Breakdown glossary

Use our breakdown glossary to make sure you fully understand all the terms and conditions of your breakdown policy before signing up.

Breakdown cover - purchasing breakdown cover will protect you from having to fork out cash if you break down. Compare breakdown cover

Call out charges - some breakdown policies allow you a set number of callouts a year before you have to start paying a callout fee.

Car insurance - unlike breakdown cover, car insurance is a legal requirement and you cannot drive any vehicle on the road without insurance.

Comprehensive - comprehensive cover offers the highest level of breakdown insurance, though you still need to read your policy documents to make sure you know exactly what is, and what isn’t, included in your breakdown policy.

Engine problems - according to the AA, engine problems accounted for nearly 152,000 breakdowns in 2008.

European cover - you can take out European breakdown cover if you're taking your car abroad, giving you the same assistance you would get in the UK.

Read more about European breakdown cover

Excess - some breakdown providers charge an excess fee on claims.

Exclusions - make sure you know exactly what is excluded from your breakdown policy before you sign up. For example, you might get a tow to the nearest garage but work and parts might not be included in your policy.

Flat battery - this was the most common callout problem in 2008, according to the AA, causing almost 600,000 breakdowns.

Flat tyre/puncture - flat tyres and punctures were responsible for over 370,000 AA callouts in 2008, the second highest cause of breakdowns in the UK.

Fuel assistance - some breakdown policies even cover you in case you run out of fuel.

Garage - where your car will be repaired if it cannot be fixed at the roadside.

Home start - some policies include assistance if your car doesn’t start at home.

Keys - lost keys, or keys that were locked inside the car, were the cause of almost 120,000 AA callouts in 2008, making it the sixth most common problem.

Lights - problems with lights accounted for nearly 128,000 callouts by the AA in 2008.

Multi trip - if you're taking out European breakdown cover, you will need to choose between multi trip cover or single trip insurance, depending on how often you're going to travel. Multi trip breakdown cover lasts for 12 months, but you might be limited to a maximum number of days per trip.

No-claims period - when you take out a new breakdown policy, you won’t usually be able to make a claim for the first few weeks to prevent people from using breakdown cover as a means of paying for existing repairs.

Online discount - most breakdown companies will give you a discount if you sign up online.

Out of fuel/wrong fuel - running out of fuel - or using the wrong fuel - caused over 173,000 breakdowns in 2008, according to the AA.

Parts and labour - not all policies cover parts and labour, so you might have to pay for garage repairs yourself. Check the wording of your policy for full details of what’s covered.

Personal membership - personal membership means that you'll be covered even if you break down in someone else’s car.

Priority assistance - many of the most vulnerable customers, such as pregnant women, elderly people or those with young children, will receive priority assistance from breakdown companies.

Quote - you should always compare breakdown cover quotes from different providers to make sure that you're getting the best deal.

Roadside recovery - if your car cannot be fixed at the roadside, it will usually be recovered by your breakdown company and towed to the nearest garage for repair.

Roadside repair - breakdown companies will always try to fix your car at the roadside to get you on the road again as soon as possible.

Single trip - if you're taking out European breakdown cover, you will need to choose between single trip or multi trip cover, depending on how often you're going to travel. Single trip breakdown cover often has a set limit to how many days you can travel.

Read more about European breakdown cover single trip.

Temporary breakdown cover - if you don’t want to take annual UK breakdown cover, some providers offer “temporary” cover on a month-by-month basis.

Tow - if your car cannot be fixed at the roadside, it will be pulled - or towed - by your breakdown company to the nearest garage.

Vehicle membership - vehicle membership means that your car will be covered and anyone who breaks down while driving your car will also receive assistance.

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