Most drivers are likely to have a breakdown at some point, and having a breakdown insurance policy can make this situation less stress-inducing. The breakdown service provider will offer assistance in fixing your car or tow it for repairs, so you aren’t stranded on the roadside should your vehicle stop working.
Drivers aren’t legally required to carry out breakdown coverage, but it can be useful to have it in case something happens. What is breakdown cover exactly and what kind of protection can be provided by a policy?
What is breakdown what is its cover?
Breakdown cover is a type of insurance which can help you out if your vehicle fails at home or on the highway. With breakdown coverage, if your car stops functioning and requires repairs, you can call your breakdown company to fix the problem.
Although breakdown cover is not legally necessary, having this type of protection can reassure drivers, especially when they are on a long drive. They can drive safely in the knowledge that in the event that their car breaks down it won’t leave them stranded and won’t be required to pay more for an emergency call-out to garages nearby.
The amount of assistance you’ll get from breakdown coverage will depend on your provider and the level of cover you pick.
How does breakdown cover work?
You can buy breakdown insurance as a separate policy, or combine it with another type of service like your car insurance, or your account at the bank. In the majority of cases you’ll pay for your breakdown coverage each month or annually, but there are some “pay and demand” policies that allow you to cover the cost of recovery up front and recover them later.
If you’re covered by insurance and you have a breakdown, once you’ve stopped at a secure location, you may phone your breakdown service provider to get help. They’ll send out an engineer to try to repair your vehicle, or, if they’re unable to fix it at the scene the company will take you to a nearby garage , at minimum. The next step will depend on the condition of your car and also the breakdown insurance you’ve got.
With most breakdown policies, you won’t need to pay an extra amount for assistance.
What are the different kinds of breakdown cover?
There’s a wide range of different breakdown cover packages available depending on your driving habits and the level of protection you want.
First, you have the option of choosing between a single breakdown insurance for yourself/your car as well as a policy that covers more than one vehicle or person.
There are two primary types of breakdown cover:
Personal breakdown insurance which will cover the individual, whatever car they are driving or riding in.
A breakdown protection policy for vehicles that will only cover the specific vehicle, or vehicles, as per a policy.
No matter which breakdown membership you choose, you will get the option of different levels of coverage that range from basic roadside help to complete, comprehensive travel insurance.
Roadside Assistance Breakdown Cover
This is the most typical and basic breakdown membership cover plan that is available. It guarantees that your provider will visit the vehicle that has broken down and either fix it there and the next day, or arrange that it be tow by a garage nearby, for more complicated repairs if needed.
National Recovery Breakdown Cover
Most of the time, these providers include recovery services for you along with up to seven other passengers traveling with you, to be towed anywhere across the nation, be it to your desired destination or a garage near the location you want to go.
Home Start Breakdown Cover
Home Start breakdown cover will not only provide basic roadside assistance in the event that your car should break down at your home or within half a mile from it, then you’ll be covered through your breakdown membership plan.
Onward Travel Breakdown Cover
When you have Onward Travel breakdown cover, the provider will provide you with a car rental or cover other transportation costs, and/or cover the cost of an hotel stay, so you are able to drive while your own car is getting repaired.
In addition to this some breakdown providers also offer some optional add-ons to their insurance policies, including:
key replacement
misfuel cover
tyre replacement
battery replacement
parts and labour
Does insurance for cars will cover repairs to a breakdown?
The fact is that your car insurance doesn’t include breakdown insurance as standard, even if you are covered by a comprehensive policy. But, many insurers work with breakdown service providers to offer drivers the option of buying breakdown insurance at the same when they purchase their vehicle insurance.
Car insurance is a way to cover expenses in the event of an accident. However, it is not the case when your car has a breakdown.
All claims you make to your breakdown insurance won’t be considered a claim on the car insurance policy or impact your no claims bonus as they’re completely separate policies regardless of whether you buy them both.
What exactly is breakdown cover?
The details can differ among providers as well as the level of cover generally speaking, breakdown cover provides you with 24 hours roadside assistance throughout all of the UK (and Europe, if you have European coverage).
Breakdown insurance typically covers the costs of a mechanic arriving to help you on the roadside to help you go on with your journey, or, if needed, by towing you to a garage to make further repairs.
Breakdown cover will help with many different faults such as punctures flat batteries, or any other mechanical issue that stops the driver from operating.
The breakdown cover you have may include protection for trailers or caravans towed by your vehicle. However, it’s worth checking the terms of your policy to determine exactly what kind of coverage you’re entitled to.
Does breakdown cover include parts and repairs?
It is important to note that the cost for part that aren’t covered, like a brand new tyre, or the cost of fixing your car at a garage is not typically covered by breakdown cover unless you’ve taken out a specific policy to cover these elements.
Most of the time it will cover any repairs made through the breakdown technician on the site.
If you do add extra cover to include the cost of garage repairs or parts typically, there is an upper limit to the amount the breakdown service provider will allow and you’ll need to pay for anything over this limit.
What are the exclusions of breakdown insurance?
The specifics of exclusions can differ between breakdown providers and policies. However, your breakdown insurance may not be able assist in the event that you:
Get breakdown assistance within 24 hours of obtaining the cover.
Repeat calls-outs to fix the same problem.
Make sure you have the maximum amount of calls-outs permitted by your provider.
Break down in your the home or close to it (unless the vehicle is covered by Home Start cover). or if you have to break down on private property rather than an open road.
Are involved in a road crash.
For assistance with routine maintenance, or for non-urgent repairs. For instance, breakdown coverage does not usually cover windscreen repairs.
You haven’t taken care of your car correctly. For example, this might include filling up with the wrong fuel, not topping the engine oil or driving in the face of a problem, which eventually caused a breakdown.
Take your pets with you when you break down. A pet in the car might not be an issue. However, it is something you should be aware of in the terms of your insurance policy.
You can use the car to race or for any other activity not allowed.
Who can provide breakdown protection?
There are a variety of providers of breakdown membership to choose from either traditional, pay-and claim or direct from your car manufacturer when you buy the latest car.
Most car manufacturers will provide free breakdown cover as part of their car warranty when you purchase the latest model of car. Based on the manufacturer you choose the extent of coverage and the length of the breakdown cover membership plan may differ, but the standard length can range from to three years, particularly in the event that you have your car serviced by the dealership that you purchased it from.
How long before you can use breakdown cover?
Typically, your breakdown insurance will start at the end of 24 hours following purchase or on your chosen date of commencement. Some providers may offer the option of a limited recovery service during the meantime, but this may come with some terms.
If you’ve already gone down, but do not have insurance however, you are still able to request aid from a breakdown company.
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