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Original poster

Did you know this about breakdown cover for your car...

75 replies

Fillyfrog · 03/01/2025 23:32

For some reason I have lived my life not knowing this. Been driving for 24ish years. Had breakdown cover the whole time. Used it once.

Driving home tonight and I stupidly hit a large kerb I didn't realise was there. Burst my tyre and scraped the underneath of my car a little bit (it was rattling not sure what's gone on) rang the RAC to find that they wouldn't come and recover me because I hadn't broke down. I hadn't broke down and there was no mechanical fault with my car.

I know this sounds absolutely silly as it's literally called BREAKDOWN cover but it never occurred to me that I could be stranded at the side of the road and my cover wouldn't work for me! They advised me to get in touch with my insurance to organise recovery. I've used it once in 20 odd years and the one time I needed to be towed home I couldn't use it 🙈 would anybody else have thought the same?

OP posts:
YourSnugHazelTraybake · 03/01/2025 23:35

Yes. You've had an accident, that's not a breakdown. I had an unnecessarily long argument with my breakdown company when a major breakdown caused an accident, they wanted me to ring insurance. As it was because the breakdown came first they agreed they were responsible.

Original poster
Fillyfrog · 03/01/2025 23:42

Feel a bit stupid! Always thought if you were stuck at the side of the road they'd come and get you. I suppose the clue is in the name.

The only other time I've used them I had a tyre blow out on a motorway. They came out then and towed me home. Is that an accident then or a breakdown? It's still tyre related although I suppose I didn't cause the tyre to do that the other time...

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 03/01/2025 23:44

This is news to me too !

I once hit a bouncing brick - it fell off a lorry and I thought I'd miss it but because it bounced I ran it over and burst a tyre .
Though that was a hire car so maybe their cover (that you had to take out ) covered it ?

One thing I did know is if you break down on the motorway you have to get off it within a given time and if your breakdown cannot get to you , the Police can make you get towed by a local (and probably expensive ) garage .

DogInATent · 03/01/2025 23:50

There's more than one level of breakdown cover. The cheapest product covers the fewest types of situation. You may want to review your cover.

With most modern cars not coming with a spare tyre, a burst tyre is potentially a lot more of an issue for drivers - and more likely to require a recovery rather than a roadside repair. Worth making sure that your cover includes that.
(another reason to avoid new cars, but that's another thread..)

BBQPete · 03/01/2025 23:51

Mine will come out if you have an issue with a flat tyre.
Maybe it depends on the cover.

polpolpolpol · 03/01/2025 23:59

I've used it once in 20 odd years and the one time I needed to be towed home I couldn't use it 🙈

The only other time I've used them I had a tyre blow out on a motorway. They came out then and towed me home.

Both of these can't be true?

Janeb1965 · 04/01/2025 00:00

Mine would come out for a burst tyre and either change the tyre, recover to a garage or recover to home - I've had them do this twice in the last 5 or 6 years. I dont think I have a particularly special level of cover, was included with my car insurance for about £5 a month extra.

NewYearSameOldSameOld · 04/01/2025 00:06

polpolpolpol · 03/01/2025 23:59

I've used it once in 20 odd years and the one time I needed to be towed home I couldn't use it 🙈

The only other time I've used them I had a tyre blow out on a motorway. They came out then and towed me home.

Both of these can't be true?

Once in 20 years is the tyre blow out one, no? The other time they couldn’t use it.

Loki64 · 04/01/2025 00:06

I embarrassingly broke down on the motorway once because i ran out of petrol, i called my breakdown cover and they came and put petrol in for me and also followed me to the next services to make sure i got there ok 🤔

Whijfif · 04/01/2025 00:07

The AA came out to me when my tyre burst, I had run over something on the road. I don't have a spare so they towed me to nearest tyre place.

DogInATent · 04/01/2025 00:13

What would be considered a car breakdown?
A ‘breakdown’ is an event that stops your vehicle from being driven because of a mechanical or electrical failure. For example, a battery failure or flat tyres.
Here are a few examples of things that aren’t classed as a breakdown: putting in the wrong fuel, road traffic collisions, fire, flood, theft, acts of vandalism, or any driver-induced fault.
Source: https://www.rac.co.uk/breakdown-cover/breakdown-cover-guide

I think the problem here is that you mentioned hitting the curb, whereas if you'd "run over something in the road" that would have been different. You've described it as an accident rather than a breakdown, so it's on you or your vehicle insurance.

MolkosTeenageAngst · 04/01/2025 00:14

I thought they would come out for any breakdown. I had a flat tyre in the car park at work, and my car doesn’t have a spare, only a puncture repair kit which was no good. The AA came, gave me a temporary spare tyre and then drove behind me to the nearest tyre shop.

Luckily I’d noticed the issue with my tyre at lunchtime and was able to get it sorted before the garage closed but I did wonder what happens to people who break down outside of the hours 9-5. If I’m doing a long distance drive I tend to do it late at night to avoid traffic but what happens if you break down at 11pm 100 miles from home and there isn’t anywhere open to fix the car?

Pixiedust1234 · 04/01/2025 00:22

I didn't realise this either. I thought a tyre that deflated whilst you were driving would be covered by breakdown, whether it was a blow out, slow puncture or running something over.

SecretToryVoter · 04/01/2025 00:24

MolkosTeenageAngst · 04/01/2025 00:14

I thought they would come out for any breakdown. I had a flat tyre in the car park at work, and my car doesn’t have a spare, only a puncture repair kit which was no good. The AA came, gave me a temporary spare tyre and then drove behind me to the nearest tyre shop.

Luckily I’d noticed the issue with my tyre at lunchtime and was able to get it sorted before the garage closed but I did wonder what happens to people who break down outside of the hours 9-5. If I’m doing a long distance drive I tend to do it late at night to avoid traffic but what happens if you break down at 11pm 100 miles from home and there isn’t anywhere open to fix the car?

That’s actually happened twice to me! Once though towed me home (300 miles!) as it was a relatively simple part that needed replacing and my normal mechanic could fix in the driveway. apparently in that case they will often just tow you to some motorway services at the edge of their area then arrange for another truck to tow you the next leg etc (with a long wait in the middle) but they agreed to just tow us all the way home

Another time it was a bigger issue about 60 miles fro home and they towed me to a garage local to my house, then posted the car keys through the garage’s door with a note. They would have arranged transport home from the garage but it was only half a mile down the road so the tow guy dropped us home

JustKeepSwimmingJust · 04/01/2025 00:26

One of the reasons I get breakdown cover with my main car insurance. Thankfully not tested it yet, but I find it reassuring that ultimately they are responsible whatever the cause so can’t push me off to another org

DogInATent · 04/01/2025 00:52

Pixiedust1234 · 04/01/2025 00:22

I didn't realise this either. I thought a tyre that deflated whilst you were driving would be covered by breakdown, whether it was a blow out, slow puncture or running something over.

I think their position is that if you ran over a brick or a nail in the road then that's a breakdown. But if you drive into the kerb, then that's an accident.

And looking at the RAC website, unless you have the extra tyre cover then for a flat tyre that is covered they will bring you the tyre and fit it - but you have to pay for the tyre. Our current car came without a spare (not even a space-saver), and the first thing we did was to buy a full-size spare to put into the empty wheel-well in the boot.

mondaytosunday · 04/01/2025 01:19

Uh I've had them come out for a flat tire. No issue they just came. Priority too as I was a lone female on my own at night. What difference does it make how the tire became flat?

Floralnomad · 04/01/2025 01:24

I burst a tyre in south London on the way home from a concert a couple of years ago and the AA got me towed home because it wasn’t my sisters car and she didn’t realise that she didn’t have a spare wheel ( she does now) . More or less the same scenario , I swerved to avoid someone who pulled out and hit the central raised kerb .

IncessantNameChanger · 04/01/2025 01:33

It must depend on the cover? I had my exhaust fall off on the A2 just outside of London and a flat and they have come out. A few times in reality it's been neglect of issues if I'm totally honest. The exhaust was rattling but I was a teen so a bit dumb.

Breakdown cover can be a bit of a rip off and we only tend to get cover when our cars get older. I had a double decker bus hit my car in London. The police said if it still drove to just go home. So I did. With no front bumper or headlights. Not my greatest idea. Also very young at the time.

What would happen if you hit a pothole? Is that a accident or brackdown?

DiscoBeat · 04/01/2025 01:35

We had the AA out recently when we took DS out to a music shop and when we came out a couple of hours later there was a flat tyre (later turned out to be a screw from somewhere, no idea where). We tried to inject the gel stuff in but the machine burnt out but the AA came out without any argument. It sounds like we were lucky if they don't normally come out for tyre issues!

EmeraldRoulette · 04/01/2025 01:53

It depends on the cover

(unless it's changed since I stopped driving?)

You can pay extra and you get cover for roadside assistance and your journey home is covered if you can't drive the car

it was labelled under "accident assistance". Not sure if all recovery services did it but it's one reason I chose the cover I had.

Fosterfloof · 04/01/2025 03:20

@DogInATent It's interesting you saying that putting the wrong fuel in the vehicle isn't covered because a few years ago my DH did exactly this when he used my car. Fortunately he didn't actually drive the car anywhere before he noticed his mistake but he contacted I think the AA and they came out and towed him home. They did offer to drain the fuel tank for him but he didn't need that service as he was able to do it himself at home.

I do wonder whether it really depends upon the level of cover you have and which breakdown company you are with.

My personal bugbear is that modern cars don't have spare wheels and you just get a can of the stupid foam stuff - even the thin space saver wheels would be something. I know one time we had a tyre blow out on the motorway and there is no way that the repair foam would have done anything to help as the tyre was completely shredded. When the guy from ATS (tyre people) came to change it he said that the majority of the time that people get a puncture it isn't the type of puncture that can be repaired using the foam spray so they are effectively useless!!!

My DH is so concerned about my DD getting a puncture when she is driving and with her car not fitted with run flat or a spare, that he's put a spare wheel in the boot of her car - only downside is that it doesn't allow much space for shopping etc!!

Ohnonotmeagain · 04/01/2025 03:30

Depends on the cover. We had a flat and break down towed it to the nearest garage.

Original poster
Fillyfrog · 04/01/2025 07:19

DogInATent · 04/01/2025 00:13

What would be considered a car breakdown?
A ‘breakdown’ is an event that stops your vehicle from being driven because of a mechanical or electrical failure. For example, a battery failure or flat tyres.
Here are a few examples of things that aren’t classed as a breakdown: putting in the wrong fuel, road traffic collisions, fire, flood, theft, acts of vandalism, or any driver-induced fault.
Source: https://www.rac.co.uk/breakdown-cover/breakdown-cover-guide

I think the problem here is that you mentioned hitting the curb, whereas if you'd "run over something in the road" that would have been different. You've described it as an accident rather than a breakdown, so it's on you or your vehicle insurance.

Thank you for this, I didn't have the heart to go through the rac documents last night after already reading all my insurance ones.

That must be it then. A part of me wishes I'd lied and just said something was in the the road and had caused my tyre to pop on its own 😅 but that wouldn't cause damage to underneath my car and I'm not a liar I wouldn't have been able to keep it up. I was on my own and it was late ish (10pm) but they aren't bothered.

When ringing a recovery service last night they wanted to charge me £200 to come out and tow it to a secure storage facility to then go through my insurance.

Not impressed with rac really and will be changing my break down cover. The man was rude on the phone and also had already told me I needed to pay £30 to upgrade my cover as I wasn't covered for 'business use' which I didn't know was a thing. I have business use on my car insurance, but didn't know on my breakdown cover. Need to be a bit more on it next time 🙈

OP posts:
whiteroseredrose · 04/01/2025 09:17

BBQPete · 03/01/2025 23:51

Mine will come out if you have an issue with a flat tyre.
Maybe it depends on the cover.

Same here. I've had a couple of flat tires sorted. And flat batteries.

Neither were accidents though.

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