Vehicle Limited Warranty period of 3 years/36,000 miles from the original warranty start date:

- Lock-out Assistance

- Gas Delivery

- Jump Starts

- Flat Tire Assistance

If you require immediate assistance, please contact Roadside Assistance directly at (800) 866-1998 or download the MyMazda application for iPhone* or AndroidTM**

Thanks. That was not in the brochure I had. It was titled "2019 CX-5 SPECIFICATIONS".

As an aside, I can't install the Android MyMazda app. It complains because my phone is rooted. So I just added the Mazda phone number in my contacts for quick reference.
 
For anyone who has ever used this service, how was your experience? I'd like to know because I am contemplating cancelling my AAA account since I now have Mazda's Roadside service for the next 3 years. More specifically, how is their response time? Whenever I've had to use AAA, it typically takes them 15-30 minutes to arrive no matter what the issue is. Is Mazda's service as reliable? I read a thread a while back of someone having a truly nightmare experience when they had to use the service but was that a one time thing or are they genuinely slow in response. Also, if you need to have your vehicle towed, did you have to pay any extra fees?
Do not use Mazda roadside assistant!!! Use AAA service. Unless you have no choice at the location then you can use Mazda RA if you have a lot of time to kills. I waited more than an hour and half and called twice to the towing company to find out where the driver is, I got very rude service and they cancelled my schedule without asking me. It was nightmares. I ended up called AAA instead. If Mazda wants to upgrade their service to attract more buyers, please provide quality service not just to have it on the book.
 
AAA's response time is faster on average because they have a larger network of contracted tow truck companies to do their service calls, and I believe they also have their own trucks. I think Roadside Assistance from any auto manufacturer is about the same in terms of response time, since none of them have their own tow trucks and probably contract service calls out to local tow truck companies. AAA is better, but you do have to pay for it.

Sounds like the towing company Mazda sent it is to blame.
 
For whatever it is worth, my first experience with Mazda Roadside Service was not a good one. I waited 3.5 hours for a quick jumpstart.
 
Absolutely cancel your AAA. I see no point in having them since you have the brand new car and Mazda will basically do what CAA will do.

On top of that, from my experience with Mazda Canada, the operator is fast to reach, they are asking you if you are in danger and tell you what to do until they will arrive.

Yes, they are contracting the services but for your needs with a car in warranty I wouldn t pay the money because is basically a similar service.
 
I’ve seen a lot of ppl suggest cancelling BCAA/AAA. The thing is, AAA is more then just road side assistance.
- Product discounts
- cheaper services with accepted membership
- discounted bundled products like options auto insurance hoke insurance with the roadside
- use in any vehicle your travelling in. I’ve used it on my moms car before.
I am really struggling at dumping my BCAA because my tow options isn’t limited to a Mazda dealership. I’m on the fence with this.
 
I’ve seen a lot of ppl suggest cancelling BCAA/AAA. The thing is, AAA is more then just road side assistance.
- Product discounts
- cheaper services with accepted membership
- discounted bundled products like options auto insurance hoke insurance with the roadside
- use in any vehicle your travelling in. I’ve used it on my moms car before.
I am really struggling at dumping my BCAA because my tow options isn’t limited to a Mazda dealership. I’m on the fence with this.
A friend of mine living in San Jose has the AAA membership only because AAA offers the best car insurance rate (which is at least 2X higher than in Dallas Texas by comparison) there. And you can pay the premium yearly (like in Texas) instead of 6-month by every other car insurance company. Another benefit from AAA in California is that they can handle some popular DMV work such as registration renewal (which is 3 ~ 8X higher than Texas depending on the car value) and getting new license plates so that you don’t have to go to DMV waiting on the long line for the whole day. And the self-service kiosk which is mainly for registration renewal simply can’t give you new license plates. Registration renewal by mail? Another friend did it last year and it took 6 month to get a new sticker (on license plate BTW, where Texas and many other states have abandoned that long time ago with bigger windshield inside sticker due to theft issue)! AAA membership is the way to go if I live in California!
 
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