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✔ Yes, it is possible to purchase breakdown cover immediately if your vehicle breaks down or if you need assistance straight away. This means the car won’t be abandoned on the roadside and the patrol mechanic will try and fix it on the side of the road - if they can’t your car will be taken to a local garage to be repaired.
🚩 Immediate cover is only available over the phone, you can’t buy it online. You can find providers who offer instant breakdown cover on MoneySuperMarket.
It can provide instant help and assistance at the roadside, even if you haven’t got a vehicle breakdown cover policy in place. To access instant breakdown cover, you need to take the following steps:
Unfortunately, you can’t buy immediate breakdown cover online, so ring the number provided on the website to arrange instant breakdown cover.
Carefully read the terms and conditions of your policy. There are a few options – you can either buy cover for your immediate breakdown, one that allows for another call out in that 12-month period, or of course you could sign up to an annual policy.
After buying the cover, your breakdown provider will a patrol mechanic to attend to your vehicle immediately.
It can provide instant help and assistance at the roadside, even if you haven’t got a vehicle breakdown cover policy in place. To access immediate breakdown cover, you need to take the following steps:
If you have a more expensive car, or a rare car, then it’s likely that the cost for your instant breakdown cover will be more.
As with insurance policies, cars are classed by providers in groups from 1-50. Therefore, the higher the car group, the higher the cost because repairs to these cars are generally more expensive.
There are many breakdown providers to compare and each will have different price packages.
The cost of insurance will also depend on the amount of damage to your car, plus any other vehicles involved.
The cost of any work that needs to be done to the vehicle will impact the price of your cover.
The age of the driver, job and driving experience will also be taken into consideration when assessing the cost.
Often the more cover you opt for, the more you’ll pay. But it’s worthwhile researching the cost as this doesn’t always apply.
Many things will be included, or excluded, as standard in an instant breakdown policy, including the following:
Repairs: Any work that needs doing to your vehicle to get it back on the road will be covered, or if the car needs to be transported to a for a permanent repair. Make sure you know if towing is included in your policy and how near the garage is.
Passengers: You and any passengers you are carrying will be transported to a safe place or your end destination.
Wear and tear: It’s unlikely you will be able to claim general wear and tear costs to your vehicle.
European breakdown cover: If your vehicle has broken down while you’re driving in Europe, your policy may not cover you.
Prior to agreeing to the insurance cover, make sure you consider all of the pros and cons that of the policy.
Immediate breakdown cover is not cheap, but it is beneficial in helping you reach your destination (or to your home) and it should offer you the help and guidance required to get your vehicle running efficiently again.
The damage incurred and the chances of your car experiencing problems again should also be factored when working out if you need instant vehicle breakdown cover.
For instance, if your battery runs out of charge or you get a flat tyre, that will likely cost considerably less than if you have an engine problem.
Another thing which needs to be considered is if your callout is associated with any pre-existing issues with the car.
📌For example, if your vehicle is already damaged and you’ve continued to use it, the problem will have been made worse.
But if instant help isn’t required and you can source another way of repairing your car – like calling on your mechanic brother to help, or your mate who’s a bit handy with a spanner, it may not be worth the price. Also, if your car has broken down but is in a secure location, such as on your drive, buying instant breakdown insurance might not be worth it.
💡 Top tip: Immediate breakdown cover doesn't include cover for travelling in Europe, so be mindful of this if you are planning a driving trip abroad.
No one wants to breakdown when they’re driving, be it on your way to work or on route to your holiday, and that’s where breakdown cover is useful. But if you don’t have a policy, your options are limited. You can pay out for an instant policy, which will cost you a lot but will get you and your passengers back on track, or if it’s a minor issue, or you can get assistance elsewhere, it may not be worth buying.
Rebecca Goodman Personal Finance & 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.
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After buying instant breakdown cover and speaking to the policy provider, you should receive help as soon as possible. But if you’re purchasing standard annual breakdown cover, often you will need to wait a while before the cover kicks in. The length of time differs depending on the policy provider, but most of the time it isn’t available immediately.
As soon as you’ve paid for the instant breakdown cover, the provider will arrange for assistance to come to you at the roadside. Often this will be actioned while you are still on the phone so they can pinpoint your location.
It’s vital to ensure you and any passengers are safe and secure, especially if your vehicle has broken down roadside or if you have been involved in an accident. .
The first thing you should do is indicate left and move the vehicle to the emergency area or hard shoulder. Then activate the vehicle’s hazard lights and move you and any passengers behind a safety barrier. Then ring National Highways on 0300 123 5000. More information and guidelines on the National Highways website.
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Reviewed on 8 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.
Accurate as of September 2025
