Most buyers think of extended warranty coverage in terms of repair costs. What gets less attention are the benefits that surround the repair — the tow to the dealership, the rental car while the vehicle is in the shop, and the roadside assistance when something stops working on the road. Every Subaru Added Security plan includes these benefits as standard.
At South Shore Subaru in Lindenhurst, the finance team walks buyers through these inclusions as part of the Added Security explanation — because the total value of a plan includes more than just the repair authorization.
Quick Answer: All Added Security plans include Towing Allowance (when a covered failure requires a tow) and Rental Car Allowance (up to 5 days for covered overnight repairs). Roadside Assistance — towing, jumpstarts, flat tire changes — is included in some plan configurations. Gold Plus adds Trip Interruption for breakdowns 50+ miles from home.
- Towing Allowance: all plans, for covered mechanical failures
- Rental Car Allowance: all plans, up to 5 days when vehicle is kept overnight for covered repair
- Roadside Assistance: included in some plan configurations — see agreement for details
- Trip Interruption: Gold Plus only, $500/occurrence, 50+ miles from home
Towing Allowance: Getting to the Right Place
When a covered mechanical failure leaves a vehicle unable to be driven, the Towing Allowance provides coverage toward the cost of towing the vehicle to an authorized Subaru dealership. The tow goes to a dealer — not to an independent shop — so the repair can be processed through the Added Security warranty claim system.
The Towing Allowance is an allowance rather than unlimited coverage, meaning it covers a defined amount toward towing cost. For most Suffolk County towing scenarios — a breakdown on the Southern State Parkway, the Long Island Expressway, or local roads within a reasonable distance of South Shore Subaru — the allowance covers the realistic towing cost.
The practical importance of the towing benefit is that it keeps the vehicle in the authorized repair network. A breakdown handled by a local independent shop — even a competent one — cannot process an Added Security claim. The tow to an authorized dealer is what keeps the warranty coverage active and the repair process straightforward.
Rental Car Allowance: Five Days of Covered Transportation
When a covered repair requires the vehicle to be kept at the dealership overnight, the Rental Car Allowance provides coverage for up to five consecutive days of rental car costs. The five-day window is designed to cover most repair scenarios — parts ordering, labor scheduling, and diagnosis time for covered failures.
The rental car benefit activates when the vehicle must stay overnight. A same-day repair, even a significant one, does not trigger the rental allowance. A repair that requires ordering a part that arrives the next business day does.
For South Shore Subaru customers from Bay Shore, Babylon, Amityville, and West Islip, the rental car allowance means that a vehicle in the shop for a covered repair does not automatically mean a week of rideshare costs or borrowing a family member’s car. The allowance runs up to five days — a window that covers the large majority of covered repair scenarios.
Roadside Assistance: The On-Road Response
Subaru Added Security plans include Roadside Assistance in some configurations. The services covered under Roadside Assistance include:
- Towing to the nearest authorized Subaru dealership following a covered failure
- Jumpstarts for battery failures (note: battery itself may not be a covered component — roadside assistance is the service response, not replacement coverage)
- Flat tire changes using the vehicle’s spare
The Roadside Assistance benefit is the first-response layer — it gets the vehicle or driver to a safe situation before the repair process begins. For the tow component, it connects directly to the Towing Allowance.
Check the specific agreement for which plan configurations include Roadside Assistance and any service limitations. The finance team at South Shore Subaru can confirm current terms for each plan tier at time of enrollment.
How These Benefits Work Together
In a typical road breakdown scenario, the benefits layer in sequence:
- Roadside Assistance responds to the immediate situation — tow, jumpstart, or tire change
- Towing Allowance covers the cost of getting the vehicle to the nearest authorized Subaru dealer
- The dealer diagnoses the failure and confirms it is covered under the plan
- Rental Car Allowance activates if the vehicle must be kept overnight for the covered repair
- Trip Interruption (Gold Plus) activates additionally if the breakdown occurred 50+ miles from home and hotel accommodation is needed
These benefits do not require separate enrollment, separate phone calls to separate administrators, or separate claims processes. They are all part of the same Added Security plan, processed through the same dealer-direct system.
Why This Matters More Than It Seems
Most buyers who have not needed to use a warranty plan think of coverage in terms of major repair authorization. The reality of an unexpected breakdown is that the surrounding logistics — the tow, the rental, the unexpected overnight — are often what generate the most immediate stress and out-of-pocket exposure.
A covered repair at a Subaru dealer is handled cleanly. The tow gets you there. The rental keeps you mobile. The repair uses Genuine Subaru Parts. The claim is processed directly between the service advisor and Subaru of America — no independent adjuster, no waiting for approval, no out-of-pocket front-loaded cost.
South Shore Subaru’s finance office handles Added Security enrollment for new-vehicle purchases and within the post-purchase enrollment window. Buyers can ask about the full benefit structure — including towing, rental, roadside, and Trip Interruption (Gold Plus) — as part of the plan comparison at time of purchase.
Vehicle specs and safety data sourced from NHTSA, IIHS, and EPA.