10 tips to get cheaper breakdown cover
Key takeaways
Car breakdown cover provides you with emergency assistance if your car breaks down during a journey or at your home.
It is cheaper to cover the car rather than a specific person
Check whether you’re already covered by your car insurance or bank account
Top tips for buying breakdown cover
1. Explore all the cover options before you buy a breakdown cover policy
Breakdown policies come with varying levels of cover. The appropriate level of cover for you will depend on your driving patterns and financial situation.
Roadside assistance
This is the basic level of cover. If your vehicle breaks down more than a quarter mile from your home, a mechanic will come and either fix it on the spot or tow you to a local garage.
National Recovery
With national cover, if your car can’t be fixed at the roadside or locally on the same day, it will be transported either back to your home or to your intended destination. This type of cover is ideal if you often travel far from home.
Home Start
This type of cover includes breakdowns that happen at or near your home which is something standard policies often exclude if the issue occurs within a mile of your address. Home Start is especially handy for flat batteries on chilly mornings or when your car hasn’t been used in a while.
Onward Travel
If your car breaks down during a long trip and can't be fixed the same day, onward travel ensures you and your passengers can continue your journey. This could include a replacement vehicle, public transport, or even overnight stay arrangements if necessary. It's typically the most expensive level of cover.
2. Consider optional add-ons
If you regularly travel abroad or frequently tow a trailer or caravan there are add-ons to policies which you could benefit from.
European cover: This covers you if you drive your car in Europe
Misfuelling cover: If you put petrol in diesel car, or vice versa
Lost keys: Replacement keys if yours are lost or stolen
Trailers and caravans: Additional cover if you are towing another vehicle
3. Choose personal cover if you want to keep the costs down
When you buy breakdown cover, the policy will cover either:
A particular vehicle
You (the person), whatever vehicle you are driving or a passenger in
Multiple vehicles
The cheapest option is to cover the car rather than a specific person.
Vehicle-specific cover
Vehicle-specific cover is usually cheaper than paying to cover any car you are travelling in. This means anyone legally driving it can call for roadside assistance if they break down. Vehicle-specific cover can be a good option if you have one car driven by several family members.
Personal cover
A personal policy will cover you in any vehicle as a driver or passenger. This is particularly useful if you frequently drive different cars, or travel as a passenger with friends or family. This will usually be more expensive than covering a specific vehicle.
Multi-car cover
Multi-car breakdown cover is a type of policy covers multiple vehicles registered at the same address under a single plan. It streamlines managing your breakdown cover and can often be more cost-effective than taking out separate policies for each car.
4. Don’t pay twice
Before you buy breakdown cover, double-check whether you’re already covered.
Some car insurance policies include it with your cover or as an optional extra - it’s convenient, but make sure the level of cover suits your needs.
You might also have breakdown cover through a packaged bank account (where you pay a monthly fee for added perks). These policies are often backed by major providers like the AA, RAC, or Green Flag.
If you’ve bought a new car, it may come with complimentary breakdown cover for one to three years - usually matching the length of the manufacturer’s warranty.
5. Remember to compare prices
Comparing breakdown cover quotes can help you find the best policy for your needs at the best price.
Use MoneySuperMarket to quickly and easily compare quotes. You can tailor your quote to your needs, and include any optional extras you think might be useful.
Read customer reviews of providers on sites such as Feefo, Google or TrustPilot.
Check if the policy has a call-out limit (e.g. a maximum number of times you can use it per year).
If you have an older car, check it is covered by the policy. Some policies have a maximum age for vehicles.
6. Don’t auto-renew
Once you’ve decided which policy to take out for breakdown cover, don’t let cover automatically renew.
Some breakdown policies automatically renew unless you cancel them in advance. However, the renewal price isn’t always the same—you might end up paying more than before.
7. Don’t be afraid to haggle
If your car breakdown provider tries to charge you more at renewal time, give them a call and try to negotiate.
8. Don’t buy cover you don’t really need
For example, when choosing local or national recovery, choose it wisely. If you only drive locally, rather than long distances, then national recovery won’t be worth it.
9. Consider smaller providers
The AA, RAC and Green Flag are the big names in car breakdown, but there are plenty of smaller providers too, and these are often cheaper.
10. Pay upfront if you can
Paying an annual lump sum up front rather than monthly payments is usually the cheaper option.
Why do I need breakdown cover?
Breakdown cover provides reassurance to drivers that in the event of issues such as a flat battery, a puncture, or major engine trouble, you can contact a service provider who will dispatch a mechanic to help you get back on the road.
Minor issues can often be resolved on the spot but if not, you might be towed to a nearby garage, home, or your intended destination.
Without breakdown cover, you can still reach out to local services for help, but this can be costly and time-consuming, as you may need to call multiple garages to find one with availability. Breakdown cover offers peace of mind that help is on its way, no matter where you are.
Author
Emma Lunn
Personal finance expert
Emma has written about personal finance for almost 20 years, with a career spanning several recessions and their inevitable consequences. Emma’s main focus is helping people learn to manage their...
