Car breakdown cover

[Ian H]

Mine's part of the insurance cover. No idea who might run it.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Just be careful of all the bank/phone/car/house/uncle Tom Cobbley insurances that are included although they maybe run by Greenflag etc. it is a cutdown cover & not their normal offering. It may have restricted recovery options, my daughter found this out, they would only recover her car up to 18 miles, she was 22 miles from home, we paid the extra to get it back. If they are free then they are usually free for a reason don't rely on them. Personally I use Autoaid as mentioned previously £43 for both myself & wife in any car, only thing is you have to pay the mechanic & claim the money back. Last time I used them the gearbox oil seal went, oil had drained so they recovered us, I paid on CC sent off forms, got cheque in less than 7 days & used it t pay the CC invoice when it came.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

RAC for me. I have cover that covers ME, in all cars which is handy.

I've used it 3 times for a bike, 1 puncture, 1 cracked carb float bowl, 1 for ignition fault. All were very quick to attend,

 

[roadrash]

Considering how most breakdowns are avoidable with good preventive maintenance, is breakdown cover really necessary?

some are avoidable .... but not all, hence the cover

 

[roadrash]

£55.00 quote from start rescue uk , which offers everything i would want , seems the favourite up to now

 

[PhilDawson8270]

Considering how most breakdowns are avoidable with good preventive maintenance, is breakdown cover really necessary?

None of my 3 were avoidable, or fixable at the road side.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

https://autoaidbreakdown.co.uk/

Husband & Wife covered, any car £43ish

What I don't like about that is that it's a claim for refund policy. You'll need to pay for all recovery, roadside repair, accommodation costs yourself before submitting a claim form for the refund.
Not everyone will be in a position to do that.

 

[swee'pea99]

This is a few years old, but I don't think anything's changed. We've been with a bunch called First Call for about 15 years now - about £40 a year for all the usual cover, provided by local suppliers. Only had to use them a few times and they've been fine - no quicker or slower than anyone else, and did what was needed each time. So we've probably saved getting on for a couple of grand over the years. (Oh, they don't have any strict limit on car age either - they do ask us now when was the last service, but then the car is 20 years old.)

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Considering how most breakdowns are avoidable with good preventive maintenance, is breakdown cover really necessary?

But what about those that are not, our last one was a gearbox oil seal that was not even weeping on the Saturday when I was under the car, coming back from a show on Sunday evening I saw black smoke in the rear view mirror, pulled over to find the engine bay & the rear of the car covered in oil, the seal had let go without warning.

 

[toffee]

Considering how most breakdowns are avoidable with good preventive maintenance, is breakdown cover really necessary?

I can't see my 18 year old daughter being able to change an offside wheel on a motorway at 11.30pm on a cold wet windy December night because of a puncture.

Derek

 

[Dave7]

We WERE with RAC but the prices just came going up & up so I went with Green Flag
I needed them once last year (wife's car at home-wouldn't start).....they were here on time and sorted the problem plus giving some free advice.
When I got this years renewal the price had gone up over 35% BECAUSE I HAD USED THEM!!!!!!
I waited 2 weeks then went on-line as a 'new customer'...........still paid more than last year but still noticeably cheaper than RAC/AA quotes.

 

[vickster]

Often some good deals if you track through quidco

My last call out was a DSG gearbox failure, no way it could be prevented. RAC were dreadful. The car died pretty much blocking a busy junction (turning) on a double yellow. Which they knew.
2 hour wait for the first van to show up (v grateful to the two PCSOs who stayed with my car while I had a much needed bio break)! Then said van was unable to tow my car to garage as too low at the front (standard Golf GTI, they knew exactly what model, even said van man expressed they were idiots for sending him), but he did manage to get my car out the way to a safer spot. Then at least another 2 hours to get a flatbed out.

Not impressed at all. Wouldn't use RAC again by choice!

 

[NorthernDave]

The AA, be rude not to as I get it for free coz I work for them

Does that make you a very nice man?

Considering how most breakdowns are avoidable with good preventive maintenance, is breakdown cover really necessary?

True, and my car is scrupulously maintained, but it spends half it's time on the motorway so what I pay (£4/month) is worth it for peace of mind if nothing else against a potential motorway recovery charge of £150 or more

 

[roadrash]

interesting poll results with "OTHER" being the most popular choice.

 

[DRM]

But what about those that are not, our last one was a gearbox oil seal that was not even weeping on the Saturday when I was under the car, coming back from a show on Sunday evening I saw black smoke in the rear view mirror, pulled over to find the engine bay & the rear of the car covered in oil, the seal had let go without warning.

Same with us, we were away with the caravan at Peterborough, having been up to Nottingham to vist our daughter, coming back to the caravan site the high pressure fuel pump split & literally spewed 1/4 of a tank of diesel out onto the A1, we were covered by Brittania Rescue, who took us too a petrol station, then back to the site, at the end of the holiday they came back and recovered the car & caravan home, good service and couldn't fault them.