Compare National Recovery Breakdown Cover

What is national recovery breakdown cover?

National recovery is one of the more comprehensive levels of breakdown cover available. It offers more advanced protection than basic roadside assistance as you can choose to have you, your passengers, and your vehicle taken to any destination in the UK, not just the nearest garage.

Different providers may call this type of policy different names, such as relay or UK recovery, but essentially it allows you to get to where you want to be after breaking down.

What does national recovery usually cover?

National recovery policies will typically cover the cost of taking you, your vehicle, and any passengers home, or to another location, if your vehicle can’t be fixed by the side of the road.

This is in contrast to the more basic cover offered by roadside assistance, in which the provider will only take you to a local garage within a certain radius of the breakdown.

Taking out national recovery breakdown cover in advance means you can call for assistance if your vehicle stops working. Whether it’s a problem with the battery, engine, tyres or something else, you can contact your provider at any time of the day or night to send a mechanic to your vehicle.

Bear in mind that national recovery cover comes with various exclusions. You typically won’t be covered if any of the following apply:

• You exceed the limit on the number of call-outs you can make.
• You make repeated call-outs for the same problem.
• Your vehicle breaks down at home, or close to home. You may need to take out specialist home start cover if you want this protection.
• You call about an issue that isn’t immediately serious, such as a chip in the windscreen or a faulty light.
• Your vehicle, and any trailers or caravans you might be towing, don’t meet any size or age restrictions.
• You use your vehicle for any restricted purposes. For example, you may not be eligible for cover if you use your vehicle for racing or commercial activities.

Furthermore, you may not be covered, or only have limited cover, if you need to claim on your breakdown policy in the first 24 hours after taking it out.

» MORE: What does breakdown cover include?

Is national recovery breakdown cover worth it?

National recovery cover isn’t for everyone, and you should take time to consider whether you are likely to need its services before opting for this level of policy.

If you often make long journeys, then national recovery might benefit you as you would be able to return home or go to another UK destination of your choice. For example, if you break down while hours away from home, you might welcome a service that takes you and your family to your home address, while towing your vehicle to a garage near to where you live.

If you have an older vehicle, you may want to consider national recovery as you could be more at risk of breaking down mid-journey.

However, bear in mind that national recovery won’t normally cover the cost of any alternative arrangements while your vehicle is out of action – for example, taxi or car rental costs. You would typically need a more comprehensive policy called onward travel if you wanted this extra cover.

If you mainly use your vehicle for local journeys, you may find that you have little need for national recovery. Basic roadside assistance means you can call for a mechanic and get a tow to a local garage, if necessary, which may be sufficient for your driving habits.

» MORE: Do I need breakdown cover?

What are the pros and cons of national recovery?

There are a number of advantages to national recovery breakdown cover, including:

• You can get taken back home or to a destination of your choice, not just the nearest garage.
• You can call for assistance 24/7, so you won’t be left to arrange recovery yourself.
• It’s not the most expensive type of breakdown cover.

However, national recovery breakdown does have some disadvantages, such as:

• It costs more than standard roadside assistance.
• It may not always cover you if you break down at home.
• You won’t get any replacement transport or accommodation if your vehicle needs to stay in the garage.

How do I get national recovery breakdown cover?

When you apply for national recovery breakdown, you will be asked to confirm the level of cover you want and if you want to add any extra cover to your policy. For example, providers may give you the option of including home start cover, parts and labour cover and tyre replacement in your policy.

You will also need to decide if you want a policy that will cover you (the driver) or the vehicle.

Once you have chosen your policy, you will need to input your personal details including your name, address, contact information and date of birth. You may also need to tell the provider your vehicle’s number plate if you selected vehicle-based cover.

You will then need to pay for your cover. Providers will usually offer several payment options, including paying upfront or in instalments for annual cover, or paying for cover monthly on a rolling basis.

How to choose the best national recovery breakdown cover for me?

When you’re choosing breakdown cover, it’s important you consider your driving habits and what level of cover best fits your situation. Whether you decide to buy national recovery or another type of breakdown cover, you should think about:

• If you want personal-based cover or vehicle-based cover.
• If you want cover if your car breaks down at home.
• If you want to add extra cover to your policy.
• How you want to pay for your policy.

You can use our comparison table to look at different policies and their features to help you find the right cover for you.

National Recovery Breakdown cover FAQ