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BreakdownCover.co.uk is the UK’s leading breakdown cover comparison site. We make it easy to find and compare breakdown cover quotes from the best UK providers including The AA, RAC and many more in seconds. There are a range of options available for every budget and vehicle, whether you’re looking for cheap car breakdown cover or european cover for a business trip or holiday, we’ve got you covered.
Here’s what you need to do to start comparing breakdown cover:
Breakdown cover is a type of insurance policy that provides you with assistance and support in the event of your vehicle breaking down. It is specifically designed to offer peace of mind and practical solutions when your car or other vehicles encounter mechanical or electrical failures on the road. Having a vehicle breakdown cover policy ensures that you are not left stranded and can get prompt help to either fix the issue or arrange transportation to a nearby garage.
No one likes to experience car troubles, especially when it happens during an important journey or while you’re out on the road. But unfortunately, vehicle breakdowns are an unpleasant reality that all drivers have to face from time to time. That’s why it’s so important to have a breakdown cover policy in case the unexpected happens and your vehicle suddenly stops working.
Having a good vehicle breakdown cover policy can provide you with much-needed peace of mind when you’re driving, and can make a world of difference if you ever find yourself stuck on the side of the road. It can provide you with roadside assistance, ensuring that you’re not left stranded if something should go wrong. It can also help you get back on the road sooner, as you may be entitled to a courtesy car if yours needs to go into the garage for repairs.
There are two main types of policies you’ll be able to purchase. You can choose between:
Personal Breakdown Cover – The person named in the policy is covered for any eligible vehicle regardless of whether they are the driver or a passenger. Personal policies are usually a little more expensive, however, if you own or drive more than one vehicle, insuring yourself, can work out cheaper. For example, if you own a car and a motorbike you would be covered for both if you had personal cover.
Vehicle Breakdown Cover – This type of policy provides coverage for any car, van, motorbike, or another eligible vehicle regardless of who is driving when the breakdown occurs. If any other person uses your vehicle, such as your wife, husband, or another family member, this could prove to be your cheapest option.
Each company offers varying levels of breakdown cover from a basic fix at the roadside to the full service that includes onward travel options.
Roadside Assistance – This provides basic coverage and includes, fixing at the roadside (80-85% success rate depending on provider) or, towing to a local garage if your vehicle cannot be fixed in a timely manner. You must be at least 1/4 mile from your home or registered address. All breakdown companies include roadside rescue and breakdown recovery as standard in all their policies, you can then add any of the following options to tailor your policy to your specific needs.
Home Start – This extends your policy to include coverage at your home address and the 1/4 mile surrounding it which is excluded from policies without home start cover.
National Recovery – This includes a long-distance breakdown recovery service that will rescue you from anywhere in the UK and transport you and your passengers to any single location within the UK, including back to your home address if you so wish.
Onward Travel – This gives you a number of options if your vehicle cannot be fixed by the end of the working day. Each company has its own specific terms and conditions, however, the options generally include, a replacement car (hire car typically for a maximum of 3 days) or alternative transport to get you to your intended destination within the UK, overnight accommodation for you and your passengers and, one-way public transport costs for one person to collect the car once it has been repaired.
We often receive a lot of questions about breakdown cover, so let’s answer some of the most common:
You should be able to get breakdown coverage for most cars, although some providers only cover cars up to a certain age. If you use your car for business or racing, for example, further restrictions may apply.
The requirement for breakdown cover is not a legal one. However, many drivers purchase it so they won’t be left stranded if their car breaks down.
It depends. When you own only one car, it may make more sense to purchase vehicle-based insurance. If you drive more than one car frequently or are a passenger in more than one, personal-based coverage may be more appropriate.
Yes, generally breakdown cover will include fixes for things like punctured tyres and flat batteries.
In some cases, breakdown cover comes with an excess. Excess payments are one-off, fixed payments that you make to the breakdown company each time you need their services, to contribute to recovery costs. An excess fee breakdown policy will usually have a cheaper annual or monthly premium than a no-excess fee breakdown policy.
If your car breaks down and you don’t have a breakdown policy, you can purchase instant breakdown cover at the side of the road, and your new provider will send someone to fix it.
A breakdown provider must offer a 14-day “cooling off period” within which you may cancel your policy. In the event that you haven’t claimed on your cover, you won’t face any penalties and will receive a full refund.
You may not be able to cancel after this period or after you’ve made a claim. In addition, claim, or you may be required to pay a fee to receive a partial refund after you’ve canceled. Terms will vary between providers.
In short, yes. Our independent comparison tool lets you compare providers from across the UK in seconds. This increases your chances of finding cheap breakdown cover as you won’t be reliant on the quotes of a single provider. By comparing car breakdown cover quotes with us you’ll be able to compare multiple providers and find the best deals in seconds.
If you have car breakdown cover, then you should contact your provider immediately. They will be able to provide assistance and arrange for recovery of your vehicle.
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