Vehicle breakdown cover is breakdown insurance that is tied to a specific vehicle. It’s the most common type of breakdown cover and is usually cheaper to obtain than the alternative option, personal breakdown cover.
| Response | % of respondents |
|---|---|
| Very satisfied | 45.23% |
| Reasonably satisfied | 35.01% |
| Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied | 14.85% |
| Moderately dissatisfied | 3.27% |
| Highly dissatisfied | 1.63% |
Most providers offer different levels of vehicle breakdown cover, which means you can pick and choose what to include in your policy.
Exact specifications will vary by provider, but usually include:
With a vehicle breakdown cover, you will only be covered for the car specified in the policy. If you break down while driving a different car, you will not be covered (unless that vehicle has its own breakdown cover and you are authorised to be driving the car under it).
Other than that, depending on the cover you choose, there will be different exclusions to the policy.
For example, if you choose the most basic roadside assistance cover, you might not have the option to have your car towed anywhere if it can’t be fixed at the roadside. Other policies might include having it towed to a local garage, but no further.
If you want to make sure you are covered for all eventualities, you can get a breakdown policy that includes all the elements mentioned above.
In most cases, a vehicle breakdown policy applies to a single vehicle. However, some insurers will allow you to add additional vehicles, essentially creating multi vehicle breakdown cover or a family breakdown policy.
The number of cars you can add will usually be limited and will vary by provider.
Most providers will exclude commercial use from their cover. This is true of regular car insurance, as well as breakdown insurance.
If you need to cover a commercial vehicle, have a look at specialist insurers, like Zego, or specialist policies like commercial van insurance.
As the policy covers your vehicle and not you as the driver, other people will usually be allowed to drive it and still be covered.
They will of course need to be qualified drivers and drive the car legally to be covered.
If your vehicle breaks down, you need to call your insurer’s claim line.
Someone will then be sent out to look at your vehicle and attempt to fix it at the roadside. If it cannot be fixed, then the next step will depend on the cover you have. It will usually involve having your car towed to a local garage, or to an address of your choice within the UK if you have national recovery.
If you have onward travel cover, you will also get help to complete your journey, or be reimbursed the cost of an overnight hotel stay.
Most vehicle breakdown policies will only cover vehicles up to the age of 15. However, there are specialist providers that will cover older vehicles, so make sure you shop around.
Insurers will usually let you change the vehicle on your policy up to a certain number of times within the policy term. This will vary by insurance company, so check your policy documents for the details.
Note that temporary changes of vehicle are usually not permitted.
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