What is car breakdown cover?
Breakdown cover is there to help if your vehicle breaks down in the UK. For example, if you get a puncture or a flat battery. It means you can call for help and an expert will arrive to fix you on the spot or recover you to a garage.
It’s available for most vehicles, including cars, vans and motorbikes. And there are different levels of cover to choose from. Most providers only offer roadside assistance as standard. But at the RAC, we include roadside and home rescue, garage support and alternative transport with every cover level.
What types of breakdown cover are there?
You can buy breakdown cover for a particular vehicle, or a person in any vehicle.
Vehicle breakdown cover means your vehicle is covered no matter who is driving. You can cover up to 3 vehicles registered to the same address on the same policy.
Personal breakdown cover means you’re covered in any vehicle as a driver or passenger. You can cover up to 5 people from the same household on the same policy.
Which level of cover is best for me?
We offer 3 levels of cover: Standard, Advanced and Ultimate. With each level of cover, you get roadside assistance and home rescue – plus some level of garage support and alternative transport (or 'Onward Travel').
Here are the main differences to help you find the right cover for you.
Standard
- Roadside + home rescue
Unlike others, we won’t make you upgrade to get ‘Home Start’. We’ll rescue you anywhere, and we’ll always try to fix you on the spot.
- 10-mile tow
If we can’t fix you, you'll get a 10-mile tow to a garage or another destination.
- 20-mile taxi
If your vehicle goes to the garage, we’ll reimburse you for the cost of a taxi ride up to 20 miles.
- Fault report for the garage
Your patrol will give you a report about your breakdown, which includes a suspected fault diagnosis. If you need to go to a garage for repair, you can hand this over to give them an indication of what’s wrong with your vehicle.
Advanced
As well as roadside and home rescue, you're also covered for:
- Unlimited tow
Instead of a 10-mile tow, we'll tow you and your passengers to any garage or destination the UK. Other providers call this ‘National Recovery’.
- Up to 2 days alternative transport
You’ll get up to £150 to help you stay mobile for up to 2 days while your vehicle’s in the garage. This can go towards any combination of hire car, taxis, public transport and even a hotel. If you need a hire car, we'll even deliver it to you.
- Advanced garage support
Your patrol will contact up to 3 RAC garages to check who can see you the soonest. Your patrol will also get you a repair estimate from the garage, to give you an idea of how much it will cost. They’ll also give you a full explanation in plain English.
Ultimate
As well as everything in Advanced, you’re also covered for:
- Up to 7 days alternative transport
You’ll get up to £500 to help you stay mobile for up to 7 days while your vehicle’s in the garage. This can go towards any combination of hire car, taxis, public transport and even a hotel. If you need a hire car, we'll deliver it and collect it when you've finished.
- Ultimate garage support
There’s no need to come to the garage with us. All we ask is that you stay with your vehicle until it’s been safely loaded onto a van or recovery truck. Then you can leave the rest to us, while you get on with your day. We’ll arrange a taxi or hire car for you, straight from the scene of the breakdown. Then we’ll tow your vehicle to the garage, give them your contact details, and they’ll call you with a detailed quote.
Find more information in our complete guide to breakdown cover.