Which is the best breakdown service in 2025?

Modern cars suffer far fewer breakdowns than those of a generation ago. However, they’re certainly not infallible, so it’s best to know who to turn to if you do find yourself with a misbehaving vehicle.

If you have breakdown cover, a patrol should arrive swiftly after a quick phone call and either fix the problem by the roadside or enable you to carry on with your travel plans some other way. But is that always the case? And, if you choose to forego cover and find yourself having to arrange help on the hoof from an independent recovery provider, what sort of service are you likely to receive?

Choosing breakdown cover is further complicated because not all policies provide the same level of protection. Some are of use only if your car breaks down just a short distance from your registered address, while others will come to your aid if you’re farther from home.

Prices for breakdown cover can vary widely, too. Our research shows that you can pay between £22 and £169 for policies that promise apparently similar levels of cover. Also, some providers charge an extra fee if a breakdown is due to lost or broken car keys or filling with the wrong fuel by mistake. It’s therefore important to consider all the options and shop around for the best deals before you sign up for cover.

To help you choose, we asked 29,967 car owners about their breakdown experiences as part of the most recent What Car? Reliability Survey, conducted in association with MotorEasy. Just under 11% of survey participants told us their car had broken down within the past two years. The breakdown rate was highest for EVs, at 17%, followed by diesel cars, 15% of which broke down; hybrid cars fared a little better, with 14% breaking down, and petrol models were best with an 11% failure rate. 

We asked every respondent who had used a breakdown provider how long they had to wait for help to arrive and how good the service they received was. Patrols that arrived in an hour or less and got cars going again gained the highest marks; those that took more than two hours to arrive and didn’t fix the car or recover it for repair were given the lowest marks. The results enabled us to rank 10 recovery services, including independent providers.

When you buy a new car, it’ll usually come with a few years of breakdown cover for free as part of the warranty agreement. For example, cover for Audi, Jaguar, Land Rover, Skoda and Toyota is provided by the AA, while Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Nissan owners are served by the RAC. BMW, Mazda, Renault and Volvo, meanwhile, are looked after by Allianz, which offers cover directly to car manufacturers only, rather than policies that consumers can independently subscribe to. When survey respondents were unsure who provided their car’s cover, we made sure to allocate their scores to the appropriate provider.

The independent category covers the hundreds of local mobile mechanics and recovery firms that operate throughout the UK. Unlike other organisations, which charge a monthly or annual subscription fee for cover, these need to be paid only when you use them. In theory, they offer a similar service to the subscription providers, aiming to reach stranded vehicles in less than 90 minutes and either fix the car at the roadside or recover it for  repair at a garage. However, prices vary, with callout fees usually ranging from £75 to £150, depending on the size of vehicle and its location (recovery in London or on a motorway tends to cost more). There’s also often a mileage fee for recovery – usually around £1.50 per mile – so the cost can mount up.

Which is the speediest breakdown service?

When it comes to reaching stranded vehicles promptly, Britannia Rescue comes out on top. Its patrols reached 23% of breakdowns in less than half an hour – a quicker response rate than any other provider. Another 55% of its users needed to wait only between 30 minutes and an hour – so Britannia achieved a one-hour-or-less arrival time in 78% of callouts. Just 3% of its patrols took more than two hours to get to customers.

Start Rescue is second best for speed of arrival, with the highest proportion of callouts (69%) attended in less than an hour and 15% in less than 30 minutes. Help took more than two hours to arrive in 6% of cases, though.

Independent breakdown companies weren’t as quick to arrive as the top two subscription providers; while they arrived at 22% of breakdowns in 30 minutes or less and reached a further 47% of stranded vehicles in 30 minutes to an hour, they posted the second-highest figure (16%) for motorists who had to wait two hours or more for assistance.

The RAC is the worst-scoring company overall for speed of arrival, because it left the highest proportion of customers – 32% – waiting for more than two hours. Only 13% of its patrols arrived in less than 30 minutes, and 35% took 30 minutes to an hour to arrive.

GEM Motoring Assist scored higher in the 30min-1hr category, reaching 46% of customers in that time frame. However, it reached only 8% of callouts within 30 minutes and left 14% waiting for more than two hours.

Which breakdown service is best at fixing cars?

When it comes to permanently repairing your car by the roadside, the independent services are the best, fully remedying vehicle faults in 47% of callouts. The independents also made temporary fixes so that another 11% of users could continue to a place of repair. The remainder were recovered to a garage, and – as you’d expect of a service you pay for at the time of use – no users were left without their car either repaired or recovered.

While the AA permanently fixed a smaller percentage of cars (36%), its higher proportion of temporary fixes (28%) meant more drivers could continue their journeys. A further 28% of cars were recovered for repair. However, 8% were neither repaired nor recovered and users were left to make other arrangements.

GEM Motoring Assist permanently repaired more cars than the AA (46%), but a lower rate of temporary fixes (16.2%) meant fewer drivers were able to continue their journeys. In 5.4% of cases, neither repair nor recovery occurred.

Allianz’s technicians performed the fewest permanent roadside repairs, fixing cars in only 18% of callouts. They carried out temporary repairs on a further 28% of cars. Where no roadside fix was possible, 48% of cars were transported to a place of repair, but it failed to either fix or tow 8% of vehicles.

Autoaid is more likely to recover a car for repair at a garage than get you on your way with a roadside repair; it towed cars away for attention in 57% of its callouts – the highest proportion in the survey. It did perform permanent repairs for another 24% of its callouts, though, and it temporarily fixed another 16%. Only 4% of customers were left without any assistance.

The best and worst providers overall

As the speediest service to attend breakdowns, and posting a strong score for roadside repairs, Britannia Rescue comes out on top overall for performance. Its recovery operators attended three-quarters of callouts in less than an hour, and its assistance enabled 53% of its customers to continue their journeys. No one was left with neither a repair nor a recovery.

Allianz props up the bottom of the table. While it was marginally quicker to respond to callouts than the RAC, its poor record for getting motorists on their way without need for recovery gives it the lowest overall score.

How to save money on breakdown cover

There are two main levels of breakdown cover: local and national. If you’re after the most affordable option and you don’t frequently travel too far from home, local cover will make the most sense. With this, patrols will usually attend breakdowns within a 10-mile radius from your home, although some of the policies we examined will cover up to 25 miles.

Local cover also usually excludes support for breakdowns at home. Some providers allow you to add home start to local cover, but others require an upgrade to national cover for this.

With national cover, your car will be taken to a location of your choice almost anywhere in the UK if it can’t be fixed at the roadside. Adding onward travel to national cover will provide accommodation or a hire car if either is necessary to complete your journey.

Breakdown policies can be bought for a specific car or for an individual. For households with only one car, it’s generally cheaper to buy car cover, but if you’re a two or three-car household, it may be more cost-effective to buy cover for the main driver, because this will cover them in any car, even if they don’t own it.

What's the best value breakdown cover?

We compared the cheapest local and national breakdown policies from 13 providers, including their most affordable policies that include home start, as well as the cheapest they offer with onward travel included.

Emergency Assist came out as the cheapest for all levels of cover, closely followed by Cover my Breakdown. Both firms support cars up to 15 years old, with local cover running from one mile from your home up to 25 miles away, and neither charges extra for assistance if you fill with the wrong fuel. Emergency Assist will transport a driver and up to six passengers as part of its onward travel package; Cover my Breakdown will carry only four passengers.

Our top-performing breakdown provider, Britannia Rescue, is also one of the cheapest options. For £33, its local cover will help if you’re between a quarter of a mile and 10 miles from home. It covers cars of all ages (although prices are higher for older cars). Its onward travel offer can cater for up to seven passengers.

Our research showed that AA, Green Flag and RAC prices can depend on the age and location of the person taking out the policy. For National cover and onward travel, a 35-year-old man living in central Manchester driving a 2014 Mini Paceman will pay £40 more for RAC cover, £34 more for the AA and £9 more for Green Flag than a 59 year-old woman in rural Kent.

Younger car owners and those who live in urban areas are advised to try a few different ages and postcodes in the online quote system to check that quotes aren’t over the odds.

* covers the person rather than the vehicle, ** local cover only, *** limited to five callouts a year

Cover is for a 59-year-old woman living in Kent for a 2014 Mini Paceman unless otherwise stated. 

What to look out for

There are a lot of small differences between policies, and these are sometimes hidden in the small print, so it’s worth checking the exclusions before you buy rather than simply opting for the cheapest quote. We were able to easily access online terms and conditions or policy details for 12 of the 13 companies we researched, but couldn’t find this information on Motoring Assistance’s website.

Common limitations on policies include restrictions on the number of callouts within any 12-month period, the number of passengers that can be transported in the event of a recovery and the maximum age of vehicles covered. Many providers charge a fee for callouts that are due to misfuelling.

The most common causes of breakdowns

Most car breakdowns are caused by minor issues, and in many instances you could prevent your car from letting you down by doing some regular checks and maintenance. Here, we look at the six most common culprits and how to prevent them.

1. Flat or faulty battery

Battery failure is the number one reason for recovery callouts. It’s more common in the winter, when low temperatures can affect the electrolyte liquid inside a battery, making it less able to hold a charge.

The winter months also involve more driving in dark, cold conditions, and the lights – together with features such as heated seats and heated rear windscreens – putting more strain on the battery.

In addition, cars are often not used over the Christmas break or when it snows. Batteries are more likely to fail then, because they gradually lose charge when they’re not being used – particularly in cold weather.

If your car becomes tricky to start, have the battery checked at a service centre. If you’re not going to drive the car for a week or more, run the engine for 10 minutes at some point during that time to freshen the battery. A battery charger and a jump starter can be useful tools to keep in your boot.

2. Damaged or punctured tyres

Driving over a sharp object or hitting a kerb or pothole are the most common reasons for punctures, but worn tyres and faulty valves can cause problems too, so it’s important not to skimp on maintenance in a bid to save money.

Checking your car’s tyres regularly could help you spot a nail or gash early so you can have the tyre repaired, rather than risking a sudden failure when you’re driving. A tyre pressure gauge, and a tyre inflator are invaluable pieces of kit to keep you moving.

3. Misfuelling

Putting diesel in a petrol car or vice versa is a common error made by around 150,000 people a year in the UK. Misfuelling can be expensive to sort out if the fuel gets into your car’s engine, but if you realise straight away and get the fuel removed from the tank before the car has been started, you’ll be faced with a much smaller bill. There are specialist services around the country who can help.

4. Low AdBlue level

Many newer diesel cars have a Selective Catalyst Reduction (SCR) system that uses a liquid called AdBlue to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from the exhaust. This fluid, also known as urea or diesel exhaust fluid, needs to be topped up occasionally. If it runs out, the car might refuse to start. The car will warn you when the level is running low, and this should be heeded promptly.

5. Lost keys

Many cars have a start button and keyless entry, and once started, some models can be driven without the key in them. That means there’s a chance you could begin driving, having left the key behind, leaving you stranded later when you turn the engine off and it won’t restart.

Key fobs are complex and often have a microchip inside to protect the car from being stolen, so you’ll need to visit an authorised dealer if you need a duplicate.

6. Other electrical issues

One tell-tale sign that the alternator is worn out is if the headlights are dimmer than usual when the engine isn’t being revved. If you notice this, asking a mechanic to check the car early could prevent a breakdown.

What Car? verdict

Breakdown cover may seem pricey, especially if you opt for a comprehensive policy that provides nationwide coverage, home start and onward travel. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that a good breakdown technician could permanently repair your car by the roadside if it breaks down, potentially saving you a hefty bill for recovery and repair at a garage.

Of course, there’s always the chance that you’ll pay for a year’s cover and have no cause to use it. Our readers’ experience of independent breakdown outfits has been generally positive, and although the costs of their service vary, putting money aside to use these when you need to is a viable alternative to subscribing for breakdown cover you might not use.

Bear in mind, though, that a single callout might cost as much as a year’s national cover with home start and onward travel. And, for many, the promise that prompt assistance and onward travel are just a phone call away will be worth the annual cost of a breakdown subscription.

It’s important, though, to choose cover that’s appropriate for your needs. Local cover might be enough most of the time, but if you break down on an occasional longer trip, you might wish you’d taken out a pricier policy with national cover.

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