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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder if car breakdown is even worth it if you’ve been driving for years and never broken down?

92 replies

MyHeartyBlueShaker · 23/04/2025 15:33

I’ve had breakdown cover for ages, but in all my years of driving, I’ve never actually needed it. It feels like I’m just throwing money away for something that might never happen.

I get that it’s supposed to be a safety net but at what point does it become pointless? If you keep your car well-maintained and don’t drive an old banger, is breakdown cover really necessary or is it just another unnecessary expense?

Would love to hear other people’s thoughts - do you have it and has it actually saved you?

OP posts:
CaptainMyCaptain · 23/04/2025 15:36

Someone could crash into you. You could damage your car in a pothole. You could drive over a screw and get a puncture. Something can go wrong with even a well maintained car.

giddyauntie123 · 23/04/2025 15:38

I've personally used it a lot - flat batteries are the culprit

socks1107 · 23/04/2025 15:39

I always have it and have needed it in the past. Wouldn’t drive without it

nomas · 23/04/2025 15:40

Definitely worth it for me. I never crash but have had lots of tyre issues.

Car breakdown costs me £40 for National recovery and call-outs, I wouldn’t be without it.

I’ve never paid more than £40 though.

TwelfthOfNever · 23/04/2025 15:40

We have it. It's about +£40/year on the usual fully-comp insurance, although we've only used it four times in 25 years so I guess we've paid about 30% more than straight up paying for the rescue service on spec would be. But that extra is worth it because you have one number to ring for rescue wherever you are, else you have to spend your time hoping you have signal and ringing around (probably out of hours/weekend) garages trying to find someone. While already having a bad day.

PhilosophicalCheeseSandwich · 23/04/2025 15:43

I wouldn't know what to do without it if I did break down. It isn't a great expense and it seems good value for the peace of mind it provides.

bumblingbovine49 · 23/04/2025 15:44

I have used it quite a few times in my life

Mostly for flat tyres, once when I have had a tyre blow out on the motorway, but also once when I was a very young driver and ran out of petrol. At least 3 times when I have had a flat battery when travelling. Once when someone hit my car and I although noone was hurt, my car was damaged so much I was unable to drive it.

I have had 4 cars in the last 35 years, and have found that when a car gets to about 7 years old, it starts to have problems . Despite servicing the car as it should be serviced, after that age things wear out and need fixing more and sometimes they stop working when you are out on a trip or away from home.

TeenLifeMum · 23/04/2025 15:46

We are covered through our bank account - nationwide. We used it once and it was fab.

SchnizelVonKrumm · 23/04/2025 15:47

Most people have never had their house burn down or flood but that doesn't mean that home insurance is pointless. How us this different?

taxguru · 23/04/2025 15:49

I've always had it every since I started driving 40+ years ago. Not needed to call them out recently, but I have done many times over the years. Our calls are always serviced and well maintained, but things can still go wrong. The last couple of times, one was a tyre blowout on the motorway, and the other was a complete electrical failure - the breakdown guy spent ages under the bonnet and finally found a loose electrical connection within the wiring loom.

bumblingbovine49 · 23/04/2025 15:50

My family also used it abroad one year when we had a crash while driving to Italy (many many years ago - not me driving). Again luckily no one hurt but the car needed a part that was not easily available in August in Europe when may garages were closed for the holidays. The AA insurance paid to bring the car back to the UK to be fixed and for train tickets to deliver the family to their destination as well as train tickets home at the end of the holiday.

forrestfrankfan · 23/04/2025 15:50

It's about 3 pound a month ? Definitely worth it to have!

Dotjones · 23/04/2025 15:51

The point of most forms of insurance or cover is that you hope you never need it, but it's there if you do.

I bought a fire extinguisher for my home a few years ago. It expired and I bought a new one. That's the best case scenario, you buy it but hope you never need it.

If breakdown cover doesn't bring you piece of mind then you're free to stop using it. Though no matter how careful a driver you are or how well-maintained your car is, there is always a risk that you will need to call someone out for an incident that's no fault of your own.

PassingStranger · 23/04/2025 15:54

We don't do many miles a year or travel far, so we've not bothered.
Most insurances are always in the favour of the insurer.

LakieLady · 23/04/2025 15:56

I've used mine at least 4 times in the last few years: 3 times for flat tyres and once for a flat battery.

It's not a huge amount of money, and worth it for the peace of mind imo. I do most of my driving on my own, and mainly on rural roads which are absolute tyre wreckers these days in my corner of the SE. The thought of being stranded on some remote country lane on a dark evening without breakdown cover is pretty unpleasant.

And it can cost shedloads to get your car removed from a motorway if you have the misfortune to break down on one and don't have breakdown cover.

lalaloopyhead · 23/04/2025 15:57

Its like insurance really isn't it - great if you need it but nothing for your money if you don't.
I always have breakdown cover, it just gives me a feeling of security against the unexpected. I've not used it many times - last time was an electrical glitch where my car wouldn't open. I was stuck in a multistorey carpark on a Sunday afternoon and very glad when the RAC man rescued me and sorted the issue out.

OneStepEachDayAtATime · 23/04/2025 15:58

DC has it, very glad he has as they had to come out to him at nearly midnight miles away from home. They patched it up enough for him to get home and get it to the garage for repairs.
I have it now DH no longer with us, previously I would have called him, but now have no one I could call to help or tow me.
in all the years we were together we only had it for the last few years, used it only twice, but one was when we were hundreds of miles from home heading to a holiday. We were very glad we had it when we were stranded on the side of the motorway and were able to get to a garage near our destination and sort repairs so we could continue our holiday. It’s worth it for peace of mind imo.

Original poster
MyHeartyBlueShaker · 23/04/2025 15:59

SchnizelVonKrumm · 23/04/2025 15:47

Most people have never had their house burn down or flood but that doesn't mean that home insurance is pointless. How us this different?

I get the logic and I agree that some types of cover are essential even if you never use them. But I think there’s a difference in scale. A house burning down is catastrophic; being stuck on the roadside is annoying but not life-ruining. I’m not saying I’d never want breakdown cover - just questioning if it’s worth it. I drive a 2014 car that’s been really reliable and regularly maintained, and I’ve never needed it. At what point is it just cautious overspending?

OP posts:
ohtowinthelottery · 23/04/2025 15:59

We have cover for both cars and hadn't had a call out for over 20 years until a few days after Christmas last year when a red warning light came on and the car lost power 2hrs from home.
We came home in a tow truck with the car on the back. Nearly all garages were shut between Christmas and New Year so I dread to think what we'd have done without Breakdown cover.
And our cars are well maintained and regularly serviced. So unless you never go further than 10 miles from home and have someone who could tow you to a garage if you broke down, then keep paying the premium.

Original poster
MyHeartyBlueShaker · 23/04/2025 16:01

forrestfrankfan · 23/04/2025 15:50

It's about 3 pound a month ? Definitely worth it to have!

That’s fair and if it really is £3 a month for decent cover, then yeah, that’s hard to argue with. I think I’ve just always ended up with more expensive policies bundled in with insurance or bank accounts, so I’ve been questioning if it’s actually good value for what I’ve used (which is… nothing so far!).

OP posts:
BruceAndNosh · 23/04/2025 16:06

I get mine free with my bank Lloyds. I've never called them out for a flat tyre as Ive always managed to change it myself but flat batteries are my downfall!
Many will cover you if you are a passenger in someone else's car

Seawolves · 23/04/2025 16:09

Have you looked at someone like Green Flag rather than the likes of the AA/RAC?

5foot5 · 23/04/2025 16:14

I had it for years then eventually didn't bother as all our long journeys tended to be done in DHs car, as by this stage my car was a bit of an old banger. I used to jokingly say that I might as well drive it until it fell to bits. Then one day it did. It cost over £200 to get it recovered and brought home, and this was about 7 years ago. Wished I had roadside recovery that day.

dogcatkitten · 23/04/2025 16:18

Depends where you drive, I think it's worth it if you drive a lot on motorways, you have to get recovered and it's expensive. On minor roads locally you may be able to just get a friend to come and help or a cheaper local garage.

taxguru · 23/04/2025 16:21

Ours was just £68 p.a. with StartRescue. The fraction of the cost of a callout to a motorway breakdown or puncture which would be at least £250/£300 just for someone to attend, then extras for recovery and any parts needed such as a new tyre.

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