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Breakdown cover


lloydyyy
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My breakdown cover is about to expire along with my current car insurance policy. I was thinking of signing up to AutoAid again (I was with them a couple of years ago but never had to call them out).

Are the reviews of AutoAid still positive? I was perhaps thinking of going with GEM, AA or one of the other big boys. But obviously the prices of policies elsewhere is more expensive.

Would appreciate any advice.

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ive never had breakdown cover in 35yrs, know i should as modern cars cant be fixed on the roadside normally.

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3 hours ago, iantt said:

ive never had breakdown cover in 35yrs

Nor have I but in 33 years.

3 hours ago, iantt said:

know i should as modern cars cant be fixed on the roadside normally

Whilst that's true, if you service your vehicles, don't ignore any DTCs that come up, and don't use your car until a major one has been remedied, you'll never need breakdown cover.

The only exception would be a road traffic incident rendering your car as a non-drivable, and as one off, it's considerably cheaper to use a recovery company for a one off recovery (or a mate with a tow truck) than pay yearly for a service you'll never use.

 

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I was with Greenflag for a couple of years. Only ever called them out once in that 2 years. My daughter was driving at the time when the dreaded fiesta clutch pedal fault decided to manifest it's self in the middle lane of  3 lanes of rush hour traffic.

Clutch pedal just went to the floor and stayed there. Luckily a nice chap stopped and pushed her to safety.

Called out green flag and all they do is bung the car on back of truck and take you home or to nearest  garage. No effort to try and fix the problem what so ever.

 

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I'm with RAC for about 5 or 6 years now.  Being stranded away from home is literally one of my worst nightmares so although I'm usually pretty tight, I do pay for peace of mind of breakdown cover, as well as carrying a lot of tools and 'quick fix/bodge' items.

The main problem I have with them is that you have to beat them down on the price every year like with car insurance, but I get roadside and recovery (basically everything except home-start) for myself in ANY car, even as a passenger, for about £50 a year which seems ok.  If it's your first time with them there are also considerable discounts through Top Cash Back.

I've used them 3 times now, first was a blown rad hose (due to failed HG) right outside college back in 2010, a helpful young lad pushed me to the side of the road.  Recovery took about 2 hours to arrive but did take the car 15 miles home and I stayed at college and had a lift home afterwards.

Second was a drum brake shoe fell apart and locked the drum solid on a blind bend of a national speed limit A road in 2011.  I told them it wasn't fixable at the roadside and couldn't be towed on front 2 wheels...so after an hour they sent a guy in a small van who told me to try moving back and forward...as if I hadn't tried that. :rolleyes:  The guy told me he'd have to call for a recovery truck which would be another hour.  At this point my Dad had stopped on his way home from night shift and I was desperate for the loo so he took me to Nans (next village luckily) where I ruined her loo then returned to the car.  Fortunately the truck was just arriving and loading the car up...ruining the front splitter in the process.  I rode home in the recovery truck, which was far bumpier than my stomach could handle but it was only a 4 mile trip thankfully.  When I got home I had to ruin our own toilet then lay down for a while.  That is not an experience I want to happen again!  Knowing I can't travel in bumpy recovery trucks and the fact that they take so long to arrive that I'll probably not make the toilet obviously made my agoraphobia considerably worse.  Everytime I do any distance now I'm terrified that the same will happen again. :sad: 

Third time I'd blown a turbo seal and smoke was billowing from the exhaust...  I pulled over, checked the intake pipe was clear (it was) and drove it home, drinking 2 litres of oil in 10 miles - sod calling them out unnecessarily lol!

Fourth time was April this year, clutch started dragging badly on the inside lane of a roundabout entry, I wrenched it out of gear and ripped the linkages off in neutral so no drive at all!  Put the hazards on, jumped out and had a look but the bay was far too hot to touch the linkages next to the exhaust, at this point I didn't know if they would pop back on or if they were knackered.  I tried to push it out of the way of the disapproving looks and beeps, but for several minutes no-one stopped to either help push or so I could get it across the lanes to the roadside, cheers then!!  Eventually I managed to grab a random guy walking past to help me push it back when there was a clear moment.  Phoned RAC for recovery who were more helpful this time and said they would send a recovery truck first time, but it'd take an hour and a half!  I was just over the road from Sainsburys so walked across and sat in their café next to the loo's just in case.  Impatient as I am after about 10 mins I went back to the car to see if I could fix it, linkages popped back on but really loose.  And the clutch had cooled just enough not to drag.  Managed to drive it a few yards so pulled over and cancelled RAC (very quick, don't even speak to a person) then drove home mostly in 3rd, stopping twice to put the linkages back on.

So yeah, I have RAC and wouldn't be without some sort of breakdown cover...but also hope I never have to use it lol! :laugh: 

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I am with The RAC now full cover for peace of mind.

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I'm with the RAC, never once had to use them in the 15 odd years I've had a policy with them (Inc my husband), we're on what the tesco RAC chap said black card cover, which covers everything whether we're in a friends car or our own, hotel stay, etc

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16 hours ago, GMX said:

Nor have I but in 33 years.

Whilst that's true, if you service your vehicles, don't ignore any DTCs that come up, and don't use your car until a major one has been remedied, you'll never need breakdown cover.

The only exception would be a road traffic incident rendering your car as a non-drivable, and as one off, it's considerably cheaper to use a recovery company for a one off recovery (or a mate with a tow truck) than pay yearly for a service you'll never use.

 

That's my opinion.  Although our vehicles are 21, 20 and 16 years old - none of them have breakdown cover and as I keep them all problem free (well, free of major problems anyway...) and well serviced, there is no need. 

If I think there is a problem that could result in a breakdown, I won't drive the car - simple as that.

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Mum has always had it, I wouldn't entertain the idea of her being stranded by the roadside in winter. Therefore we've always had RAC cover. Only needed it once with the 207 with a flat tyre! The RAC man changed the wheel in less than an hour on a Sunday night. 

Plus with mums last car being French and the current Italian it means that there is 100% chance of breakdown. :rolleyes:

So yes I'd personally have it, get it if you can afford it and aren't mechanically minded!

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8 minutes ago, chrisroberson99 said:

Mum has always had it, I wouldn't entertain the idea of her being stranded by the roadside in winter. Therefore we've always had RAC cover. Only needed it once with the 207 with a flat tyre! The RAC man changed the wheel in less than an hour on a Sunday night. 

Plus with mums last car being French and the current Italian it means that there is 100% chance of breakdown. :rolleyes:

So yes I'd personally have it, get it if you can afford it and aren't mechanically minded!

Neither would I, hence why I made sure my mother drives a Ford! :laugh:

Did the 207 not have a spare tyre included, or was she not able to fit it?  If it was the former, then that is a major problem with modern cars and makes breakdown cover necessary, for that alone, which is ridiculous when manufacturers (Ford included) could just include even a space-saver tyre which means you can change it yourself.  That said, even though the Focus has a spare tyre my mother wouldn't have a clue on how to fit it, so it may as well be a chocolate teapot.

I do also carry a can of Tyre-Weld in all the cars and have shown her how to use that, so if she did get a flat tyre whilst driving alone (and I wasn't able to get to her) then she could probably use that just to get home again, or worst case scenario call a garage to fit the spare.  Even then that would be more cost effective than paying for breakdown cover every month only to use it once in a blue moon.

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Yes it had a spacesaver, but neither of us fancied fitting it! It was dark, cold and raining (mothers day last year). 

No spare tyre is mainly to do with emissions regulations, more weight = higher emissions. Land Rover charge £285 for a full size spare on dad's car, otherwise it's a can of gunk. Cheap for a full size alloy and tyre, normally a tyre for a Range Rover is more than that! You'd think it would be a NCO on an £80k car though...

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19 minutes ago, chrisroberson99 said:

Yes it had a spacesaver, but neither of us fancied fitting it! It was dark, cold and raining (mothers day last year). 

No spare tyre is mainly to do with emissions regulations, more weight = higher emissions. Land Rover charge £285 for a full size spare on dad's car, otherwise it's a can of gunk. Cheap for a full size alloy and tyre, normally a tyre for a Range Rover is more than that! You'd think it would be a NCO on an £80k car though...

Fair enough, especially if you have breakdown cover! 

Yeah I know why they don't include them as standard anymore, but frankly it is ridiculous in the grand scheme of things.  They refuse to give you a spare tyre as standard (which weighs less than a child), but yet include all these luxury electronic extras such as heated seats with electronic adjustment, sat-navs, stop-start systems etc... 

Yes sometimes you can't or choose not to fit the spare, but if it is there then you have the choice, and if you were stranded with no mobile phone in a completely desolate area, having a spare tyre could SAVE YOUR LIFE.  Car manufacturers don't realise this, nor do they care.

It is like saying "we won't include ABS or Traction Control in our cars because that adds weight".  Cutting your nose off to spite your face comes to mind.

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13 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

I'm with RAC for about 5 or 6 years now.  Being stranded away from home is literally one of my worst nightmares so although I'm usually pretty tight, I do pay for peace of mind of breakdown cover, as well as carrying a lot of tools and 'quick fix/bodge' items.

The main problem I have with them is that you have to beat them down on the price every year like with car insurance, but I get roadside and recovery (basically everything except home-start) for myself in ANY car, even as a passenger, for about £50 a year which seems ok.  If it's your first time with them there are also considerable discounts through Top Cash Back.

I've used them 3 times now, first was a blown rad hose (due to failed HG) right outside college back in 2010, a helpful young lad pushed me to the side of the road.  Recovery took about 2 hours to arrive but did take the car 15 miles home and I stayed at college and had a lift home afterwards.

Second was a drum brake shoe fell apart and locked the drum solid on a blind bend of a national speed limit A road in 2011.  I told them it wasn't fixable at the roadside and couldn't be towed on front 2 wheels...so after an hour they sent a guy in a small van who told me to try moving back and forward...as if I hadn't tried that. :rolleyes:  The guy told me he'd have to call for a recovery truck which would be another hour.  At this point my Dad had stopped on his way home from night shift and I was desperate for the loo so he took me to Nans (next village luckily) where I ruined her loo then returned to the car.  Fortunately the truck was just arriving and loading the car up...ruining the front splitter in the process.  I rode home in the recovery truck, which was far bumpier than my stomach could handle but it was only a 4 mile trip thankfully.  When I got home I had to ruin our own toilet then lay down for a while.  That is not an experience I want to happen again!  Knowing I can't travel in bumpy recovery trucks and the fact that they take so long to arrive that I'll probably not make the toilet obviously made my agoraphobia considerably worse.  Everytime I do any distance now I'm terrified that the same will happen again. :sad: 

 

What a !Removed! story Tom lol 

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I have always been with AA for years as again for piece of mind,i have had them twice in the last 5 years but i need cover

but i have the full package and also includes taken me to a local ford garage by me and they pay upto £500 on each repair (i just pay £35) each time.

Allowed upto 5 repairs a year,also i get a nice deal when i take out my insurance off them,just mainly convenience for me most.

 

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