So here’s the deal. My dad spent over 30 years wrenching at a AAA-certified auto shop. The kind of place where you hear everything—claims gone wrong, people furious about rentals, towing BS, the works. I grew up around that. Thought I understood how this stuff worked.
Then I got t-boned in Phoenix last year. And wow, was I wrong.
Here’s exactly what went down.
I called in the claim with AAA Arizona. Thought it’d be smooth, but nope. First thing they hit me with? My accident happened 2 miles outside their “preferred network.” TWO. Not 20. Just two. And because of that, they said I wasn’t eligible for rental coverage. Like, sorry, what?
Then there’s the “up to $40/day” rental reimbursement. Sounds decent… until you get to the rental lot and realize everything available is an SUV or a truck. No compacts anywhere. I asked—every lot was quoting me $65/day minimum. So guess who had to front the difference? Yeah, me. Out of pocket: $300. Took 47 days to get that money back. No updates. Just silence until a random check showed up.
No one warned me about that crap.
Here’s more they don’t tell you unless you dig deep or get burned like I did:
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There are THREE AAA regions (NorCal, SoCal, and the rest), and they all play by different rules. Your plan in California won’t mean jack if you crash in Arizona.
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They’ve got this 72-hour rule—basically, they won’t pay for a rental until three business days after your claim is approved. Not filed. Approved. Which means no car for like a week, unless you’re willing to pay upfront.
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And the “comparable vehicle” loophole—if you drive an F-150, good luck. They’ll only cover you for a midsize sedan unless you fight tooth and nail for something closer to what you actually drive.
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Oh—and in 18 states, including Texas and Florida, using AAA’s free towing service screws up your rental eligibility. Not kidding. Their own tow voids your own coverage. No one explains that until it’s too late.
I’ve seen this happen to a ton of people—friends, clients, family members. After a while, you learn how to play the game a bit better:
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Ask for the loss of use form from the body shop. That makes them put in writing exactly how long they had your car and why. That’s the only way to make sure your rental reimbursement doesn’t get cut short.
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Use AutoSlash instead of booking a rental through AAA or directly. Weirdly, it pulls better AAA rates than AAA’s own site sometimes.
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If you ever need to get a rep to cut the script crap, ask: “Is the ISO PP 03 70 endorsement on my policy?” It makes them check the actual wording of your rental terms. Most of them don’t expect that question, and it flips a switch.
Also: if you’re using AAA for insurance and you drive for Uber, Lyft, DoorDash—literally anything gig-related—drop them. Their rideshare coverage is weak as hell. Doesn’t kick in when it needs to. You’re better off with someone like GEICO or even Allstate with the right rider.
And honestly? If you rent cars more than a couple times a year, switch insurers. Travelers gives 45 days of rental coverage out of the box. No weird delays. No “network” drama. Just easier.
And if AAA screws you on a valid claim? Small claims court is your friend. I’ve helped multiple people file on this. Five of them won—over $2,500 each. You don’t need a lawyer, just documentation and some free time.
This isn’t a “how-to” blog. I’m not selling anything. I’m just someone who grew up around auto insurance nonsense and watched enough people get screwed to know the traps.
Ask your agent the hard questions. Read the fine print. And don’t assume your coverage is solid just because you’re a AAA member. There’s always a catch—and usually, it costs you money and time you weren’t planning to lose.
If you want me to make this even more casual—like a Reddit comment or email to a friend—I can strip out the headers entirely and go full narrative. Let me know.
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