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PERSONAL BREAKDOWN COVER

Personal breakdown cover with unlimited call-outs

Personal breakdown cover as a driver or passenger in any vehicle

Rated four and a half stars on Trustpilot

Rated Excellent by our members on Trustpilot

Why choose the AA for personal breakdown cover?

We'll rescue you if any vehicle you're in breaks down, whether you're a driver or a passenger. You can tailor your cover to your needs and budget, with as many or as few options as you need.

  • We're rated the best by UK drivers
  • We've got more dedicated patrols than anyone else
  • We get more people back on the road
Three AA Patrols stood in front of a yellow AA van

What is personal breakdown cover?

Personal breakdown cover is a type of policy that gives you help from a trained mechanic at the roadside if your car, van or motorbike breaks down. The key difference between personal breakdown cover and vehicle breakdown cover is that personal cover covers you as a driver or passenger in any vehicle. If you only ever drive one car, our vehicle breakdown cover might suit your needs better.

So, even if you're travelling as a passenger in a friend's car, you'll be able to get Roadside Assistance with personal breakdown cover.

Here are the features of personal breakdown cover:

  • As standard, you get Roadside Assistance and recovery to the nearest garage if we can't repair your vehicle on the spot
  • The option to add more people to your policy, which can work out cheaper than buying multiple individual policies
  • You can call us out if you're in someone else's car as a passenger
  • All vehicle types can be covered (including cars, motorbikes and vans) as long as they're only for personal and domestic use
  • The ability to customise your cover with optional extras so it meets your needs and budget

     

    Note that with personal breakdown cover, you're only eligible for Roadside Assistance if you're in the vehicle when it breaks down.

What types of personal breakdown cover are there?

There are 3 types of personal breakdown cover, so you can create the perfect policy for your needs. You can cover just yourself or include up to 3 other people you live with.
Cover for you
Cover for you

Personal breakdown cover for you as a driver or passenger in any vehicle.

Cover for two
Cover for two people

Joint breakdown cover for you and someone you live with, as drivers or passengers in any vehicle.

Family cover
Family cover

Breakdown cover for you and up to 3 other people you live with, as drivers or passengers in any vehicle.

How is personal breakdown cover different to vehicle breakdown cover?

With personal breakdown cover, you can call out an expert patrol for Roadside Assistance no matter which vehicle you're in. The person with the personal breakdown cover policy is the one who's covered, not the vehicle. With vehicle breakdown cover, the vehicle is covered, not the person.

You must be in the vehicle when it breaks down to be able to get Roadside Assistance if you have personal breakdown cover. In contrast, with vehicle breakdown cover you can get Roadside Assistance for a breakdown even when someone else is driving your vehicle and you're not with it at the time.

If you own 1 vehicle and multiple people drive it, then vehicle breakdown cover is an option.

For hire cars, you can still call us out for Roadside Assistance if you have personal breakdown cover, but you'll need to get permission from the hire car company first. That's because hire car companies often have their own breakdown cover arrangements for their vehicles.

How much does personal breakdown cover cost?

To get our current lowest price for personal breakdown cover, you need to select 'cover for you' when you're getting your personal breakdown cover quote. If you choose cover for two people (joint cover) or for you and up to 3 other people (family cover), the price will increase. 

Buying joint or family breakdown cover for you and others that you live with could work out cheaper than buying multiple individual policies, so it's always worth getting a quote before committing.

 

How to get a quote for personal breakdown cover

1

Tap get a quote

Then select 'cover for you', 'cover for two' or 'family cover' from the list.

2

Choose your options

Select options to customise your policy according to your needs and budget. You'll see the price update based on your selection.

3

Finalise your quote

Select whether you'd like to pay monthly or for 1 year upfront.

Other types of breakdown cover

Autumn driving

Vehicle breakdown cover

Cover for one vehicle, no matter who's behind the wheel.
Learn more
Family in car on road trip

Family breakdown cover

Cover for you and up to 3 other people you live with, in any vehicle.
Learn more
cars parked along residential street

Multi-car breakdown cover

Cover for you in any vehicle
Learn more

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Curious about what our members say? Read their genuine reviews of our breakdown cover service.

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Exclam 800black 3 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

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Good to know
1 More mobile mechanics

The AA uses a fleet of dedicated vehicles – which means we own and manage them, and they are driven 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. Sometimes we may use garages to reduce wait times, but only when necessary. We’ll always let you know in advance.

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 1,750 patrols for the second-largest provider in the UK.

Source: AA Annual Report 2023 (2,700 patrols) and RAC Class A Prospectus 2023 (1,750 patrols). Verify at theAA.com/Best

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), motorbikes, vans, motorhomes and minibuses. Your vehicle must be under 3.5 tonnes (3,500kg) and 8ft 3in (2.55m) wide, excluding mirrors. The same maximum weight and width separately apply to any caravans and trailers you’re towing. Your vehicle must also be roadworthy, taxed and have an up-to-date MOT.

About the price

Prices shown include insurance premiums payable to the insurer(s) and a fee payable under a separate contract between you and Automobile Association Insurance Services Limited (AAIS) for arranging and administering your cover. Please see the terms and conditions for more information.

AA Breakdown Cover is arranged by Automobile Association Insurance Services Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). You can check their register online. Registered office: Fanum House, Basing View, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 4EA. Registered in England and Wales number 2414212.

Am I covered for cars and motorbikes with personal breakdown cover?
Yes, as long as you're driving or travelling as a passenger in any of the vehicle types we cover, you'll be able to get Roadside Assistance.
Can I add other people to my personal breakdown cover?
Yes, you can add one other person you live with (this is known as joint breakdown cover) or you can add up to 3 other people you live with (family breakdown cover) as part of your personal breakdown cover policy. With family breakdown cover, you don't need to be related, you just need to live in the same household.
Can you get breakdown cover for a person?
Yes, this is known as personal breakdown cover.
If I'm a passenger on a motorbike am I still covered?
Yes, if you have personal breakdown cover, you're covered even if you're a passenger on another person's motorbike.
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:

  1. the policy
  2. the membership arrangement and administration contract
AA Breakdown Membership

AA Breakdown Membership Terms and Conditions Booklet – February 2024

AA Breakdown Repair Cover (Parts and Garage Cover)

AA Breakdown Repair Cover Terms and Conditions Booklet – November 2021

Member Extras

Member Extras Terms and Conditions Booklet – November 2021

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.

Am I covered in someone else’s car?

Yes. With personal breakdown cover, you’re covered in any car you drive. You’re also covered if you’re a passenger in any car.

So whether you’re travelling in your own car, a friend or family member’s or someone else’s, you can call us out if you break down.

Should I choose vehicle or personal cover?

When you buy cheap breakdown cover with us, you can choose from 2 cover levels. One covers the person and the other covers the vehicle:


Personal cover will cover you as a driver or passenger in any vehicle. You don’t need to pick a car to cover or give us your number plate. But it won’t cover other people who drive your car. And you have to be in the broken-down car to call us out.

Vehicle cover lets you choose 1 vehicle to cover on your breakdown policy. Anyone who breaks down while driving that car will be covered, even if the policyholder isn’t there.

Find out more about vehicle cover.

How do I choose the right cover?

Here are some questions to ask yourself when you’re choosing your level of breakdown cover:


  • Does my household have more than 1 car?
  • Do different family members share the same car?
  • Do I usually drive the same car or different cars?
  • Do I have children I'd like to cover as passengers?

Personal cover might be the best choice if you have more than 1 car in your household. It could also suit you if you often drive different cars or you'd like to cover your kids when they travel with other people.

If you always drive the same car, or if you share your car with other people, then vehicle cover might suit you better.

To help you choose, read our advice on how to compare breakdown cover.

What are the different types of breakdown cover?

Personal cover works if you’d like cover in multiple vehicles:

You can add more people to your personal cover as long as they live with you:

You can choose to cover 1 vehicle for anyone who drives it:

For more information about the different levels of cover, read our breakdown cover guide.

How do I find out what type of cover I have?

If you already have cover with us but can’t remember if it’s personal or vehicle, don’t worry. You can log in to your account to check your cover.

Call now to buy breakdown cover

0330 053 1100

We're open 8am to 7pm, Monday to Friday; 9am to 5pm, Saturday.

Call now

Call now to change or discuss your cover

0343 316 4444

We're open 8am to 7pm, Monday to Friday; 9am to 5pm, Saturday.

Call now