One of the most common questions we hear is whether a roadside membership covers a wrong fuel mistake. Short answer, usually not. Here's how it actually works, so you know what to expect before you ring anyone.
What roadside assistance covers
Roadside assistance is designed for the things that stop a car working on their own. Flat battery, dead alternator, broken belt, blown tyre, ran out of fuel (yes, an empty tank is usually covered), locked keys in the car. The crews are trained and equipped for those.
Wrong fuel is different. It's generally classed as accidental damage to the fuel system, so with most providers it falls outside standard roadside cover. What most plans will do is send a truck and tow the car, either to a workshop or, with many providers, home as part of the standard tow benefit. Check your own membership terms for which applies to you, and if in doubt, ring them and ask specifically about misfuelling. That tow home option opens up a smart middle path.
The tow home, drain later approach
If you're stuck at a servo late at night, in the rain, or somewhere awkward, use the tow benefit to get the car home. Car sits safely in the driveway, you go to bed, and we come out in the morning to do the drain there. Same base rate, no after hours premium because we don't charge one anyway, and the engine never gets started on wrong fuel. If the timing doesn't suit an immediate kerbside drain, this is a genuinely good play.
Where your car insurance might help
Sometimes, but don't bank on it. Many standard comprehensive policies treat misfuelling as driver error, so it's often not covered. Some policies do include it under accidental damage or a specific wrong fuel benefit. The only way to know is your own PDS, or ringing your insurer and asking the direct question. We wrote the full honest version on our insurance page.
Two things to know either way:
- Excess still applies. If your excess is close to the cost of the drain, it is cheaper to just pay direct and skip the claim.
- You don't wait for them to authorise. Do not sit at the servo waiting for a claims consultant to call back. Get the drain moving, keep the invoice, and claim afterwards if your policy covers it. Our written invoice references EPA Licence 52359, which is the paperwork an insurer wants to see.
Third party only policies almost never cover wrong fuel. That's not a criticism of third party cover, it's just how those policies are scoped.
Fleet and business vehicles are different
If it's a work vehicle, ute or van under a fleet policy, wrong fuel is almost always covered as accidental damage. Fleet policies are written more generously because the alternative is a rental car and lost productivity, both of which cost more than a drain. Ring your fleet manager, tell them what happened, they'll usually just say "call the mobile drain and send us the invoice."
What to do right now
If you're at the servo reading this, the order is:
- Don't start the engine
- Push the car clear of the pump
- Ring us on (08) 7083 9699
- Ring your insurer while we're on the way, just to log the claim if you want to
Ringing your roadside line first usually ends in a tow, which turns a one hour kerbside fix into a workshop conversation. Keep the membership for what it's good at, and call us for the drain.
