Breakdown cover, compared properly
Independent comparisons and guides for UK drivers and riders. No quote forms, no data harvesting: just what each level of cover does, who offers it, and what it is worth paying for.
Find the right page in two taps
- Compare all providersEvery UK provider on one table: cover basis, network, levels, EV and bike options.
- European coverSingle-trip or annual, what is repatriated, and the France autoroute rule.
- Motorbike coverWho covers bikes, rider vs bike cover, and recovery equipment that matters.
- Provider profilesWho is behind each brand and who each one actually suits.
Providers at a glance
| Provider | Cover basis | Network | Roadside | Recovery | Home start | Onward travel | European | Motorbike | EV | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The AA | Vehicle or personal | Own patrols | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Get a quote |
| RAC | Vehicle or personal | Own patrols | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Get a quote |
| Green Flag | Vehicle or personal | Contractor network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Get a quote |
| GEM Motoring Assist | Personal | Contractor network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Get a quote |
| Breakdown Direct | Vehicle | Contractor network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ | Get a quote |
| Asda Breakdown Cover | Vehicle or personal | Contractor network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ | Get a quote |
| More Than Breakdown | Vehicle | Contractor network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ | Get a quote |
| RescueMyCar.com | Vehicle | Contractor network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Get a quote |
| Tesco Bank Breakdown Cover | Vehicle or personal | Contractor network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ | Get a quote |
How breakdown cover works in the UK
Breakdown cover is not insurance in the usual sense. You are paying a motoring organisation or assistance company to send help when your vehicle stops working. Almost every UK policy is built from the same four blocks, sold in increasing bundles:
- Roadside assistance — a mechanic comes to you (usually at least a quarter of a mile from home) and tries to fix the car. If they cannot, you are towed to a nearby garage.
- National recovery — if the car cannot be fixed, it and your passengers are taken anywhere in mainland UK: home, your destination or a garage of your choice.
- Home start — the same roadside help, but at or near your home address. Essential if you have ever been let down by a flat battery on a Monday morning.
- Onward travel — a hire car, overnight accommodation or public transport so you can finish your journey while the car is repaired.
Two further choices sit on top: whether the policy covers a vehicle or a person, and whether it extends to Europe. Everything else — misfuelling, key cover, tyre call-outs, battery replacement — is an extra that providers use to differentiate near-identical products.
What breakdown cover typically costs
Prices move constantly and renewal quotes are routinely higher than new-customer prices, so we do not print a single number. As a working range in 2026:
- Roadside-only vehicle cover from online brands: roughly the price of a tank of fuel per year.
- Roadside plus national recovery from the big two (AA, RAC): typically two to three times the roadside-only price.
- Full packages with home start and onward travel for a household: the most expensive tier, but often cheaper per vehicle than buying two basic policies.
The single biggest saving is not switching provider — it is buying the right level and refusing the renewal price.
Start with these guides
- A guide to breakdown policiesHow UK breakdown policies are structured, what each level covers, common exclusions and how to pick the right one for your car and driving.
- Cheap breakdown cover: how to pay lessPractical ways to cut the cost of UK breakdown cover: buy the right level, avoid renewal pricing, use personal cover for two cars, check bank accounts and bundles.
- What is covered: me or my car?Personal breakdown cover vs vehicle breakdown cover: how each works, when personal cover is cheaper for two-car households, and the exclusions to check.
- Electric car breakdown coverBreakdown cover for electric vehicles: flatbed recovery, running out of charge, 12-volt failures, mobile charging and which UK providers handle EVs best.
- Caravan breakdown coverBreakdown cover for caravans, trailers and motorhomes: whether your car policy covers the caravan, size and weight limits, recovery and specialist options.
- European breakdown cover explainedWhat European breakdown cover does, what it costs relative to UK cover, repatriation, territorial limits and whether you need it for a single Channel crossing.
Ask the expert
Readers send us the questions comparison tables cannot answer: age limits, two-car households, temporary cover, misfuelling, rental cars. We publish the answers. Read the questions and answers or send yours to [email protected].