SALE – up to 40% off RAC BreakdownCover*

Latin American woman on the road calling her insurance on her cell phone after a car breakdown MANY breakdown policies cost the price of a coffee each month, and in exchange, they cover the cost of calling out assistance if your car were to conk out. For many policyholders, it also offers peace of mind. Credit: Alamy While household names like the AA and RAC dominate the market, numerous other providers offer excellent service at lower prices. And if you’re already covered, auto-renewing your existing policy might not be the cheapest option. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Here’s everything you need to know about the best breakdown cover providers, along with a comparison of the best providers in the UK for 2026. What is breakdown cover? Breakdown cover acts as an emergency safety net for your car. If your vehicle breaks down while you are driving, this policy ensures you are not left stranded on the hard shoulder or forced to find a local garage yourself. When you break down, your provider sends a mechanic to attempt a roadside fix. If they cannot resolve the issue there, they will tow your vehicle to a local garage. Most policies won’t cover the costs past this point, and if they do, there’s usually a limit in place. Some also won’t pay out in some specific instances, like misfuelling. According to the garages The Sun looked at, typical charges for a call-out to a quieter road hoover between £40 – £120+ depending on the area, plus a per-mile charge if your vehicle needs to be towed. If you break down on the motorway, the police can charge a removal fee of £192. Breakdown cover is particularly handy if you’re making any long journeys across the country or in Europe. Without it, you’ll need to call a local garage, which may charge hefty fees for coming out to pick up your car. What does breakdown cover include? Breakdown providers love using industry buzzwords. When you are comparing quotes, here is what those terms actually mean: Roadside assistance: This is the core of every policy. If you break down away from home, a mechanic will come to the rescue to try and fix the problem by the side of the road. National recovery: If your car is well and truly broken and cannot be fixed on the spot, this ensures your car, you, and your passengers are towed to safety. Depending on your tier, this might just be the nearest local garage, or any destination of your choice in the UK. Onward travel: If your car is out of action and your holiday or business trip is ruined, this tier saves the day. It covers alternative logistics to get you to your final destination, which can include a hire car, public transport tickets, or an overnight hotel stay. Home cover: If your car breaks down at home or near your registered address, then this covers the cost of servicing your vehicle. It could come in handy if, for example, your car has a flat battery and won’t start at home. Compare breakdown cover There are multiple breakdown providers on the market, but not all offer great value for money. These are some of the best providers based on price, cover, and callout response times. RAC Credit: Alamy Shop breakdown cover at RAC Monthly price: From £5.29* Included as standard: Five call-outs a year, 24/7 roadside assistance, 10-mile tow, free car health check The RAC is a big provider of breakdown insurance, being one of the few that covers millions of customers. Its basic policy isn’t as comprehensive as the AA — it only offers five callouts a year (as opposed to unlimited) and in the event it can’t fix your car, it will only take it to a garage in a 10-mile radius. But if you’re after a premium package, then RAC Complete could prove to be decent value offering unlimited callouts, car hire up to 7 days, a free MOT worth up to £55, and motor legal expenses up to 100k. In addition to roadside assistance, unlimited call-outs, national recovery anywhere in the UK, and home cover, it also offers a vehicle health check similar to an MOT. *At least 10% of new customers pay this for single-vehicle Roadside (basic) cover. *Up to 40% off sale terms and conditions:Max 40% applies to new Standard cover for 1 person.Offer only applies to Standard, Extra andComplete cover levels and excludes alladditional cover and add-ons.New customers only. The AA Credit: The AA Shop breakdown cover at The AA Monthly price: From £5.49 Included as standard: Unlimited call-outs, roadside assistance, at-home cover The AA is one of the biggest breakdown providers around, with over 2,700 patrol cars across the UK. Its breakdown packages come in three tiers, with the popular middle option providing all standard features and national recovery. Its more expensive package offers all these options as well as onward travel. AA customers also get access to Smart Benefits, a programme offering a range of discounts. This includes up to over a third off your MoT test, up to 15% off airport parking, and further discounts for car hire abroad. Green Flag Credit: Green Flag Shop breakdown cover at Green Flag Monthly price: From £3.75 Included as standard: Unlimited call outs, roadside assistance, recovery Green Flag, part of the Direct Line Group, offers five levels of cover. For something more comprehensive, the Rescue Plus tier provides cover at home, onward travel, and reimbursement for garage collection costs. New customers can also take advantage of Green Flag’s latest offer, which promises to be at least half the price of the RAC or AA. If it is not, and you decide to use Green Flag, you can send both quotes to the insurer, and they will refund the difference. 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Start Rescue Credit: Getty Shop breakdown cover at Start Rescue Monthly price: From £2.38 Included as standard: Unlimited call outs, roadside assistance, recovery up to 10 miles Start Rescue is one of the cheapest providers of breakdown cover, offering a comprehensive service despite its low price. It’s customer-favourite three-star package provides unlimited call-outs, home assist, and emergency overnight accommodation, among other perks. It costs £39.76 a year, or £3.31 a month. Britannia Rescue Credit: Getty Shop breakdown cover at Britannia Rescue Monthly price: From £2.75 Included as standard: Unlimited call outs, roadside assistance, recovery up to 10 miles Britannia Rescue’s most expensive package, UK and European Assist, costs £152 a year but comes with alternate transport and accommodation, same day breakdown recovery to anywhere in the UK, and cover for anyone driving the vehicle. The other five star rated policy, UK Recovery & Home Assist, includes the same level of cover but doesn’t offer European breakdown insurance. For those looking for something more affordable, Roadside Assist is its cheapest package at £33 a year, or £2.75 a month. This just includes cover for anyone driving the vehicle, assistance for more than a quarter of a mile from your home and local recovery from 10 miles where you’ve broken down. What are the different types of breakdown cover? Breakdown cover normally comes in two types: Personal breakdown cover — Covers you as a driver or passenger in any vehicle. This might be preferable for someone who drives multiple cars a year Vehicle breakdown cover — Tied to a specific car, ensuring cover regardless of who’s driving. It’s a good option for families in shared vehicles How much is breakdown cover? Breakdown insurance varies in price as some policies offer more comprehensive policies while others offer cheaper, but often less detailed, coverage. Basic policies can cost as little as £2 a month, while more comprehensive cover starts at £8 a month. Is breakdown cover worth it? At a basic level, breakdown cover is usually a financial no brainer. With standard policies averaging around £6 a month (so, roughly £72 a year), protecting your car for three full years costs about £216. Compare that to the cost of a single major mishap without cover: an emergency tow off a UK motorway can easily cost £200 – £300+ once you factor in call-out fees, mileage and potential storage rates. Essentially, if you break down just once every three years, the policy has already paid for itself. Be sure to note that bulking out your breakdown policy with additions like key cover, tyre or windscreen cover, or national recovery, your policy price is likely to increase. Does breakdown cover include repairs? Some breakdown policies will pay out a specified amount for repairs. Check your policy documents to see what you’re entitled to.