Breaking down can be a very negative experience in more ways than one. To avoid being stranded on the road with the burden of a broken car, you need to opt for a breakdown cover policy.

Breakdown cover

Breakdown cover will vary depending on your insurance policy and can provide anything from basic roadside assistance to vehicle recovery and onward travel. If you drive on a regular basis, it’s vital that you know your options and how they can work for you.

Types of breakdown cover

Personal

Personal breakdown cover will protect you as an individual in any vehicle that meets the agreed specification of your policy. This kind of cover enables you to claim as the driver or passenger of a broken-down car and (depending on the policy) may also cover people that live at the same address.

Vehicle

Vehicle breakdown cover will allow you to claim for the specific vehicle outlined in your policy, regardless of who’s driving it.

Levels of breakdown cover

Once you’ve decided on the type of breakdown cover you want, you have to choose the level of cover.

Roadside assistance

This usually comes as standard when you take out breakdown cover and means that a breakdown team will come to your location and aim to get you back on the road again. If they can’t fix your car on the roadside, they will tow it to the nearest garage.

Vehicle recovery

In the event that your car can’t be fixed, vehicle recovery enables you and your vehicle to be taken by the breakdown team to a destination of your choosing. This is especially advantageous if you are a long way from home and have no other way to get back.

Home breakdown

If your car won’t start at home, this enables you to get a breakdown team sent to your home to fix it. This is more common than you might think, with flat batteries causing a lot of cases.

Onward travel

This kind of cover enables you to complete the journey that you were on when you broke down if your car can’t be fixed. Onward travel cover has a number of options attached to it, including a courtesy car, overnight hotel accommodation or public transport.

Optional extras

Once you’ve selected the main options to your breakdown cover, there are also optional extras you can add on.

  • Multi-car can cover multiple cars and/or drivers that live at the same address
  • European breakdown cover will cover you when you’re abroad
  • Key replacement in the event that they are lost, damaged or broken
  • Battery replacement with no service fee
  • Tyre replacement
  • Wrong fuel cover, in the event that you have mistakenly re-filled with the wrong fuel

If you drive regularly, it’s important to get breakdown cover. Being stranded on the roadside is inconvenient and potentially dangerous. We hope our complete guide will help you to understand your options and choose the best option for you.

My Credit Rating

Excellent

  • You are a home owner
  • You have been on the electoral role for a long period of time
  • You have current credit arrangements and mortgage with no defaults
  • You have no CCJs, credit arrears or missed payments
  • You rarely apply for credit
  • You are employed or self-employed

Good

  • You are on the electoral role
  • You are a home owner or long standing tenant
  • You have a stable employment history
  • You have current credit arrangements with occasional missed payments
  • You have no CCJs

Fair

  • You are or have recently been on the electoral role
  • You may have recently changed address
  • You may have occasional missed payments
  • You may have an old CCJ
  • You may have regularly applied for credit

Poor

  • You may have had frequent changes in address
  • You may not be traceable on the voters roll
  • You may have exceeded credit card limits
  • You may have missed payments on current agreements
  • You may have had a CCJ in the past

Bad

  • You may not be traceable on the voters roll
  • Your credit cards are over their limits
  • You have recent CCJs
  • You may have been refused credit elsewhere
  • You may be in a debt management plan
£

X monthly repayments of
£X

Typical rate

Loan amount

Total payable

X% APR*

£X

£X

*for illustration purposes only

No impact on your credit score*

Representative Example

Borrowing £7,500 at a representative APR of 12.4%, annual interest rate (fixed) 12.36%, 47 monthly payments of £196.44 followed by 1 payment of £206.44 (incl. estimated £10 option to purchase fee), a deposit of £0.00, total cost of credit is £1,939.12, total amount payable is £9,439.12.

Evolution Funding Limited, trading as My Car Credit, is a credit broker and not a lender.

Please ensure you can afford the repayments for the duration of the loan before entering into a credit agreement.

*Initial application is a soft search. Should you progress, some lenders may perform a hard search on your credit file.

Require more help?

Got a question you can’t find the answer to, or need some advice and guidance around taking out car finance? Our Car Credit Specialists are friendly, experienced, and here to help so get in touch today!