Breakdown cover explained

Breaking down is stressful and inconvenient, but breakdown cover can provide valuable peace of mind - ensuring you receive assistance at the roadside at any time of the day or night. To help you decide what type of breakdown cover is right for you, we've compiled a short guide that explains what it is, how it works and how you can save money but still find the policy that's right for you.

What is breakdown cover?

Breakdown cover is known by a variety of names, most commonly roadside recovery and roadside rescue. It provides assistance to motorists who have broken down and are unable to continue their journey.

Who is breakdown cover suitable for?

Breakdown cover is a sound investment for anyone who regularly travels by car. It is particularly suitable for people who own older vehicles, for those who regularly drive at night or in remote areas, families and business travellers or commuters.

How does breakdown cover work?

There are two types of breakdown cover available:

Standard breakdown cover
Standard breakdown cover is offered by the majority of breakdown companies and is the most convenient option for most customers. You choose the level of cover that best suits your needs and pay an annual fee upfront. Any call outs you make during the period of cover are then free of charge.

You'll have the choice between personal breakdown cover or vehicle based cover. The former covers you, as the passenger, in any car you are travelling in providing it falls within the breakdown company's conditions. The latter covers the nominated vehicle only.

Some breakdown companies, such as the AA and RAC for example, have their own patrols while others, such as Green Flag, will contract out to local recovery services.

Pay and claim cover
Pay and claim cover is usually the cheapest type of breakdown cover. As with standard breakdown cover, you pay an annual fee upfront but the cover you receive will differ from standard breakdown cover in two respects.

Firstly, the breakdown company will not operate its own patrols; instead it will contract out to local recovery services.

Secondly, you will be required to pay the local service when you call them out and then reclaim the money by sending your receipts to the breakdown company.

When it comes to choosing between the two, your main considerations will be price and convenience. This is because both options will provide the same level of cover and average call out times (around 40 minutes). If convenience is important to you, then with standard cover you can avoid the hassle of paying for the call out upfront and then having to reclaim the money back.

What about breakdown cover levels?

Breakdown companies often have their own definitions for the different cover levels and services they provide, however the four main options that they all offer are:

Roadside assistance
All breakdown policies include roadside assistance. If you breakdown away from home (providing you are over a quarter of a mile away) then your breakdown company will send somebody to fix the problem at the roadside; if your vehicle can't be fixed it will be towed (or recovered) to the nearest garage or your home, normally whichever is closer. Policies typically include up to 60 minutes of free labour, however the cost of replacement parts is not included.

Home assistance
This provides cover in the event of your vehicle breaking down at your home address or within a set distance of it - normally within a quarter of a mile.

Vehicle recovery If the vehicle can't be repaired at the roadside it will be recovered, along with any passengers. Some policies will transport the car to a local garage, others will arrange for it's transportation to your home. Check the policy details before you buy to find out what's covered.

Onward travel
Onward travel cover can vary drastically between different breakdown companies. Depending on the policy, it may include car hire or alternative transportation to your chosen destination or home address or accommodation while your vehicle is repaired.

Most breakdown companies also offer European cover, either as a stand-alone policy or as an add-on to a standard policy. If you plan on taking your car to the continent - perhaps on a booze cruise to France, for example - then European breakdown cover is a sound investment. Breaking down abroad is not only costly but can be complicated too - with European breakdown cover you'll deal with English-speaking representatives and the recovery process will be quicker and less stressful, too.

The level of breakdown cover that's right for you will of course depend on your circumstances, including the age of your vehicle and your annual mileage. How you use the vehicle will have a bearing on the level of cover you need too, for example the requirements of a driver who does high mileage and relies on their vehicle for commuting or business use will be different than those of a driver who only uses their car now and again for short trips in the locality of where they live.

How can I save money on breakdown cover?

Understanding how breakdown companies price their products can help you to keep the cost of your policy down. Some companies offer fixed price premiums while others calculate premiums based on a range of criteria, such as your vehicle’s age and your annual mileage etc. What this generally means is that if your policy is classed as ‘high risk’ you will pay more for cover, and if you are classed as ‘low risk’ you will pay less. If you suspect that you are classed as a high risk then you should shop around for a fixed-price policy instead, it'll probably be cheaper.

Similarly, multi-car policies can often prove cheaper for families than family membership policies that cover individual family members.

For more savings, pay and claim cover is usually considerably cheaper than standard cover, so if you don't mind paying for the call out and then claiming the money back, you could save pounds on your premium.

It's always worth checking for discounts and special offers too. Above all, the key to saving money is to shop around and compare breakdown cover policies online.

Gocompare.com and breakdown cover

With Gocompare.com you can compare quotes for breakdown cover for cars, motorbikes and vans; all policies include roadside assistance and local recovery as standard.

Simply tell us how old your vehicle is and what additional levels of cover you require and we’ll bring you quotes from up to 15 breakdown companies. You can then filter your results to compare up to four policies side-by-side; by comparing policies on features as well as price you can find the one that best suits your needs.

Remember that the cheapest policy isn't necessarily the best policy for you, and by spending a little more you may actually get better value for money.