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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:
polpolpolpol · 04/01/2025 09:18

@NewYearSameOldSameOld

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

Well that's why I asked bc it didn't read like that to me. The OP said when it was needed it couldn't be used to get towed and a subsequent post talked about having used it to be towed.

edited to add, I see how I misread it becsue you explained

DogInATent · 04/01/2025 09:53

@Fosterfloof yes, it will depend which breakdown cover you have and the level of cover. I've seen misfuelling cover offered in some breakdown packages.

Breakdown insurance is something that it seems a lot of people just buy without reading the details. It's like travel insurance, it can quite easily catch you out if you're not paying attention. Very like travel insurance if you're driving abroad and assume that "European" cover includes the whole of the EU/Europe.

Thornybush · 04/01/2025 10:15

I would have thought a tyre issue would have been covered too!! So what on earth happens if you are 200 miles from home half way to your hometown (like I do frequently) Now I'm scared to ever go again, breakdown assistance was like a security blanket to me!

Nourishinghandcream · 04/01/2025 10:22

This is why you need to check your level of cover and cheapest is not always best.

There are a lot of people out there whose cover will only allow them to be recovered to a local garage (within a certain radius of the incident and often only 10-miles or so).
This would not do for us and we have always had cover which takes us to our destination of choice, in the event of a significant issue I would rather be taken home (or to my local garage) and get it sorted from there.

soupfiend · 04/01/2025 10:25

Im a bit confused about this, Ive had them come out for flat tyres and flat batteries and also when Ive run out of petrol.

mooncloud1 · 04/01/2025 10:27

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 🤔

Yes, I've them out for running out of petrol, the guy gave me a bit of lecture but it was never mentioned that they wouldn't attend, definitely covered for it.

DogInATent · 04/01/2025 10:28

soupfiend · 04/01/2025 10:25

Im a bit confused about this, Ive had them come out for flat tyres and flat batteries and also when Ive run out of petrol.

Not all breakdown policies are the same.

thenightsky · 04/01/2025 10:33

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

I hit a pothole and completely bent my wheel so badly the tyre wouldn't hold air at all. The RAC came out and put my car onto a low loader to get me home.

SleepingisanArt · 04/01/2025 10:35

We are covered for tyres (with the AA). Used it twice for tyres, once when I couldn't get the locking nut to unlock (in the days of spare wheels in the car) and once when the tyre was punctured in a strange place by debris on the road and the foam stuff wouldn't have worked. Both times a van was sent, the first time they changed my tyre for me and the 2nd put the car on a 'spare' and followed me home before retrieving their tyre - I then got a replacement fitted at home. Only used the AA a few times in my 37 years driving but am content to know they will come when needed.

Countrylife2002 · 04/01/2025 10:37

Given you’re with the RAC, who once took ten hours to rescue me & dd when stranded at night in a remote location, I’m not entirely surprised…

I gave up and sorted my own recovery… and tried to get some form of apology from the fuckers and they were as rude af.

Green Flag op. Much better

Original poster
Fillyfrog · 04/01/2025 10:52

Countrylife2002 · 04/01/2025 10:37

Given you’re with the RAC, who once took ten hours to rescue me & dd when stranded at night in a remote location, I’m not entirely surprised…

I gave up and sorted my own recovery… and tried to get some form of apology from the fuckers and they were as rude af.

Green Flag op. Much better

Edited

They were really rude on the phone. I felt like they were constantly trying to find ways to say that they wouldn't be coming out. They even play a recorded message before they answer the phones saying rudeness and aggression won't be tolerated. Probably because theyre so awkward and rude on the phone in the first place 🙈

OP posts:
Original poster
Fillyfrog · 04/01/2025 10:58

Thornybush · 04/01/2025 10:15

I would have thought a tyre issue would have been covered too!! So what on earth happens if you are 200 miles from home half way to your hometown (like I do frequently) Now I'm scared to ever go again, breakdown assistance was like a security blanket to me!

I would say check your level of cover. I've realised that for tyres mine was an extra £65 I think! And an extra £24 for business use 😳 it was already £55 for the year.

Also because it was technically my fault I drove over the kerb and popped the tyres it wasn't a breakdown. But technically anyone can have an accident! I always thought they would come and rescue you in any situation 🤷🏼‍♀️

Luckily I could leave it on the side of the road overnight. Got a lift home and have had someone tow it to a garage this morning.

I'm a community nurse and drive around for 12 hours a day and it's making me check my insurance and breakdown cover more thoroughly from now on

OP posts:
Hohofortherobbers · 04/01/2025 11:00

Yep, they refused to attend when I hut a pot hole but said if I'd just noticed my tyre was flat they would have come. It's how you word it. One is an accident. One is a vehicle breakdown

AgnesX · 04/01/2025 11:02

It's never actually occurred to me but thanks for pointing it out.

Getting a flat or breaking down especially on a motorway is one of my big fears in life.

CatsorDogsrule · 04/01/2025 11:16

Similar to PP, I've had terrible service from both AA and RAC. With RAC, I was left stranded for hours late at night alone with a baby, toddler and primary aged child. My husband was overseas so couldn't come.

After 4 hours I called a taxi to get us somewhere safe. It was a flat battery.

AA also took many hours stuck on motorway hard shoulder with young child due to puncture.

I stick with the smaller companies now. They tend to subcontract to local recovery agents, who have come out within an hour. So much cheaper too!

rightoguvnor · 04/01/2025 11:29

The AA has twice come out to me when I've had a flat tyre (two flat on one of the occasions). They've put their temporary tyres on and got me to the nearest open tyre place.
I use the app and have never had to wait more than an hour for them to attend. Regular updates on the app really helped with the anxiety of waiting kerbside/hard-shoulderside.

abnerbrownsdressinggown · 04/01/2025 11:34

I’ve had Green Flag come out for exactly this scenario - clipped a high kerb and burst the tyre. They changed it to the skinny spare for me, and I had them drove it on that to the garage to get a new tyre.

DreamW3aver · 04/01/2025 11:37

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.

I've had exactly the same experience with the RAC although the tyre didn't actually burst it was undrivable

Crackers4cheese · 04/01/2025 11:40

yes they were ok to me, RAC, there was a problem, a warning light, they explained that i should take it to my garage, less than 50 miles and slower than 50 miles ph.

Crackers4cheese · 04/01/2025 11:45

but they came out when ds had a flat tyre

i guess as above it depends on the cover,
mine costs a lot but i havent go round to changing it

TheYoungestSibling · 04/01/2025 15:37

My cover is called roadside assistance. After a tyre blowout, they came out to me, and took me and the wheel to a local tyre place, we got the tyre replaced, went back to the car and fitted it.

Another time, pulled onto the hard shoulder of the morning rush hour motorway because the brakes were making an awful noise. Out they came, low loader, took me off the motorway, took the wheel off, out fell a big stone, wheel back on and on with my day.

GigglingLips · 04/01/2025 16:17

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MargaretThursday · 04/01/2025 16:30

Green flag have been out all three times I've needed them very quickly.

  1. Broken suspension - sent a tow truck within 20 minutes
  2. Oil leak #1. This was actually the garage's fault because they replaced the oil reservoir and didn't tighten a screw enough. Chap was with me in 40 minutes (I was at home) and helped deal with the garage (who initially said it was "residue"), and kindly dropped ds off on the way to his club. Garage still grovels whenever I go in about 4 years later. 🤣
  3. Oil leak #2. They were a bit longer, about 2 hours, but I was safely at Sainsbury's, and not helped by they put me at the wrong place on the app. Luckily it was a local man who came who phoned me and knew exactly where I was when I told him. Huge leak onto the engine, probably caused by a stone, very close to a fire, and he was really helpful, and again dealt with the garage when we got there.

They definitely do do tyres, because we don't have a spare - we have this odd green stuff to put in the tyre, and I had a chat with them. They said unless we could see the garage and could limp the car with that, better to call them than use it, and if we say the car they'll either come with a spare or tow us.

Wishimaywishimight · 04/01/2025 16:32

We did the exact same thing a few months ago - an ambulance came flying up behind us and we hit the kerb when pulling over. AA werewith us within an hour and replaced the wheel. We were so impressed with the service, first time we ever had to call them.

EffinMagicFairy · 04/01/2025 16:42

DS did something similar but took out 2 tyres, his breakdown came, sorted a mobile tyre place to come and got him back up and running, we had to pay for replacement tyres.

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