Whether your car has a flat battery just when you’re about to leave for work, your engine refuses to turn over when you’re just setting off for a journey, or you get a tyre puncture on the freeway, there’s never a good time for car trouble, right?
That’s exactly why being able to call a roadside assistance service after your car’s inconveniently broken down can be a real relief – and many Aussies agree. Our 2024 Car Care & Costs Report revealed that the inclusion of roadside assistance is among the most sought-after features people look for when choosing car insurance.
Peace of mind can be invaluable when you’re stranded on the side of the highway. But how much is roadside assistance? Is it a standard inclusion, or do you need a specific type of car insurance to get it? And what are the most common reasons people call roadside assistance in Australia? This guide answers questions you might have, starting with how Youi Roadside Assist works. We’ll also share some steps and precautions you can take to help potentially avoid breakdowns in the first place.
What is roadside assistance at Youi?
At Youi, roadside assistance is known as Youi Roadside Assist. It’s automatically included as standard with Youi Comprehensive car insurance.1
“Comprehensive car insurance is our highest level of insurance, covering a wide range of events, including accidental damage, theft, fire and damage caused by severe weather, such as storms, hail and floods,”2 says Marni Jackson, Youi’s Head of Product – Vehicle and Lifestyle.
“It also includes access to Youi Roadside Assist at no extra cost, a service that’s available 24/7 so if your car breaks down, runs out of fuel or you lock your keys in your car, help is just a phone call away, day or night.”1
Why people call for roadside assistance in Australia
Whether it’s a mechanical failure or something as simple as a flat battery, breakdowns happen on Australia’s roads – as well as in car parks and driveways – for all sorts of reasons.
Here are the top 5 car issues people called Youi Roadside Assist about between December 2024 and December 2025.
1. Battery issues
- 45% of Youi Roadside Assist callouts were for flat batteries.
“If your car battery is flat, our roadside assistance service will jump-start it,” says Jackson. “If that doesn’t work, we’ll either tow your vehicle to safety or provide a replacement battery on the spot, for an additional cost, if one’s available.”1
2. Tyre trouble
- 16% of Youi Roadside Assist callouts were for tyres that were flat, punctured or needed changing for some other reason.
“Youi Roadside Assist will either swap the flat tyre with your spare tyre or organise, and cover the cost, for your car to be towed to an approved tyre outlet or nearest safe location,”1 says Jackson.
3. Mechanical problems
- 14% of Youi Roadside Assist callouts related to engine issues or trouble with drivetrain components, such as the transmission, gearbox and differential.3
4. Car key dramas
- 3% of Youi Roadside Assist callouts were for lost or trapped car keys.
“If you’ve lost your keys or locked them inside your car, Youi Roadside Assist will either arrange for your spare keys to be delivered or help you gain access to your vehicle,”1 says Jackson.
5. Cooling system malfunctions
- 2% of Youi Roadside Assist callouts were for issues with one or more of the components that prevent a car’s engine from overheating, such as the radiator, thermostat or cooling fans.4
What happens when you call Youi Roadside Assist?
If you call Youi Roadside Assist on 13 11 17 for help after a breakdown, we’ll:
- Ask you to provide your vehicle’s registration number and your best contact phone number, as well as details about your location and why your car’s broken down
- Request that you stay with your vehicle until our Roadside Assist team member arrives – if you have to leave for safety reasons, tell us when you call1
- Meet you where the breakdown has happened and work on getting your car moving again as soon as possible
- Organise for your car to be towed, and take care of the towing costs, if we can’t get your vehicle back on the road1
- Pay $50 towards your taxi fare if your car’s been towed and you need a lift somewhere.1
How to reduce your risk of common breakdowns
While some breakdowns are unavoidable, there are steps you can take that may make it less likely you’ll need to call roadside assistance for a flat battery, a flat tyre or even a mechanical problem that leaves you stranded.
To avoid a flat battery
Rod Lofts, a senior technical writer on the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce MotorTech team says that if you drive a standard vehicle and mostly do frequent short, stop-start journeys, it’s important to also make some occasional longer trips to optimise battery health.
“When you start a vehicle, the starter motor draws a substantial current surge to crank the engine, which causes a partial discharge of the battery,” explains Lofts.
“On trips less than 15 to 20 minutes, the alternator doesn’t have enough time to replenish the energy expended during cold cranking, leaving the battery in a chronically undercharged state.”
Over time, Lofts says, this repeated partial discharge permanently reduces a battery’s capacity. “So, for motorists who predominantly make short trips, a periodic longer drive is strongly recommended to prevent premature battery failure.”
If you drive an electric vehicle (EV), there are steps you can take while you’re driving to avoid draining the battery. However, for advice about maintaining the battery’s lifespan, Government sources suggest referring to your owner’s manual to learn about the optimal state of charge required to prolong your car’s battery health.5
Avoiding frequent use of fast or ultrafast chargers and charging your EV battery only as fast as needed as often as you can, may also extend a battery’s life.5
To avoid a flat tyre
Whether it’s over or underinflation, incorrect tyre pressure is a recipe for tyre failure.6 Government authorities recommend checking and, if necessary, adjusting the pressure of your vehicle’s tyres at least once a month by:6
- Checking your vehicle’s tyre information label to see what the proper inflation levels are for your tyres – you’ll usually find this label attached to the driver’s side door, door rail, glove box or fuel door
- Taking the pressure reading when the car has been stationary for at least three hours so the tyres are cold
- Removing the tyre’s air valve cap and pressing a good-quality air pressure gauge onto the valve
- Adding or releasing air to achieve the recommended pressure.6
It’s also a good idea to visually inspect your tyres at the same time, looking for signs of damage and excessive or uneven wear.6 Government sources say tyres must have a tread of at least 1.5 millimetres deep and must not have any cracks or bumps or be worn unevenly.7
To avoid mechanical problems
Having your car serviced regularly is a good place to start if you want to minimise the chance of running issues. “Vehicles that are not maintained in line with the manufacturer’s service schedule are far more likely to experience problems,” says Lofts.
As a general guide, cars should be serviced every six months or 10,000 kilometres, whichever comes first,8 a schedule that only 38% of Australian drivers adhere to, our 2024 Car Care & Costs Report shows.
“Poor maintenance doesn’t just increase the risk of breakdowns – it can also compromise the safety of the driver, passengers and other road users,” adds Lofts.
“Even newer vehicles should be serviced regularly to maintain reliability and ensure any software updates or manufacturer improvements are applied.”
FAQs about roadside assistance
Now that you know the basics about Youi Roadside Assist, you might have some specific questions. Here are the answers to some of the most common queries we get asked by drivers.
How much is roadside assistance?
Youi Roadside Assist is automatically included if you have Comprehensive car insurance with Youi – you don’t have to pay anything extra for it.1
To find out how much Comprehensive car insurance would cost for your vehicle, consider starting a quote online or by giving us a call on 13 9684.
Does roadside assistance cover towing?
Yes. “If Youi Roadside Assist can’t get your vehicle back on the road after a breakdown, we’ll tow it free of charge to the nearest repairer – up to 20 kilometres from the breakdown location in a metro area and up to 50 kilometres if you’re driving in a regional area when your car breaks down,”1 says Jackson.
Here’s what’s classified as a metro or regional area around the country.1
| Location | Metro | Regional |
| Roadside assistance in Qld | Brisbane and all suburbs of the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast | Areas outside Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast |
| Roadside assistance in NSW | Sydney and all suburbs of Newcastle, the Central Coast and Wollongong | Areas outside Sydney, Newcastle, the Central Coast and Wollongong |
| Roadside assistance in WA | Perth as well as all suburbs of Rockingham and Armadale | Areas outside Perth, Rockingham and Armadale |
| Roadside assistance in SA | Adelaide | All locations outside of Adelaide |
| Roadside assistance in Vic | Melbourne and all suburbs of Geelong | Areas outside Melbourne and Geelong |
| Roadside assistance in ACT | Canberra | All locations outside of Canberra |
| Roadside assistance in Tasmania | Hobart | All locations outside of Hobart |
Does roadside assistance cover interstate breakdowns?
Yes. Youi Roadside Assist is available in all two-wheel drive accessible areas across Australia,1 so if you have Comprehensive insurance with us and you break down while you’re travelling interstate, help is just a phone call away.
Can I buy roadside assistance separately?
No – at Youi, Roadside Assist is automatically included as standard with our Comprehensive car insurance.1 You can’t purchase it separately or add it to another type of car insurance as an optional feature.1
Are caravans and trailers covered under roadside assistance?
Yes – if your car breaks down while you’re towing a trailer and we can’t get it back on the road, with Youi Comprehensive Car Insurance, we’ll cover the cost of towing both your vehicle and your trailer or caravan to the same location, as long as it’s towable.1 “However, it’s really important to let us know that you’re towing a trailer or caravan when you make the initial call to Youi Roadside Assist so we can respond accordingly,” explains Jackson.
Are motorbikes covered by roadside assistance?
Yes – if you have Youi Comprehensive motorcycle insurance, Roadside Assist is available 24/7 if your motorcycle breaks down – or runs out of fuel or gets a flat tyre.1
So, is roadside assistance worth it? Now that you understand more about the main reasons drivers with Youi Comprehensive car insurance call on Youi Roadside Assist, you might be better placed to answer that question when it comes to your own vehicle as well as your lifestyle and driving habits.
And, if you’re keen to find out how much Comprehensive insurance might cost for your car, why not consider starting a quote online or by giving us a call on 13 9684.
1 Youi Roadside Assist available with Comprehensive policies only. Exclusions, limits and additional fees may apply. Cover not available within the first 24 hours of taking out, or upgrading to, Comprehensive cover. For full details, see the Roadside Assistance T&Cs, Car PDS and Motorcycle PDS.
2 Exclusions, and limits and additional fees may apply. Where you have increased your cover or reduced your excess within 72 hours of a flood, storm, hail or bushfire occurring, cover will be limited to the amount that was effective prior to the change. Loss, damage or legal liability caused by, resulting or arising from flood, storm, hail or bushfire during the first 72 hours of your policy first being purchased is excluded unless certain conditions apply. For more details, see the PDS, TMD and your policy schedule.
3 Source: Superior Engineering – Glossary A-M, 2026
4 Source: Mycar Tyre & Auto – Keep your cooling system chilled under the bonnet
5 Source: Australian Government – Electric vehicle maintenance and servicing, 2024
6 Source: Qld Government – TyreSmart – Play your P.A.R.T
7 Source: NSW Government – Roadworthiness, 2026
8 Source: MTA Queensland – How often should I service my car?, December 2021
