What are the different types of breakdown insurance?

Regardless of the type of motor vehicle you have there are two basic types of breakdown cover insurance policies available in the UK, outlined in the table below:

Insurance policy type

What it Covers

Vehicle cover

The vehicle(s) you insure are covered regardless of who drives them. Several vehicles can be covered under one policy but they must usually all be registered at the same address. There may be restrictions or higher premiums for older vehicles (i.e. over 10 years old) or larger vehicles over 3.5 tonnes. You may not be able to add extras such as European cover on vehicle only policies.

Personal cover

This insures a named person, either the driver or a passenger of any vehicle. Types of policies offered are:

Single cover for yourself only.
Joint cover for you and one other named member of your household.
Family cover for you and up to four other named members of your household.

Breakdown cover type	Description
Roadside assistance	Most basic type of breakdown insurance which provides: A call-out by a qualified mechanic to come to your vehicle, which must be at least a quarter of a mile away from your home when it breaks down. Labour costs to get the vehicle going at the roadside or Getting the vehicle to the nearest garage, usually within 10 miles of the breakdown. Roadside assistance generally does not provide cover for: You or your passengers being transported to a garage Any parts used by the roadside mechanic Any parts or labour charged by a garage
At home	The same as roadside assistance but will cover you if you breakdown at home or within a quarter of a mile of your registered address.
Full recovery	Same as roadside assistance but with the addition of covering the costs of getting your vehicle back home or to another garage more local to you, if it can't be repaired at the roadside, and will also include transporting yourself and up to 7 passengers with the vehicle. This may also include travel costs to pick up your vehicle when it's repaired.
Onward travel	Same as roadside assistance but with extended cover if the vehicle can't be repaired at the roadside, which may include: Replacement car hire or vehicle for up to a maximum of three consecutive days Alternative transport costs, i.e. rail, air or other public transport costs, can be up to £150 per person or £500 per group Emergency accommodation, i.e. a nights B&B accommodation for up to 8 people Medical assistance if a driver or passenger is taken to hospital more than 20 miles from home
Breakdown repair insurance	Covers the cost of replacement parts used by a roadside mechanic to fix your vehicle such as a new battery, wheel or headlamp. Likewise if the vehicle cannot be repaired at the roadside, it covers the labour and parts you may subsequently be charged for by a garage.
European cover	This type of cover is offered as either: Short term cover for either a single driver or larger groups of up to 15 people for the duration of a trip to Europe, up to a maximum of 365 days. Annual cover which can cover a person in any eligible vehicle making multiple trips of up to 90 days each, which can be extended to 350 days. Provides cover in continental Europe and it's offshore islands. Covers mechanical breakdown including roadside repairs, recovery to a local garage or repatriation, cover may also include: Motor-related legal expenses Temporary car replacement on way to a port Additional accommodation expenses Journey continuation or return home Replacement driver Accidental damage to or loss of tent Urgent message-relay service Customs claims indemnity Collection of vehicle left abroad for repair Replacement vehicle Legal costs up to £50,000 cover Loss of no claims bonus
Accident cover	Additional insurance to cover costs resulting from an accident such as legal claims, transport to and from hospital.
Payment protection cover	This cover pays your regular monthly or annual breakdown insurance premiums in the event you can't pay them due to an accident, sickness or redundancy.

Once you've determined whether to insure yourself or your vehicle you need to think about the type of cover you want.

Download the Breakdown Insurance PDF Guide here - see our other free PDF guides here

Guide Contents

What is breakdown cover insurance?
Why you might need breakdown insurance
What are the different types of breakdown insurance?
Shopping around for your cheap breakdown recovery insurance
Applying for your car breakdown cover
Breakdown insurance FAQs
Where can I go to get more vehicle breakdown recovery insurance help?

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