Why I decided to quit the CAA

By Canadian Capitalist on June 27, 2011
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Better vehicle design and the rise of cell phones have made it easier to go without roadside protection.

It wasn’t long ago that having a membership in the Canadian Automobile Association was as essential for Canadian drivers as a set of keys. But today, cars are more reliable and cell phones have made it easier to get help if you’re stranded. Plus, many vehicles come equipped with OnStar’s roadside assistance. So is the CAA still worth it? We decided to crunch the numbers to find out.

As a starting point, I reflected on my personal 10-year membership in the CAA. I’m not a frequent traveller, and my benefits really only amounted to a few maps and a handful of discounts on hotels and tourist attractions. Despite driving an older vehicle, I made only a couple of service calls, all of them for battery boosts during cold spells. However, the wait times were long and it was quicker to get a jump start from a friend. That’s why when my CAA membership came up for renewal several years ago, I decided it wasn’t worth it.

A basic membership, which CAA recommends for people who drive or travel infrequently, costs about $150 per year for two drivers. Members can make four free emergency roadside service calls per year, and get maps and discounts on some attractions. Other membership levels offer more benefits, but also cost more.

If you drive a reliable car mostly within town, you’ll likely find it cheaper to pay as you go if you need assistance, as I do. It’s a good idea to carry a portable booster pack for your battery and to store the number of a tow-truck driver in your cell phone.

If you travel out of town frequently or drive long distances, roadside assistance may be worth it, but check first to see if you already have it. Many car manufacturers include roadside assistance when you buy a car, and often credit cards offer it as a benefit. If you do need to pay for the service, shop around: many retailers, credit cards and cell phone companies now have roadside assistance plans.

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john wishart says:

February 4, 2021 at 11:16 am

I am leaving CAA because they scammed me out of one month, and were not willing to budge. I have an old car from my dead father, my mom gave me CAA for a year. It expired last december..this january, I decided to renew after having lost all coverage. They renewed to december 15th, screwing me out of a future month (I called to renew on January 21st2021)
I am going to cancel. They are greasy and untrustworthy (CAA Quebec)

Thank you.

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Peter Jensen says:

December 29, 2023 at 4:25 pm

Your points don’t stand up to logic. You say the rise of cell phones makes it easier to call for help, but who do you call when your out at night or far from home and need help? The CAA, that’s who. Or perhaps a mechanic who will come and help and charge around $800 for travel, time and advice and then not have the parts or equipment with him to actually do anything but call a tow truck. (Another $800 and your car still isn’t fixed) You can just call a tow truck yourself and your on the same position. Car not fixed and way out of pocket and stranded. You also say cars are more reliable and then add that you drive can older car…. it’s just a matter of time until you really need them. (As you already have) On my opinion it’s cheap insurance for help when you need it most. I’ve been a member of my local equivalent which provides similar benefits at a similar cost for over 40 years continuously and I wouldn’t be without it. In that time they’ve helped me many times and I’m sure they will in the future too. I can be more than 1000 miles from home and they still have an organized system in place to help their members 24 hours a day, every day. You can’t possibly get that value and security for the price from anywhere else.

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