Introduction
In a typical month around 14,500 vehicles break down occur, with that number rising to nearly 18,000 a month in the summer holiday period when the roads become clogged and heavily laden cars overheat in traffic jams. It’s true that older cars are more prone to failures, but new cars are not immune either. Usually because of an electrical fault, or potentially due to the owner accidentally putting in the wrong type of fuel. It’s not just a mechanical part going wrong, increasingly these days drivers are being left stranded by punctures or wheel damage caused by potholes on broken roads.
So, what can we do? Well, the easiest and most cost-effective way to get mobile again is to join one of the many roadside assistance and breakdown recovery companies. For the same cost of a tank of fuel, you should be able to get a year’s protection - and while hopefully you will never need it, in the event you do, it’ll be one of the best investments you make. Let’s look at what help is available and then how much it might cost!
Levels of Cover
Basic cover: Does what it says and will get you help at the roadside, and if it can’t be fixed there and then, a tow to a nearby garage will be an option. However, many of these basic policies will not cover you if the problem happens while you are at home, so for this you will need:
Home start: This is extra to a basic cover policy, but is potentially the most useful if you only do short urban journeys, for instance, a school run or short commute which might not give the battery enough time to fully recharge after cranking over the engine. During winter when it has to power the lights, heated windscreens and demister will help. You’ll need to check the small print to see precisely what the organisation defines as `home start.’ Normally it means the cover starts so long as you are up to at least a quarter of a mile to a mile from where you live, but it would be wise to check.
Onward journey: If your car has to be kept in the garage for more lengthy repairs, the breakdown organisation will normally pay for a hire car for usually up to three days and the cost of an overnight hotel.
National recovery: This will give your car a tow to anywhere in the UK which can be handy if you routinely do long journeys.
Family/multi-car cover: This will allow parents and usually up to three others and several vehicles to be covered on one policy.
European cover: As you may have guessed, this is only of any use if you take your car abroad.
How Much Does It Cost?
Before we look at this, just consider one fact - the AA reckons that the bill to have your car retrieved from a motorway hard shoulder if you don’t have any type of cover in place will be at least £250, probably more. Even a very comprehensive policy, giving you multiple levels of cover won’t cost anything like this much.
Taking as our example cover for two cars with home start, nationwide and with onward journey all ticked as options, policies start from less than £50. There will be T&Cs which need careful reading, but a sum of around fifty quid doesn’t sound a lot to give you peace of mind.
Satisfaction Guaranteed
As it happens, drivers are generally happy with the service they get from roadside help companies. As of 2024, driver satisfaction in the UK varied based on the provider and individual experiences. While specific nationwide averages are not readily available, several surveys and customer feedback provide insights into overall satisfaction levels.
One achieved a customer rating of 83% in a Which? survey and was named the winner of the Finder Breakdown Cover Customer Satisfaction Awards 2024, with 94% of surveyed customers indicating they would recommend the service to a friend. Another was recognised as a highly commended breakdown provider in the 2021 Auto Express Driver Power survey, with drivers praising its value for money, ease of service and high rates of roadside fault resolution. Alongside the previous two statistics, a third company a satisfaction rate of 93% from customers, of which stated they would recommend the service they received to others.
What They Won’t Cover
Recovery companies can’t be expected to carry the expense for an easily avoidable mistake, so you may well find that your policy excludes situations where you have been stranded because you have run out of fuel, let the battery go flat by leaving the lights on when the engine isn’t running and sometimes misfuelling.
Usual Faults
The most common causes of a breakdown is a flat or faulty battery, damaged tyres or wheels, starter motor failure, failed clutch and a misfuelling/running out of fuel incident.
