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Saquib I

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Review of the RAC, Breakdown cover:

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RAC breakdown cover failed us when we needed it

RAC supplied and fitted a replacement battery to our company vehicle in February 2023 for £192.49, with a five-year warranty. In September 2026, the vehicle failed to start. RAC attended and recorded a battery voltage of just 5.70V and cold-cranking performance of 465A against its original 800A rating. Despite this, the patrol classified the battery as serviceable and jump-started the vehicle. Crucially, the patrol's diagnostic report instructed that the battery required recharging using an external charger. This instruction was never communicated to us, nor were we provided with the report. Three days later, the vehicle failed to start again. RAC demanded an additional £85 to dispatch a patrol, claiming the previously identified problem had not been rectified. How could we follow corrective instructions we had never been given? RAC offered recovery instead, but with an estimated wait of up to nine hours. Rather than send a patrol for a straightforward jump-start, RAC's policy appeared to favour a potentially more expensive recovery that would leave us stranded for hours. We declined to wait and arranged our own rescue. RAC subsequently refused to replace the battery under its five-year warranty because it had discharged below 11.9V. We questioned whether an underlying battery defect could itself have caused the discharge, particularly as RAC had not established the battery's remaining reserve capacity. RAC's final written response stated: "Our warranty policy is clear that batteries found in a fully discharged state are not eligible for replacement, regardless of the cause." In other words, RAC's position is that even if a battery defect caused the discharge, the resulting discharge would invalidate the warranty. On 15 October, following a charging cycle using a quality Victron intelligent battery charger and an overnight period disconnected from the vehicle, we drove approximately 10 minutes to Kwik Fit for an independent assessment. Their equipment reported: • Battery state of health: 56% • Cold-cranking performance: 448A (originally 800A) • State of charge: 34% • Battery voltage: 12.11V Given these results and the repeated breakdowns, we replaced the battery at our own expense. Despite our complaint, RAC maintained its warranty refusal. It acknowledged our concerns about the failure to communicate essential instructions and promised to review its procedures, but offered no remedy. RAC also stated that no further internal or external escalation routes were available. Most people purchase breakdown cover for peace of mind, trusting they will not be left stranded. Yet RAC demanded an additional £85 for a patrol because we had not followed instructions they had never communicated, offering instead a recovery service with an estimated wait of up to nine hours. We were effectively left without timely assistance for a straightforward starting problem. This experience has destroyed our confidence not only in RAC's battery warranty and complaints process, but, more importantly, in its breakdown cover. What value is the reassurance of breakdown cover if you cannot rely on it when you need it most? I would urge prospective customers to examine RAC's terms carefully, particularly how its battery warranty exclusions and repeat-attendance charges are applied in practice. Reviewed on: 16th October 2026

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