Breakdown cover is sometimes the service you think you can manage without — until your car breaks down on the way to that important business meeting or en route to the airport, to start the long-awaited family holiday. A car breakdown can happen at any time, and often at the worst possible time, so it’s no surprise that so many people choose to take out breakdown cover.
If you’re just starting to look for breakdown cover, the good news is that there’s plenty of choice. There are a range of breakdown cover providers, offering lots of different packages. The RAC is the UK’s most experienced breakdown cover provider, established in 1897, but how does it compare to Emergency Assist car breakdown cover? Emergency Assist was founded in 2017.
Contents
Cover — what’s included?
Brand & Reliability
Level of breakdown cover
Emergency Assist Cover — what’s included?
When choosing your breakdown cover, cost isn’t the only thing you should consider. Everyone has a budget to work with, so the cover needs to be affordable. But you should also look into the service you get with each breakdown cover provider. Here’s what’s included with certain types of breakdown cover from Emergency Assist and RAC.
|
|
RAC |
Emergency Assist |
|
Hire car period available with Onward Travel cover
|
Up to 3 days
|
24 hours
|
|
Personal based memberships available
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
Key cover available as an optional extra
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Monthly contracts available
|
Yes |
No |
RAC source — breakdown cover
Emergency Assist — https://www.emergencyassistltd.co.uk/
Brand and Reliability
As Britain’s most experienced provider, the RAC have been championing motorists for over 125 years. Our patrols fix 4 of out 5 at the roadside, with repairs done on average in 30 minutes.
Breakdown cover from the RAC has been awarded a 5-Star rating by Defaqto.
Emergency Assist’s Premium Cover has been awarded a 4-Star rating by Defaqto.
RAC: Defaqto ratings
Emergency Assist: Defaqto ratings
Levels of breakdown cover
Both the RAC and Emergency Assist offer a range of breakdown cover packages, allowing you to build your perfect level of cover. Here’s what each level of cover provides:
RAC
|
Basic |
Extra
|
Complete
|
|
5 callouts a year^ |
5 callouts a year^ |
Unlimited callouts |
Roadside Assistance
If you’re over a ¼ mile from home, we’ll fix you on the spot, or recover you to a local garage within 10 miles |
Roadside Assistance
If you’re over a ¼ mile from home, we’ll fix you on the spot and if we can't, we'll tow you anywhere in the UK
|
Roadside Assistance
We’ll fix your vehicle at the roadside and if we can't, we'll tow you anywhere in the UK |
|
20-mile taxi
Following a breakdown, if you’re taken to a garage, we’ll reimburse you for a taxi home up to 20 miles
|
20-mile taxi
Following a breakdown, if you’re taken to a garage, we’ll reimburse you for a taxi home up to 20 miles
|
20-mile taxi
Following a breakdown, if you’re taken to a garage, we’ll reimburse you for a taxi home up to 20 miles
|
|
|
If we can’t fix you, we’ll tow you to any garage or destination in the UK
|
If we can’t fix you, we’ll tow you to any garage or destination in the UK
|
|
|
|
We’ll rescue you if you break down at home
|
|
|
|
FREE MOT
At selected RAC garages. With family breakdown cover you’ll get 2 Free MOTs~. |
^ 1 additional callout added for every person or vehicle added.
Emergency Assist
|
Saver Cover
|
This provides roadside assistance 1/4 mile or more away from your home. If your vehicle can’t be fixed, you’ll be towed to a garage within 25 miles.
|
|
Premium Cover
|
This has all the benefits of Saver cover with additional services, including national recovery, homestart — help if you break down at home or within 1/4 mile of it — and onward travel.
|
|
Complete Cover
|
This is Emergency Assist’s most comprehensive level of cover, adding cover in any EU member state country.
|
Source: https://www.emergencyassistltd.co.uk