Top 10 reasons for vehicle breakdowns on a European road trip

31st Jul 2024

Millions of Brits drive to continental Europe every year – and sometimes they’ll be unlucky enough to suffer a breakdown.

This guide looks at the reasons why a car might break down on a road trip in Europe, and how much it may cost you to repatriate your vehicle.

You can avoid the stress and costs of a breakdown by taking out our European Breakdown Cover.

Top 10 causes for a breakdown in Europe

Every year, the RAC helps thousands of holidaymakers and other travellers who have had a breakdown while driving across the continent.

There can be a wide range of reasons for these breakdowns – some are common while others are far more rare occurrences.

Here are the top 10 reasons for a vehicle breakdown in Europe for Brits:

Reason for vehicle breakdown	Percentage of European breakdowns in 2023
Non-starter	12.9%
Tyre puncture on non-motorway road	10.3%
Loss of power	7.7%
Flat battery	6.7%
Dashboard light	6.0%
Noise from the engine	3.5%
Clutch/gearshift	3.0%
Noise from the suspension/absorber/wheel bearing	3.0%
Tyre puncture on a motorway	2.9%
Heating/Engine overheating	2.9%

Outside of the top 10, there were over 90 other reasons for breakdown callouts in Europe last year.

Other common reasons for a callout include engine stalling (2.0%), coolant leak (1.8%), power steering problems (1.4%), oil leak (1.4%), keys locked inside of the vehicle (1.1%), clutch problems (1.1%), and broken glass (1%).

There were 12 unique incidents for a callout from a driver travelling in Europe in 2023, and they included unplanned hospitalisation, vandalism, lock damage, broken seatbelt, and AdBlue being put in the wrong tank (it should only go in diesel-powered engines).

^{Source: RAC}

Read the full European travel checklist to make sure you have all the items and documents you need.

What to do if your car breaks down in Europe

Here are the steps to take if you’ve suffered a vehicle breakdown in Europe:

Safely pull over and put on your hazard lights
Leave the vehicle when safe to do so, and stand away from any potential danger
If you are on the motorway, stand on the other side of the barrier well away from traffic
Call emergency services if required
Contact your European Breakdown Cover provider

Use the country-specific guides for a more detailed description on who to call and what to expect from breakdown and emergency services.

How much does it cost to repatriate my vehicle from Europe?

According to RAC data, the average vehicle repatriation cost from Europe back to the UK is £1,602.

Repatriating a vehicle refers to the process of returning a vehicle to its country of origin or to the country where it is registered.

Each year, there are around 1,000 vehicle repatriations from Europe to the UK, highlighting the importance for getting European Breakdown Cover before setting off on your journey.

Repatriation is when a vehicle is collected and shipped back home after it has suffered a breakdown.

Below are the average repatriation costs from 2023 data.

Five most expensive vehicle repatriation destinations

Greece - £5,434
Norway - £5,319
Finland - £4,659
Albania - £4,194
Romania - £3,561

Five least expensive vehicle repatriation destinations

Ireland - £189
Turkey - £930
The Netherlands - £1,111
Belgium - £1,153
France - £1,422

Further analysis shows that the highest single repatriation cost was £8,462 to ship a vehicle back to the UK from Norway.

Around 1% of breakdowns cost £5,000 or more to repatriate the vehicle back to the UK – while 10% of drivers will spend over £2,500 to get their car home after a breakdown.

^{Source: RAC}

Cost to repatriate a vehicle from a popular European destination

Although France is one of the least expensive countries to repatriate a vehicle, several other European hotspots for British drivers have higher costs.

To repatriate a vehicle from Germany cost an average of £1,467; Italy was £1,982; Spain was £2,336; Portugal was £2,562; and Poland was £2,846.

^{Source: RAC}

What country did British vehicles have to be recovered from the most in 2023?

France saw the highest number of repatriations of any country in continental Europe in 2023.

Countries with the highest number of repatriations in 2023:

France – 58.3%
Germany – 10.1%
Spain – 7.6%
Italy – 6.0%
Belgium – 5.0%

^{Source: RAC}

What do you need to drive in Europe?

Before you set off on your European adventure, make sure you have your full, valid UK driving licence and vehicle insurance that covers you driving within the EU.

An International Driving Permit (IDP) may also be required to drive in EU countries and Norway if the driver only has a paper licence, or the licence was issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man.

Drivers will also require their passport, V5C certificate and any travel insurance information relating to the journey.

Don’t forget to take out European Breakdown Cover before you set off on your trip to Europe.