To ask what you do when your car breaks down?

[SplunkPostGres]

Posting for traffic and not really an AIBU, but need advice and Google isn’t helping.

My car won’t drive. Last drove it on Thursday evening for a journey of approx 4 hours total and now the back wheel seems locked. ABS light on with ESC and tyre pressure flashing.

I’ve got Roadside Assistance which covers home breakdown and a manufacturer technician will come out tomorrow to look at it.

Assuming it needs to go to the garage, what do you do then? Would you hire a car from Avis etc or ....

I’ve never had this happen before, only been driving for 5 years and never had any issues. Where I’ve needed to service etc, then there’s been a courtesy available.

I live on my own in a rural village, with my six year old son. So keeping mobile is a must. Public transport is limited at the best of times, let alone with the cv restricted timetables.

Sorry to post an AIBU but I’ve no real experience of this and no one really to ask other than team at work, which may look a bit useless their manager asking what to do if your car breaks down.

Erm... I ring my dad . The garage might offer you a courtesy car, otherwise hiring / borrowing one or using public transport are usually the other options.

My car had a seized caliper at Christmas and they turned it round in a day

My husband changed all four in a day. It is a quick job.

If you can't rely on public transport and you can't borrow a family member's car, then I'd check if the breakdown cover includes a courtesy car. If it does, go through that. If not, hire one directly.

Do check any legal details. Less of an issue for breakdown cover, but sometimes people end up with unexpected bills around car hire after an accident.

I’ve broken down twice since I passed my test 6-ish years ago. First time I had an old banger, I got a mobile mechanic to fix it on my drive. Second time I had a new(er) car, just about in warranty, so the manufacturer picked up the car from my drive and, since they didn’t have a courtesy car available, they rented a car for me. If they hadn’t, it would have been taxis, I think, or lifts from DH.

Fingers crossed it will only be in the garage for a day, you can call and ask them about a courtesy car, and if that’s a no go they may be able to run you home and/or drop your car back to you when it’s ready, if you explain the situation.

Hit the centre of wheel a good wack with sledgehammer, worked everytime for me

If it does go to the garage, do ask them about a courtesy car - if they don’t have one you can use for long enough don’t be afraid to say “hmm, I really need a car so what would be best?”. The garage I use would say something like “let me give my mate at X garage a call and see if theirs is free”, or “there’s a car hire place in town, I could get in touch if you’d like”...you’d be surprised how happy people are to help very often.

I'm lucky in that I can cope without a car for ages and can walk, cycle or train it to most places I need to go to.
Unless it's something major the garage should turn it around in a day. Could you kill time in the town where the garage is based? May not be fun with a little kid though.