Breakdown Guides

Car breakdown cover

By Garnet Roach garnet@consumerchoices.co.uk

Getting breakdown cover for your car means that no matter who is driving your vehicle, they’ll be able to get assistance if they break down at the roadside. (Updated 25/6/10)

The benefits of covering your car

As well as providing cover for anyone driving your vehicle, car breakdown insurance is also usually cheaper than getting yourself covered - ensuring that you'll get the best possible value for your breakdown insurance.

The other option is to get yourself covered instead. Personal breakdown cover might be the best choice if you regularly drive other people’s cars, or if your own car is more than 10 years old - though it usually is more expensive than car breakdown cover.

The cover you need

Different policies can offer vastly different levels of cover depending on how much you want to spend or who you choose as your insurer.

For example, a basic policy might only offer roadside assistance, with a tow to a local garage - where you'll have to pay for parts and repairs yourself.

On the other hand, top of the range policies will cover everything from home start, in case your car breaks down outside your home, to repairs at a local garage and even cover if you take your car over the Channel to Europe - but be prepared to pay for these extras.

To get the right level of cover, think about your needs. Consider the age and condition of your car - older cars will be far more likely to break down so good cover is important - as well as thinking about how much you can realistically afford to pay. Don’t go for a top of the range policy if you've got a fairly new, reliable car and never drive far from home, let alone overseas.

Policy details

It’s important to read the small print whenever you sign any sort of contract - and car breakdown cover is no exception.

Different providers and policies will include some benefits while excluding others and it’s vital that you know exactly what is and what isn’t covered before you sign up.

Some common exclusions to look out for include:

• Home start - are you covered if your car breaks down outside your home?
• Courtesy car - do you get a replacement car while your vehicle is in the garage?
• Onward travel - will your provider help you to complete your journey if you break down far from home?
• No claims period - you might not be able to make a call out for the first 14 or 30 days depending on your policy.

Pay per claim policies

Some people prefer to pay for their breakdown cover as and when they actually do break down, and many providers now offer “pay per claim” policies.

This can save you money if you do have a reliable car, as you won’t be forking out cash on a policy you rarely use. But you do need to be disciplined and make sure that you have the money handy if you ever do need to make a call out - and bear in mind that these types of policies can be costly if you drive an old car that breaks down all the time.

Are you already covered?

If you've only recently bought your car, double check to make sure that you're not already covered before signing up to a new breakdown provider.

Many car showrooms and insurance policies offer breakdown cover for the first year after you've bought your car, while some fee charging bank accounts also offer “free breakdown cover” - so make sure you're not paying for something you already have.