About our breakdown cover
There are a number of reasons to join The AA. Watch below and see how you can build the perfect cover for you.
Breakdown cover
Welcome
Thanks for accepting our invite to join the AA
We fix 8/10 cars at the roadside
More mobile mechanics than any other UK breakdown service1
Members rate us 4.4/5
Read our reviews
What is breakdown cover?
24/7 roadside assistance – we’ll help you if your car breaks down.
We'll try to fix it at the roadside, but if we can't we'll take you and your car to the nearest garage.
Just tap the app to call us out – you can even track your mechanic right to your side.
Add options
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At Home – we'll come straight to your doorstep
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National Recovery – we’ll take you and your vehicle wherever you need to be
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Onward Travel –we’ll help out with alternative travel arrangements
We offer:
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Personal cover – for you in any vehicle
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Vehicle cover – for your car, whoever is driving
Call us out as many times as you need to2
Vehicles we cover3
Cars
Camper vans
Caravans
Motorcycles
Towing
Vans
Just so you know, you should have reached this page by following our link. If you weren't given this address by a uniformed AA patrol, then please don't use this page. Instead please visit our breakdown page where you can find out more about our cover.
Broken down now?
Don't buy online – call us 24/7 for instant cover: 03330 046 046
Don't buy online – call us 24/7 for instant cover: 03330 046 046
Good to know
There are a number of benefits with your AA Membership, as well as our award winning breakdown cover. From discounts on dinners, savings at services or money off major attractions, there's plenty of benefits to choose from. They include:
- Discounts on tyres from the AA
- 50% off your MOT test
- 20% off selected car parts at National
- Up to 20% off selected pubs and restaurants
- Other travel savings and cheap deals
Find out more about our Member benefits to see how you could save.
1 More mobile mechanics
The AA uses a fleet of dedicated vehicles – which means we own them and manage all their dispatches, and they are staffed by our own patrols. These include breakdown vans, recovery trucks and other specialist vehicles to support a wide range of breakdown situations our members find themselves in.
We have more highly skilled mobile mechanics than anyone else. And they’re all absolutely lovely. The AA is the largest UK breakdown provider, with over 2,700 patrols compared to around 1,600 patrols for the second-largest provider in the UK.
Source: AA Staff List (2,714, May 2021) and RAC website (1,600, May 2021).
2 Unlimited call-outs
Repeat call-outs for the same fault, within 28 days, will not be covered.
3 What vehicles do we cover?
Our breakdown cover includes most cars of any age (including classic cars), vans, motorbikes, caravans, and campervans. Your vehicle must be under 3.5 tonnes and 8ft 3in (2.55m) wide.
Policy documents
Our breakdown cover policy documents give you the terms and conditions of the contracts that make up AA Breakdown Membership and AA Breakdown Repair Cover (Parts and Garage Cover).
They are split into two parts:
- the policy
- the membership arrangement and administration contract
AA Breakdown Membership
The current version below applies to cover bought or renewed on or after 18 September 2019:
AA Breakdown Membership Terms and Conditions Booklet – September 2019
AA Breakdown Repair Cover (Parts and Garage Cover)
The current version below applies to cover bought or renewed on or after 18 September 2019:
AA Breakdown Repair Cover Terms and Conditions Booklet – September 2019
Member Extras
This applies to cover bought on or after 20 April 2018:
Member Extras Terms and Conditions Booklet – April 2018
What is car breakdown cover?
A breakdown cover policy covers you for roadside repairs if your vehicle breaks down while you’re out and about.
Most breakdown cover companies will offer roadside assistance as a minimum. This means a trained mechanic will come to fix your car if it breaks down on the road. If it can’t be fixed, it’ll be towed to a nearby garage.
Larger breakdown companies manage a fleet of vans and recovery trucks, with their own staff of expert mechanics. Smaller providers tend to use third-party garages and recovery operators to provide a breakdown service.
Some policies offer unlimited callouts a year, while others might limit the number of times you can call for help at the roadside.
You can often opt to add extras to your cover such as recovery to a location of your choice, alternative transport and help with garage repair bills.
Breakdown cover isn’t a legal requirement, but it can make your life easier and take away the hassle of car trouble when you’re out and about.
Breaking down without cover can be an expensive business, particularly if you’re far from home – so buying cover normally works out cheaper than joining at the roadside.
Find out more on what to do if you break downWhy choose our breakdown cover?
We’re all dependent on our car to take the kids to school, get us to work, run errands or visit friends and family. So when it goes wrong, it can derail your whole day.
As the UK's largest breakdown company, we rescue someone every 10 seconds.
We get to most of our customers in under an hour – and we give priority to people in vulnerable situations.
We’ve got you covered if your car, motorbike or caravan breaks down and needs repairing by the roadside. Our brilliant mobile mechanics get 8 out of 10 cars back on the road (that’s a 78.2% fix rate by one of our mechanics, average from September 2019 – August 2020). If your vehicle needs extra work done, they’ll tow it to a nearby garage, as standard.
We've been awarded 5 stars by independent research company Defaqto, for our features and benefits.
Find out more on how our cover works
What are the different types of breakdown cover?
Our standard, starting level of cover is available once you're more than ¼ mile away from home. We’ll help you any time of day or night in the UK, and if we can’t fix your vehicle by the roadside, we’ll tow you to a local garage for repair.
You can cover just your vehicle, or you can choose to cover yourself and up to 3 other people in any vehicle you’re travelling in:
Vehicle cover – cover for one single vehicle in your household, no matter who’s driving it. Great if you’re sharing a car with friends or family.
Personal cover – cover for you as a passenger or driver in any vehicle. Perfect if you own, borrow or regularly travel in more than one vehicle.
If you live with others who also need cover as a driver or passenger in any car, you can opt for a policy the covers them too. Choose cover for 2 people (joint policy for you and one other person), or family cover (you and up to 3 other people in your household).
If you add any of our optional extras to your cover, we’ll also help you carry on your journey (Onward Travel), take you, your passengers and vehicle to any UK destination (National Recovery) or come to your doorstep (cover At Home), if you have trouble starting the car at home.
We also offer European breakdown cover.
FAQs
How does breakdown cover work?
Our breakdown cover will activate 24 hours after purchase. You can also to choose to buy cover that starts up to 2 months later.
If your car breaks down, we’ll come to your rescue anywhere in the UK. Call us right away, or use our app to report your breakdown, pinpoint your location and track our arrival.
And there are several extras you can add on to make sure your cover suits your needs and budget:
National Recovery – if you and your passengers need to be taken home
At Home – we come to you if your car breaks down within 1/4 of a mile of home. And we’ll arrange a time that’s best for you.
Onward Travel – we’ll get you and up to 7 passengers where you need to be, up to 3 times a year, with:
- 72 hours' car hire to get you where you want to go
- Or, an overnight stay in a hotel
- Or, money towards public transport costs to help you finish your journey
Parts and Garage Cover – if your vehicle needs parts or garage work, we’ll be there to help out with your repair bills, so you can:
- Claim up to £535, including VAT (with a £35 excess) towards expenses if your vehicle needs parts or garage work after we’ve tried to fix it at the roadside
- Make up to 5 claims a year (6, if you cover more than 1 vehicle on a joint or family policy)
- Cover up to 4 vehicles on 1 policy
If you opt for National Recovery, At Home or Onward Travel, you’ll be able to use them 24 hours after you buy. And, if you add Parts and Garage Cover, you can only get help with bills for breakdowns that happen after the first 14 days of your cover.
If you need help deciding on your level of cover, you can compare breakdown cover here.
Just so you know, you can’t buy cover online if you’ve already broken down. If you need to buy cover at the roadside, call us on 0800 88 77 66. Repeat call-outs for the same fault will not be covered, your call-out levels may affect future renewals, and Parts and Garage Cover cannot be used to claim for pre-existing faults.
Does breakdown cover include repairs?
Our mechanics will do everything they can to get you back on the road. And our cover includes up to £5 worth of parts for roadside repairs.
If we can’t get you going again, we’ll tow you to a nearby garage, where you'll need to cover the cost of any repair work.
If you add Parts and Garage Cover, we’ll help cover the costs of garage repairs, which might work out cheaper.
We can’t be called out for routine maintenance or running repairs.
Does breakdown cover include accidents?
If you’re a Member with us, we can help you at the scene of a road traffic accident with our Accident Assist service.
Once we’ve had the all-clear from any emergency services, we’ll do our best to make repairs to your vehicle so it’s safe to drive away from the scene. If that’s not possible, we’ll tow it to a nearby garage.
If you’re not at fault, we can also refer you to our partner Claimfast for vehicle repair and car hire, and introduce you to our personal injury solicitors. We’ll also be on hand for post-accident support and advice.
Our Accident Response services aren’t available to anyone who’s not a Member with us. If you’re not a Member, you’ll need to call your insurer for help.
Find out more on what to do if you’ve been in an accident.
What do I do if my car breaks down?
First of all, make sure you’re in a safe place. Move your vehicle off the road if possible, or pull up onto the hard shoulder if you’re on the motorway.
Stay well away from moving traffic – it’s usually safest to get out of your car (using the doors facing away from passing traffic) and wait behind a barrier.
Put your hazard warning lights on and wear a reflective jacket, if you have one.
Once you’re safe, give us a call on 0800 88 77 66. We’ll come and rescue you, even if you’re not a Member yet.
If you’re already with us, you can also report a breakdown and pinpoint your location using our app. It's the fastest way to ask us for help and track our arrival.
Find out more on what to do if your car breaks down.
Do I have breakdown cover?
You may already have courtesy cover through your bank account or car manufacturer – if you’re not sure, it’s always best to check before buying cover.
What's AA membership?
Along with cheap breakdown cover, membership gives you extra perks such as restaurant deals and offers on car hire, added incentives the longer you're with us, and discounts on our other services.
Are there any restrictions on the vehicles you cover?
We’ll cover anything, as long as it's less than 3.5 tonnes (3,500kg) and no wider than 8ft 3in (2.55m). That’s including any caravans and trailers you’re towing.
This is to make sure our vehicles and equipment can recover your vehicle, if necessary.
It doesn’t matter how old it is or mileage. However, if they're used for work – such as taxis, limos or delivery vehicles – we can't offer the optional Parts and Garage Cover.
Do you offer business breakdown cover?
Yes - if you use your vehicle for work, we can help. Whether you have one vehicle or a whole fleet, we've got you covered with business breakdown cover.
We cover cars, vans, minibuses, taxis and more specialist vehicles.
Is my pet covered if my car breaks down?
We do our best to welcome pets wherever possible. If we can't take your pet, we'll do what we can to help get them home.
We recommend you use suitable travel carriers for your pet or restraints that you can use on any vehicle – so we can take your pet where they need to go safely.
Find out more on what happens to your pets when you break down?
Will family cover still apply to students away from home?
Yes – if you have drivers in your household living away from home at university or a temporary address in the UK, they're still covered.
Will my UK cover work in the Republic of Ireland?
No, not under UK membership. However, our partners at AA Ireland will help you with the same level of service (apart from Parts and Garage Cover), if your car breaks down there.
If you'd like additional cover while travelling to the Republic of Ireland, our European breakdown cover offers emergency travel and accommodation costs, legal protection and more.
What should I do if I buy a new vehicle?
You only need to let us know if you have vehicle cover. Tell us as soon as you can, so we can update your membership details – and check your new vehicle is eligible (Ts&Cs apply). Once you've updated us, you’ll be covered in 24 hours.
I'm a Blue Badge holder – how can I register my needs and get more information?
Our Disability Helpline is free to Members and provides information about helping you drive in the UK and overseas. You can register your special requirements, which will help us tailor our breakdown services to you.
For instance, if you're a wheelchair user and hold breakdown cover with National Recovery, you might need our Onward Mobility Network of accessible vehicles, so you'll be able to travel in comfort and safety if we're taking your vehicle home.
Call our free helpline on 0800 26 20 50.
If you need information in large print, audio or Braille, just ask – you can email our customer services team at [email protected], or let us know when you call our helpline.
If you’ve broken down, you can text us on:
07860 027 999
To use the Next Generation Texting Service (NGTS – formerly known as Text Relay), just add 18001 at the start of any of our numbers.
What does the Which? endorsement mean?
The AA has been the top rated Which? recommended provider for third-party breakdown for 2 years running and endorsed as a Which? recommended provider since 2018. The Which? recommended provider endorsement is only awarded to companies that score highly in their category and based on Which?’s assessment benchmarks, plus customer scores and star ratings gathered through their regular surveys.
How do you use my data?
To find out how we use your data, please read our website privacy notice and our specific roadside product privacy notice.
For more information, there's also our cookie policy and website terms and conditions.
Paying for your cover
How can I pay?
There are 3 ways to do this – annually by card or direct debit, or monthly by direct debit.
If you pay annually, you’ll pay up front for a fixed 12-month policy and the overall price for a year will be lower than 12 monthly payments. There’s no refund if you cancel after your 14-day cooling-off period though. You can choose how your policy renews when you set up your cover.
If you pay monthly, your account will be debited every month until your policy is cancelled. This gives you the convenience of paying per month, together with the flexibility of being able to cancel your cover at any time. After the 14-day cooling-off period, you'll just need to give us 30 days' notice.
Is my online payment secure?
Yes – we use the highest form of encryption available, to make sure your payment is safe.
Our secure-server software scrambles all the details you enter before they’re sent, so that only we can understand them.
Can I change my level of cover after I've bought it?
We'll write to you well in advance of your renewal, but if you'd like to talk to someone about renewing or changing your cover now, call us on 0343 316 4444.
Lines are open 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday; 9am to 5pm, Saturday.
Can I buy breakdown cover for someone else?
If you want to arrange personal cover for someone else, call us on 0330 053 1100. However, if you want to cover a specific vehicle you can buy vehicle cover online.