Breakdown cover provides help for you if your vehicle or a vehicle you are a passenger in were to break down when travelling. If your vehicle cannot be fixed at the roadside, the policy will usually cover the cost of towing your vehicle to the nearest garage and you may be covered for a courtesy car or onward travel, depending on the level of cover you purchase. It's possible to purchase a breakdown policy directly with a breakdown provider or alternatively, you may have breakdown cover included with your packaged bank account, your car insurance policy or if you have a car service or finance plan.
In this article, we take a look at the AA's breakdown cover including its key features, the different types of cover available and how it compares to alternative providers. We recommend that you read the review in full, however, you can jump to specific sections of the article using the following links:
The Automobile Association (AA) was founded in 1905 by a group of motoring enthusiasts and has since expanded to over 14 million members to become the UK's largest motoring organisation. The AA is probably best known for its breakdown cover but it also offers a range of additional services such as vehicle insurance, home insurance, finance products and lifestyle plans.
The AA offers four types of breakdown cover for a range of non-commercial vehicles; Cover for you, Cover for two people, Family cover and Vehicle cover. The differences between the cover types are shown below:
AA breakdown cover provides 'emergency assistance when a vehicle suffers a sudden or unexpected mechanical or electrical fault that prevents it from being driven or continuing a journey safely'. It does not cover any problems with your vehicle that are not an emergency or for routine servicing or care of your vehicle. In order to be covered under an AA breakdown cover policy you will need to ensure that your vehicle is safe and roadworthy and is taxed, insured and has a valid MOT certificate.
If you have a recurrent problem with your vehicle (e.g. a problem within 28 days of the AA attending) you will not be covered under the breakdown policy, unless you can provide sufficient evidence that a permanent repair was made to the vehicle following the AA's attendance. If your vehicle also had a pre-existing problem before you took out cover, you may not be covered.
Roadside assistance is included as standard with any AA breakdown policy which provides cover if your vehicle breaks down 1/4 mile from your home. AA breakdown cover can then be tailored based on your personal preference, with the following extras:
Get replacement or spare keys if your car keys are lost, broken or stolen. You can get AA's Key Assist even if you are a non-AA member and a new key can be cut or replaced within around 40 minutes. Gold AA members can get free key insurance up to £1,500 with their membership but the cover will need to be activated in order for it to be valid. Other AA members and non-AA members will need to contact the AA for a quote.
The AA's Fuel Assist cover will help if you have put the wrong type of fuel in your vehicle by draining the fuel tank and adding in a suitable amount of the correct fuel for you to continue your journey. This service is available for both AA and non-AA members and a quote can be provided for the service over the phone. Existing AA members can save 10% on Fuel Assist.
If your vehicle's battery needs replacing you can arrange for the AA to attend and replace it with a brand new battery that comes with a 5-year warranty. You can get a quote online and book the replacement on a date and time that suits you as well as at a location of your choice. How much you will pay for this service varies depending on the battery required for your vehicle plus the cost of fitting a new battery and replacing the old one. AA members with At Home cover will not have to pay a battery fitting fee, AA members without At Home cover will need to pay £10 and non-AA members will need to pay £35. This cost doesn't cover the cost of the battery.
Get breakdown cover for driving in over 40 countries across Europe and cover for vehicles of any age including cars, vans, motorcycles, campervans and caravans. The AA's European breakdown covers alternative accommodation and travel arrangements, recovery of your vehicle back to the UK, and up to £50,000 in legal costs but it must be purchased prior to travelling abroad. Existing AA members can get a 10% discount.
Below, we provide examples of the cost of AA breakdown cover. We have compared the cost of different packages with the different policy add-ons. The actual price you pay is likely to vary and the cost of parts and garage cover will vary depending on the age and type of vehicle that you own.
The AA also sometimes offers discounts on various policies where you can save up to 40% of the cost of your add-ons. However, the quotes below are reflective of the price you would pay if there weren't discounts available when you took your policy out.
| Package 1 | Package 2 | Package 3 | Package 4 | Package 5 | |
| Unlimited call outs | |||||
| Roadside assistance | |||||
| At Home |  | ||||
| National Recovery | | | |||
| Onward travel | | | | ||
| Parts and garage | | | | | |
| Monthly policy cost | £7.50 | £10.15 | £13.58 | £16.78 | £35.35^ |
^Cost varies depending on the car number plate provided. Costs correct as of 24/06/2024.
| Package 1 | Package 2 | Package 3 | Package 4 | Package 5 | |
| Unlimited call outs | |||||
| Roadside assistance | |||||
| At Home | | ||||
| National Recovery | | | |||
| Onward travel | | | | ||
| Parts and garage | | | | | |
| Monthly policy cost | £12.40 | £14.38 | £19.46 | £22.84 | £35.52^ |
^Cost varies depending on the car number plate provided. Costs correct as of 24/06/2024.
| Package 1 | Package 2 | Package 3 | Package 4 | Package 5 | |
| Unlimited call outs | |||||
| Roadside assistance | |||||
| At Home | | ||||
| National Recovery | | | |||
| Onward travel | | | | ||
| Parts and garage | | | | | |
| Monthly policy cost | £18.90 | £19.46 | £26.65 | £30.60 | £43.28^ |
^Cost varies depending on the car number plate provided. Costs correct as of 24/06/2024.
| Package 1 | Package 2 | Package 3 | Package 4 | Package 5 | |
| Unlimited call outs | |||||
| Roadside assistance | |||||
| At Home | | ||||
| National Recovery | | | |||
| Onward travel | | | | ||
| Parts and garage | | | | | |
| Monthly policy cost | £7.50 | £10.14 | £13.58 | £16.78 | £29.46^ |
^Cost varies depending on the car number plate provided. Costs correct as of 24/06/2024.
Anyone can use the AA if they have broken down, even if they are not an existing AA member, however, those that need immediate help and are not an existing AA member will likely have to pay more. If you have broken down and are not an existing AA member but need instant help, you can call the AA on 03330 046 046.
If you are an existing member and have broken down you can call the AA on 03330 046 046 or report a breakdown via the AA app which also allows you to track the mechanic when they are on their way to you.
If you break down on the side of the road, follow these steps:
Call the emergency services at any time if you feel that you are unsafe and need emergency assistance.
It may be possible to get help from the AA if you are involved in an accident. Existing AA members can get Accident Assist as a complementary 24/7 service and you can choose to have the AA deal with your insurance claim instead of your insurer. The AA can act on your behalf no matter who insures your vehicle or who was at fault for the accident. Some of the benefits of Accident Assist can be found below:
AA breakdown cover is rated as 'Great' by independent customer review website Trustpilot scoring 4.5 out of 5.0 stars from over 86,000 reviews. 74% of reviewers have rated it as Excellent citing great customer service, knowledgable mechanics, quick response times and a stress-free breakdown experience. 13% rated it as Bad citing high renewal quotes, delays in breakdown response and breakdowns being passed to third-party responders.
Beklow, we compare the AA's breakdown cover to alternative breakdown cover providers RAC and Green Flag. We compare each of the provider's basic breakdown policies in the table but you may benefit from additional extras with enhanced cover. The policy cost is based on single-vehicle cover.
| The AA Basic | RAC Basic | Green Flag Basic | |
| Vehicle breakdown cover | |||
| Call outs | Unlimited (limits may apply) | 5 | Unlimited (limits may apply) |
| Roadside assistance | |||
| Tow to a local garage | |||
| Free car health check | | | |
| Annual cost (not including offers) | £85 | £74.24 | £39.20^ |
^Cost varies depending on vehicle make and model, this quote is based on a 2015 plate Kia Picanto and could therefore be more or less depending on your vehicle. Quote correct as of 24/06/2024
The AA has a generous choice of breakdown cover options and allows members to choose between a range of covers to ensure they are fully protected in the event of a breakdown in both the UK and Europe. AA members can choose to report a breakdown over the telephone or via the AA app which also includes a route planner, traffic updates and the location of charging stations for electric vehicles. AA has a range of cover levels to suit all budgets and you can ensure you are covered whether you are driving or simply just a passenger in a vehicle.
If you choose to take out a breakdown policy with the AA you can also qualify for a number of member discounts and rewards such as money off airport parking, car hire and discounts at a number of restaurants. As with all policies, it is best to shop around to ensure you are getting the best value for money for the services you require.
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