Why choose the RAC?
With more 5-star reviews
The RAC can offer you cover for every situation – from roadside repairs to lost keys or flat batteries.
Did you know?
RAC patrols get to most breakdowns in 60 mins or less
RAC patrols fix 4/5 vehicles on the spot
You can save up to £200 on fuel, tyres and more in the myRAC app
Find the best breakdown cover policy for you by comparing deals from leading UK insurers
Breakdown cover is a type of insurance that will arrange and pay for roadside assistance if your vehicle breaks down.
Some policies will also help with return or onward travel if your vehicle can't be quickly fixed.
You can get different types of breakdown cover, including:
🚩 Not all breakdown policies will include all these options as standard.
Your insurer will send a mechanic or tow truck to you, and help you get back on the road again. If that isn't possible, they will move you, your passengers and your vehicle to a safe location.
If your car breaks down and you need assistance, help will be available all of the time and across all parts of the UK.
If your car is unable to be fixed there and then, your onward travel, accommodation and replacement vehicle costs can be covered.
If you are using a car abroad in Europe, European breakdown cover is available. Check your policy and if it isn’t detailed there, call your provider to add it as additional cover.
💡Top tip: Some car insurance policies include breakdown cover as standard.
This is where you choose your policy based on the level of cover you require, and you have the option to add on any extras that are needed. Make sure your car insurance doesn’t already have breakdown cover included or you’ll be wasting money and doubling up on cover.
Contact your provider if you break down. They will tell you what help is available and arrange it for you.
A mechanic will be sent out to help you on the side of the road, they will either try and fix it there and there, or two it to a nearby garage. Certain policies also include a courtesy car to help you get back on the road.
Yes. You can buy instant breakdown cover at the roadside after you run into trouble. Your new provider should then send a representative to take a look at your vehicle.
You can find providers who offer instant breakdown cover on our website. You will then need to call them to secure your instant breakdown cover, as this type of cover cannot be bought online.
The cost of breakdown cover will depend on a few factors.
The cost of breakdown cover is down to how old your vehicle is, and the vehicle’s make and model. Repair costs and whether the vehicle is prone to breaking down are also taken into consideration.
Cars, vans, and bikes vary when it comes to repairs and the length of time it takes to repair them.
The same applies for different types of these vehicles, too. For example, motorbikes, scooters and mopeds will all have different repair costs.
If you want to cover more than one vehicle, a multi-vehicle insurance policy can sometimes work out cheaper than having separate policies.
The level of cover you take out will also affect the cost of your insurance.
Local cover is generally the lowest cost, as it is the most basic of cover. Cover which includes recovery nationwide or vehicle hire if yours is unusable will be more expensive.
You can also buy it as a standalone product.
This example quote is for illustrative purposes only. Prices are tailored to individual needs and circumstances, so your quote may be more or less expensive than the example shown.
Quote taken on 15.08.25.
Learn more about our full methodology here.
There are different breakdown cover options depending on which policy you have purchased. Here are some of the types of cover you can purchase.
This type of policy will cover any vehicle whether you’re a driver or passenger. If your vehicle breaks down and you have local personal cover, roadside repairs are included, plus being towed to a nearby garage.
This type of policy will cover any vehicle whether you’re a driver or passenger. If your vehicle is unable to be repaired on the side of the road or within the same day at a garage that it’s been towed to, your vehicle can be taken back to your home or to where you began your journey.
This type of insurance will cover your vehicle with any driver and the policies can be applied to four vehicles.
As with the local personal cover, this policy includes repairs by the roadside and the vehicle to be towed to a nearby garage if necessary.
This covers your vehicle breaking down with any driver, and the policy applies to up to four vehicles. If your vehicle is unable to be fixed in a nearby garage on the same day, it will be taken to your home or the destination you started with on the day.
If you opt for Europe and UK cover, you are entitled to breakdown cover nationally for 12 months in the UK and up to 30 days per trip in Europe, which includes multiple trips.
There are two main types of optional cover you can add to your breakdown policy:
If you break down you’ll have more options available to help you on your way, such as courtesy vehicles, accommodation, or alternative travel arrangements
Home start cover means you’ll be able to get a call out if your car is broken down at home, or sometimes within a short distance of your home
Your policy will determine the amount of callouts you are able to make in a year, and it all depends on the level of cover you’ve opted for.
Some companies offer a specific number of free callouts per 12 months, which means if you exceed that number you will have to pay for repair and assistance costs. Alternatively, you can get unlimited call out policies, too.
Some breakdown cover policies provide an at-home breakdown cover clause. If you are unable to start your car from outside your home, or if you break down shortly after you begin your journey from home, you can call for assistance.
Often very cold weather affects vehicles from being able to start, as well as drained batteries from mistakenly leaving headlights on for long periods of time when not in use.
But at-home breakdown cover isn’t generally included breakdown cover policies, so make sure you research policies before you commit to one.
If your vehicle is unable to be repaired on the side of the road, the following step will depend on the type of cover you have. It could go to a local garage, or another garage dependent on preference.
But if the car is unable to go to the garage, the mechanic assisting you may offer to take the vehicle to a location of your choice, usually your home, and then pick it up and take it to your desired garage another day.
Here are a few tips to help you find the best policy for you:
Work out the costs of the excess versus the policy overall. A more expensive excess may reduce the policy cost, but it may mean you pay more overall if you make a claim.
We can help you compare policy costs and what each insurance provider has to offer. It’s always wise to research and never opt for the first quote you’re given.
Extras are available on some policies, so it’s wise to read what you’re entitled to. Often a slightly pricier policy could offer a lot more cover.
In 2024 there were 282,949 breakdowns on England’s motorway network – an increase of nearly 60% compared to 2020 according to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request MoneySuperMarket submitted to National Highways.
We also found out where and when you’re most likely to breakdown. Each of the top 10 breakdown locations is an all-lane running smart motorway where the hard shoulder has been permanently converted to a live lane. The summer months of July and August are when most breakdowns occur on motorways in England, and Friday is consistently the worst day of the week for breakdowns on motorways in England.
Alicia Hempsted Insurance Expert
MoneySuperMarket has won the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award, an independent seal of excellence, which recognises businesses that consistently deliver a world-class customer experience.
Comparing quotes from different insurers allows you to find the best deal out there.
We can do this work for you.
We've been around since 1993 and are the UK's most recommended price comparison website
We take the effort out of shopping around. Get quotes from top insurers in minutes.
Our mission is to save you money. We save our customers £1 bn+ on their bills every year
In most cases, you are permitted to cancel your breakdown cover policy. Generally, most insurers allow a 14-day cooling off period, where you can cancel the cover you’ve bought without incurring any costs.
However, beyond these 14 days, you are likely to be charged a cancellation fee to opt out of your chosen policy.
The location of where you break down depends on the first steps you need to take. Help and support offered can vary depending on what type of road you’re on, like a quiet road or a motorway.
This guide will give you an idea of what to do when you break down.
What you are covered for depends on the policy you have bought and the level of cover you have chosen. Your policy notes should offer you more detail on whether you have cover for:
Needing help with your vehicle which has broken down on land that is private
Requiring assistance when you have animal and pets in vehicle
Unable to start your vehicle because of an accident
Needing advice due to neglect
It all depends on the type of policy you have opted for. Some policies will cover your vehicle breaking down abroad, while in other circumstances you may need to add it on as a separate extra.
Your policy may permit you to add this cover, but you will more than likely need to pay for this.
It’s wise to read up on the countries you are covered in. Sometimes, European locations differ depending on the type of policy you go for.
You may be able to add people in your family or your household to your policy, which is helpful if more than one driver uses your vehicle.
If you’d like to add additional cars to your cover, many policies offer this also with multi-car breakdown cover. Be aware that this could affect the premiums you pay.
Policies will ask for the age of the vehicle and the maximum age you can cover will depend on the type of policy you decide to get. You can input this detail on MoneySuperMarket and it will show you what different providers offer.
Lots of insurance providers prevent you from claiming straight away. This is to deter people from taking breakdown cover out at the last minute. But it’s not the case for all providers – some will start with claims being able to be made with immediate effect. Check your policy documents before confirming.
The majority of insurers will offer you the option of paying every month or every 12 months. But keep your eyes peeled for price differences, as you may be able to save a few pounds by paying for your cover in a certain way.
A standard breakdown policy probably won’t cover the breakdown of a vehicle towing a caravan. Generally, this type of cover for a special vehicle is an extra add on and comes at an additional cost.
Ensuring your vehicle receives regular maintenance is key to keeping on top of unexpected breakdowns. However, vehicles can break down now and again out of the blue.
Weather is often a reason for vehicles not starting. In hot weather, your vehicle could overheat and during the winter months, low temperatures could freeze liquids in the vehicle. You could have problems with the windscreen and tyre tread in really cold weather, too.
But regular maintenance, carried out by a professional is always advised to keep your vehicle in tip top condition and hopefully, free from breakdowns.
We get paid by the companies we work with, but the payment we get doesn’t have any bearing on the information we provide. We get paid in different ways, depending on the type of product or service you buy through us. Our goal is to search deals from as wide a range of companies as possible, but we only show results from our partner providers.
Our comparison service is, and will always be, free to use.
One of the best ways to get the lowest prices and best deals is to compare quotes from different companies. We do the work for you, comparing quotes side-by-side and giving you all the information you need so you can choose the right deal for your needs and your wallet.
We don’t give recommendations or financial advice, but we give you clear information so you can choose financial products that suit your circumstances.
No, not every company can be included in our service. This is because some companies don’t want their products included on comparison sites, and some decide that they would rather not pay a fee. There are also a few smaller providers who can struggle to cope with the volume of customers that can find their products if they appear on MoneySuperMarket.
Our goal is to search deals from as wide a range of companies as possible so that you can choose the deal that suits you.
No, at this time breakdown insurance is not an eligible product for unlocking our SuperSaveClub rewards. It is also not included in our Price Promise.
Reviewed on 11 Dec 2025 by
YouGov Survey 1st July 2024 to 30th June 2025. Net Recommend score derived from “Which of the following online service websites would you recommend to a friend or colleague, or tell them to avoid?” Base: Current Customers of (MoneySuperMarket n=18,382, Compare the Market n=16,802, Go.Compare n=10,162, Confused.com n=8,229, Uswitch n=528).
From 01.06.23 to 31.05.24 MoneySuperMarket customers received £1.59bn estimated savings based on (i) SuperSaveClub reward redemptions, and (ii) savings claims per product multiplied by the number of sales. Products included - Car, Home, Pet and Travel insurance, Broadband, Credit Cards, Loans and Mortgages.
Based on Trustpilot reviews Oct – May25. (RAC 8,823 vs AA 4,886 & Green Flag 981).
Accurate as of September 2025
Based on car insurance policies sold through MoneySuperMarket between August 2025 and October 2025 where the user requested Breakdown Cover and it wasnt included as standard cover.
