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Cheap breakdown cover

Basic and full cover from £57/year

Gavin Shepherd
Gavin Shepherd | Edited by Helen Saxon
Updated 6 November 2024

Many are paying over the odds for breakdown cover as they let it auto-renew year after year. This guide reveals the cheapest full-service policies, how to get AA and RAC cover for less, and other tips to really drive the savings.

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Top picks

Breakdown cover need-to-knows

With the days of mutual motoring clubs long gone, roadside assistance and roadside recovery policies are big business. So forget loyalty and focus on getting the top deal. Here are six need-to-knows to read before checking our top picks...

  • 1. Never auto-renew – breakdown firms are easiest to haggle with

    When it comes to haggling, don't think you need to be in backstreet bazaars – haggling successes are high with breakdown cover providers. In our latest poll conducted in December 2023, the RAC was rated the easiest to haggle with, with the AA a very close second. For more, see the top 10 service companies to haggle with.

    Our Breakdown Cover Haggling guide will help prepare you in taking the correct steps to saving big. Here's how MoneySavers fared with the major breakdown firms in our last poll.

    Haggling success with breakdown firms

    PROVIDER NUMBER OF RESPONSES SUCCESS
    RAC 141 85%
    AA  309 84%
    Green Flag 58 71%
    Other 68 63%
    Poll carried out in December 2023.

    We hear of lots of successes of breakdown cover customers successfully getting a better deal with nothing more than a quick call and a bit of charm. Here's inspiration before you begin.

    Thanks for the haggling advice. Just spent five minutes on the phone to the RAC and got my renewal slashed from £252 to £151. Just over £100 for about five minutes' work – that'll do nicely! Graham, by email

    AA renewal came in at almost £200, final cost around £120, same price as new customers. Always haggle! @Violet_Aurella

    Just this morning got twenty quid knocked off my renewal and onward travel added to my RAC policy. Always worth a try. @PSBWon

    Haggled RAC renewal down by 25%. @deefer66

    Read our full Breakdown Cover Haggling guide for tips on how to haggle successfully.

  • 2. If your car's newish and less likely to have problems, basic cover may be sufficient. If older, and less reliable, aim for a full service policy

    If you've recently bought a modern, reliable car, you may already have breakdown cover as part of your package, as many manufacturers offer it for the first year. If that's the case, there's no point shelling out for a new policy, but do check if the policy is what you need.

    Similarly, you may find that your car insurance policy offers a deal on breakdown cover. Read more in our Cheap car insurance guide.

    If your car's older, or has a history of breakdowns, you should consider a full service policy.

    The best way to reduce the risk of needing breakdown roadside assistance is to maintain your car – checking oil and water, and tyre pressures regularly.

    There are three main UK cover types. If a policy just has the first, we classify it as 'basic'. If it has all three, we call it 'full service':

    • Basic cover. It typically means your car, van or motorbike will be fixed at the roadside (for example, if you have a flat battery, puncture, or flat tyre) or towed to a local garage. But it won't usually cover you if you breakdown close to your home.

    • Home start. In addition to basic cover, you will be covered for a problem if your motor won't start at home.

    • Onward travel. If your car's kept in a garage for repairs, this generally means you'll get a hire car for up to three days, plus a night's accommodation. It also covers costs if you need to continue by public transport.

  • 3. Always check whether you're covering a car or a person

    You can either opt for cover for a specific car, van or motorbike or you can take out personal cover which protects you no matter what car you're driving, or if you're travelling as a passenger. Buying personal cover is typically more expensive, so only go for this if you think you'll need it.

    If you never swap motors the pricier policy is pointless, but if you regularly drive other people's cars, it's worth thinking about.

    It's also worth pointing out that, if you're towing a caravan, your policy will usually extend to this as well. Most specialist caravan policies don't include breakdown cover so, as a rule, if your caravan hits a pothole and damages its chassis (so it can't move), then your car breakdown or roadside assistance policy will cover you for being towed home or to a garage.

    With motorhomes and campervans, you need to check with the provider. RAC and AA personal plans cover motorhomes under 3.5 tonnes, but with varying width and length restrictions.

  • 4. A joint policy can be cheaper than two (or three or four) single policies

    Getting a husband and wife/partner policy (or one for the family) usually works out cheaper than buying individual policies for each person in the home. For example, Eversure Gold* and AutoAid* will cover you and your spouse for about £58/yr, the same price as for an individual.

    Alternatively, the AA* offers basic cover for £107.50 for an individual, or £135 for a couple. The RAC* equivalent is similarly priced at £101.75 for an individual, £137.75 for a couple. You can often undercut these costs (whether buying as a single or joint policy) using cashback sites, but these examples show the principle that joint policies often beat two singles.

  • 5. Some fee-paying bank accounts offer breakdown cover so check if you already have a policy there

    Many premium bank accounts, which you have to pay a monthly fee for, come with a host of bundled products which can include breakdown insurance. So check you don't already have it in place before shelling out on a new policy.

    It's worth weighing up getting a current account with benefits instead of buying cover separately. But do the maths and ONLY buy cover via your bank or building society if you'll use all the features (which often include mobile phone and travel insurance too) and if it works out cheaper than buying separately.

    One of the better accounts is Nationwide FlexPlus, which costs £156/yr and includes personal European breakdown cover with home start and onward travel, as well as mobile phone insurance and worldwide travel cover.

    For a list of other premium bank accounts that include breakdown cover, see our Packaged Bank Accounts guide. In the past, sometimes this type of account was mis-sold, so to check if you've got a claim, see our Packaged Accounts Mis-selling guide.

  • 6. Driving in Europe? Make sure your policy covers breakdowns there too

    If you're planning to travel to Europe regularly, consider taking out an annual breakdown policy with European cover.

    Yet if you'll only need cover for a few days or a couple of weeks each year, a cheap UK policy that you can upgrade to cover Europe when you need it may be better. Always check the option is available before taking out the policy and ask how long it takes to add before it comes into effect – some impose exclusions against claims in the first 15 days from the start of the extension, so planning is key.

    See our Cheap European Cover section for the best deals for annual and single cover.

    Finally, don't forget to arrange travel insurance and notify your car insurer to get that extra protection while you're abroad.

Top-pick breakdown cover

We've split the deals into full service and the basic and full service deals you can get from big names AA and RAC. Plus we've a section that covers you for European travel, with options for each level of cover. Use our best buys below to find the policy for you.

Top-pick deals with full service cover

We're classifying policies as 'full service' if the cover includes breakdowns at your home, plus have roadside assistance and onward travel (which usually includes a hire car, overnight accommodation or public transport costs). 

Always diarise a month ahead of your renewal so you've time to benchmark the cheapest price and switch, or use the benchmarked prices to haggle with your existing provider. 

Let us know your experiences with these providers in the forum discussion.

Warning. Most policies give discounted pricing for the first year. They might also offer new-customer perks, such as free spouse cover or battery replacement. At renewal, prices will usually increase and some perks will disappear, so ALWAYS stick a date in your diary to shop around for a better deal before the policy auto-renews.

Full service cover

PROVIDER HOW GOOD IS IT? + COVER COSTS (i)

AutoAid*

 Get full service cover for you & a partner for £57.28/year via our AutoAid* link. This has been a top pick for nearly two decades – it covers you and your spouse or live-in partner in any car you/they drive, including roadside recovery, home start and onward travel, plus mis-fuelling cover and help if you're stuck (for example, in snow/mud).

Though it's less good if you've an older car as there's a £25 call-out fee for cars aged 10+ years, and you pay around £20 more for the policy if your car's over 16 years old. So if your car's between 10 and 15 years old you might be better off with Eversure below. We've great feedback for AutoAid, though it doesn't have its own recovery fleet (it notifies local recovery operators instead).
Eversure* Full service cover for any car up to 15 years old for £57.50/yr, via this Eversure Gold* link. This policy gives full service cover in any car you or your partner drive, or are passengers in. It also gives mis-fuelling cover. But Eversure doesn't have its own recovery fleet – it notifies local recovery operators. As Eversure is a relatively new addition to MSE, please tell us your experiences.

Cheapest way to get new AA/RAC cover

The big names in the breakdown cover market are the AA and RAC – and below we've detailed out their basic and full service policies.

Bought directly, they're among the most expensive policies but you can usually get a decent saving on their policies if you go via a cashback site. So, where it's available, we include the best cashback offer (or at least for the closest comparable policy).

Where we quote a cashback price, this is the equivalent price assuming the cashback's paid. However, you should budget to pay the full price upfront, as cashback can take a few weeks or months to be paid out. Always treat cashback as a POTENTIAL saving rather than an actual saving until the money's in your account, as things can go wrong.

Let us know your experiences with the AA and RAC in the forum discussion.

Basic AA and RAC cover

PROVIDER HOW GOOD IS IT? + COVER COSTS (i)

AA via Quidco* or Topcashback*(i)

Cheapest AA policy (for yourself and your partner) from £96.45 direct but there's up to £48 cashback available. AA's basic cover only has roadside assistance. Recently AA has begun basing quotes on age and address – this was the lowest price we could find, so you'll likely be quoted higher. 

How much you could save by going through a cashback website depends on how much you're quoted. Typically the higher the quote, the more cashback you'll be offered, though it's done in bands so you may find that getting a slightly higher quote gives a lower total cost.

 

For example, you could get up to £32 cashback on the £96.45 quote above, giving an effective price of £64.45. But there's up to £48 cashback available for quotes above £100. We found a quote for £101.52, which when factoring in the higher cashback amount, brought the total cost down to a lower £53.52.

 

Check out Topcashback* or Quidco* to see which is cheapest for you.
Buy it from AA from £96.45/yr* Buy it via Quidco* or Topcashback* from '£53.52/yr'

 

RAC via Quidco* or Topcashback* (i) (ii)

RAC personal cover for two from £101.09/yr, though you can get up to £80 cashback for yourself and your partner. This price is based on RAC's basic roadside assistance only plan, but RAC has also recently started tailoring its quotes based on where you live and how old you are. The price above is the cheapest quote we could find, so you'll likely get quotes higher than this.

 

Interestingly, quotes received via Quidco* or Topcashback* will not be affected by age or address, with all personal cover for two costing £150.95 – higher than the most expensive quote we could find direct. However, it's possible to receive up to £80 cashback via these sites which brings the total cost down to around £70.95 – a saving of £30.14 compared with going direct (there's usually very little between them, so check both to see which wins for you). This policy allows a maximum of six call-outs per year.
Buy it from RAC from £101.09/yr* Buy it via Quidco* or Topcashback* from '£70.95/yr'

(i) Always remember cashback is never guaranteed. (ii) You can also get basic cover using Tesco Clubcard vouchers at twice their value.

Full service AA and RAC cover

PROVIDER HOW GOOD IS IT? + COVER COSTS (i)

 
AA via Quidco* or Topcashback* (i)

Full service AA breakdown recovery for yourself and one person you live with in any car, as driver or passenger – from £120.02/yr direct, or from '£72.02/yr' via cashback sites. Though, with prices varying depending on how old you are and where you live, you'll likely be quoted a higher price. 


There are big savings to be made by going through cashback sites like Topcashback* or Quidco*. Exactly how much depends on how much you're quoted. Usually the more expensive the quote, the more cashback you'll be eligibile for, but it's done in tiers – so you could find that paying slightly more leads to a larger saving overall. We found you get up to £48 cashback on the £120.02 quote above, which brings the total cost down to £72.02. Check both cashback sites to see which one leaves you better off.
Buy it from AA for £120.02/yr* Buy it via Quidco* or Topcashback* from '£72.02/yr'

 

 

RAC via 
Quidco* or Topcashback* (i)

RAC 'personal' cover for you and one other person you live with, as driver or passenger, from £150.99/yr direct. Yet, with RAC now tailoring quotes based on your age and address, you could well be quoted a higher price.

 

Oddly, cashback sites Topcashback* or Quidco* give a flat price of £311.45 for the same level of cover – we've found you could get up to £160 cashback on the quoted price, effectively bringing the total cost down to £151.45.

 

While this is higher than the direct price mentioned above, it's worth checking how much you're quoted directly with RAC, as it could be much more than the lowest price we were able to find. And bear in mind that Quidco and Topcashback usually offer slightly different levels of cashback, so check both to see which works out best for you.
Buy it from RAC for £150.99/yr* Buy it via Quidco* or Topcashback* for '£151.45/yr'

(i) Always remember cashback is never guaranteed.

Top-pick deals with European cover

Here, if your vehicle breaks down when you're driving on the continent, it'll be repaired at the roadside, or perhaps at a local garage. The prices below are based on a three-week trip to France in a four-year-old Honda Jazz, to give an idea of how providers compare. If you're going for longer, to more countries and/or have an older car, prices tend to be higher. 

If you're planning two or more trips or regularly drive to Europe (for example, you live in Northern Ireland and regularly visit the Republic) then it's worth getting an annual European breakdown policy (or checking if cover via a packaged bank account is worth it). 

Always diarise a month ahead of your renewal so you've time to benchmark the cheapest price and switch, or use the benchmarked prices to haggle with your existing provider. 

Let us know your experiences in the forum discussion.

European cover

PROVIDER HOW GOOD IS IT? + COVER COSTS
Compare Breakdown Cover* (i) Compare multiple breakdown providers, plus a 15% discount via our link. This site zips your car's details off to a few providers to help you find the best price. Cover starts from £23.70* for three weeks in France, after the 15% discount. However, as we don't vet the companies it features, we can't vouch for their service. Let us know if you try it.

 


RAC* (ii)

 Big brand roadside assistance that includes a hire car or hotel if your vehicle can't be fixed there. The RAC* charged £78.59 for our example of three weeks in France, though your exact quote may differ slightly depending on the age of your vehicle and how soon the trip is. The policy gives you 24/7 access to an English-speaking helpline, and a contribution towards costs if it needs to be fixed at a garage (the amount depends on which level of cover you go for).
AA*
 AA roadside assistance that again pays for a hire car or hotel if needed. The AA* quoted £93.67 to cover our example three weeks in France, though again, your quote may differ depending on the age of your vehicle and how soon the trip is. You may also pay less for a single trip if you're already an AA member. This policy gives you 24/7 access to an English-speaking helpline, plus you can pay extra to get a contribution towards the costs of getting the car fixed at a garage.

(i) We have little feedback to share on Compare Breakdown Cover. (ii) You can also get RAC Europe cover using Tesco Clubcard vouchers at twice their value.

Looking for one-off or specialist policies?

If you're looking to cover a one-off journey, or need something more specialist, MoneySupermarket* allows you to compare roadside recovery tariffs.

It misses some of the best deals, so it doesn't always get the very cheapest, yet if you've specific needs it can quickly find a competitive quote.

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Check special deals

A few companies have special deals and some car insurers bundle free breakdown with their car insurance cover (see our Car Insurance guide). These currently include:

MSE Blagged car breakdown offers

Provider Deal information

 

Rescuemycar.com*

 20% discount for newbies via code MSE20. You can either choose to cover all vehicles you own or, if you'd rather have cover for yourself in any vehicle you're driving or are a passenger in, you can opt for personal cover. 

Breakdowns at home and recovery anywhere in the UK are included, though there's a £40 excess per claim as standard (unless you choose to pay extra to reduce this to zero). 

Also, please let us know your experiences in our forum discussion.

Startrescue.co.uk*

17% discount for new annual policies via our link. It offers vehicle cover or personal cover, so you can choose which you'd prefer. 
 

Breakdown assistance is provided if the car's more than a quarter of a mile away from your home as standard, or you can opt to include 'Home Assist' for additional cost.

And please let us know how you get on.

 

Compare Breakdown Cover*

15% discount for new policies via our link. Compare Breakdown Cover is a broker, and offers a range of policies with different assistance providers. 

It therefore allows you to choose a variety of levels of cover for UK-only and Europe. Let us know if you try it. 

We have little feedback on these providers, so please let us know your experiences in our forum discussion (via the link against each provider).

How to complain about your insurance provider

The insurance industry doesn't have the best customer-service reputation and while a provider may be good for some, it can be hell for others.

Common problems include claims either not being paid out on time or at all, unfair charges, or exclusions being hidden in small print.

It's always worth trying to call your provider first, but, if not, then you can use free complaints tool Resolver. The tool helps you manage your complaint, and if the company doesn't play ball, it also helps you escalate your complaint to the free Financial Ombudsman Service.

Car breakdown Q&A

  • How safe are these policies?

    Nobody can predict the future – even the most reliable companies can fall into bad times. As with any purchase, you should consider if you've any protection should the company you buy the cover from go bust.

    We've checked with the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) and, sadly, you wouldn't be protected on breakdown cover if the worst happened.

  • What happens if the breakdown company damages my car?

    breakdown repair guy

    While this is unlikely, it's still worth knowing the score. If your car's taken away, you'll usually be given a document to sign when it's returned to you.

    If you think the car's been damaged by the recovery company, refuse to sign the document and report the issue to the recovery company. It's crucial to do this as soon as you can, even if you're still at the roadside.

    • Get as much evidence of the damage as possible. Take photos – even a decent camera phone can be handy for this if there's no alternative – and write a report of what happened ASAP.

      Take notes as fully as you can, including the name of the recovery firm, times and dates. Then contact the firm to find out how it plans to rectify it.

    • What if it doesn't repair the damage? If you aren't happy with the way it's dealt with the incident, it's time to submit a written complaint. The formal procedure for this will be set out in your policy terms and conditions – these will have been sent to you but if you can't find them, just ask for another copy.

    • If it still doesn't resolve it... Even though you can't claim money back from the FSCS, if these companies are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) you can make a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). All companies we include are FCA-regulated.

      The independent free ombudsman service settles disputes between consumers and businesses, without costing you a penny. You need to leave eight weeks between registering your complaint with the firm and going to the FOS. See the Financial Rights guide for full info.

  • What if I need roadside assistance and my pets are in the vehicle with me?

    If you're unlucky enough to break down while your pets are with you, you'll still be able to receive roadside assistance. But transporting Fido and Tiddles is at the discretion of your insurer.

    RAC says it'll always attend vehicles carrying pets, but will decide on a case-by-case basis whether it's safe for the pets to travel in the recovery vehicle, or your vehicle if it's being towed.

    The recovery driver has discretion over whether the pet can travel in the vehicle. However, pets are usually allowed to travel with the recovery driver unless they are distressed or vicious, or the driver has allergies. Unless there's a safety risk, guide dogs will always travel with their owners.

    The AA says it'll transport any animal with its owner, unless it's not possible for health and safety reasons, at the risk of the pet owner. However, it does not offer transport for livestock and horses (for obvious reasons).

    If you have pets in the vehicle with you when you break down, let your insurer know when you contact it for assistance.

    For more information, check page 16 of the AA's policy booklet and the RAC website.

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AA, AutoAid, Compare Breakdown Cover, Eversure, MoneySupermarket, RAC, Rescuemycar, Startrescue, Topcashback, Quidco

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