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RAC: Breakdown cover reviews

Name: Breakdown cover
Rating: 1.88 (208 reviews)

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1.88

Based on 208 reviews, last reviewed 29th Jun 2026

100% decrease in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

8% decrease in 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

12%

80%

Latest highest rating:

5

Very positive Renewal Experiece. I recently renewed my R.A.C. Breakdown Cover. The RAC Call Taker was called Ezan based at Bristol R.A.C. Office. Ezan was one of the best Call Takers ... Read more Reviewed on: 25th March 2026

Latest lowest rating:

1

Terrible experience with RAC today. Terrible experience with RAC today. The mechanic they sent was careless and almost caused severe damage to my engine. I couldn't trust them to finish ... Read more Reviewed on: 29th June 2026

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About this product

RAC breakdown cover is available in three levels – Basic, Standard and Extra.

RAC claim to get to most breakdowns in 60 mins or less and say that patrols fix 4/5 breakdowns on the spot. In the myRAC app you can get savings on fuel and tyres. Options are available for vehicle cover, personal cover and family cover.

RAC breakdown cover reviews help you find out what it’s really like to be a customer. If you’ve used RAC before, you can also leave a review and share your experience.

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RAC Breakdown cover reviews (208)

Terrible experience with RAC today.

Terrible experience with RAC today. The mechanic they sent was careless and almost caused severe damage to my engine. I couldn't trust them to finish the job safely, so I had to call out a different mechanic out of pocket. Instead of giving me peace of mind, RAC just caused me extra expense and a massive amount of stress. Avoid at all costs. Reviewed on: 29th June 2026

My experience with RAC was incredibly frustrating fr...

My experience with RAC was incredibly frustrating from start to finish. On 29 April, an engine warning light appeared and the engine began rattling and running unevenly. An RAC mobile mechanic attended and advised that the vehicle was still safe to drive. I booked a service for 1 May, during which the warning light was cleared, but it returned during a journey to Nottingham later that day. On 3 May, a drivetrain warning light appeared and the vehicle entered limp mode. A second mechanic attended on 4 May and identified nine fault codes relating to the VANOS solenoid. Recovery was arranged for the following morning. This is where the real problems started. Recovery was booked for between 07:30 and 08:00 on 5 May, but nobody arrived. Throughout the day I was given multiple revised ETAs, promised callbacks that never happened, and no clear explanation as to why the recovery kept being delayed. By the evening I was told a third-party contractor would attend the following day. The next morning, a tow truck arrived unexpectedly at around 7am with no prior notification. As I was asleep, the driver left and I was told I would have to rebook. After rebooking, I was given another collection time, only to discover later that the recovery had been cancelled without anyone informing me. Again, nobody could explain why. After two days of chasing updates, waiting at home, and repeatedly contacting RAC for information, the vehicle was finally collected at 4:53pm on 6 May. Even the recovery driver questioned why the vehicle was being taken into storage rather than directly home and described the process as "lazy". I am also concerned about the advice I received from the first RAC mechanic. When the engine warning light first appeared and the vehicle was running poorly, I was advised that it remained safe to drive. A few days later, after the vehicle entered limp mode, a second mechanic identified nine faults relating to the VANOS solenoid and recovery was arranged. The vehicle has since required repairs costing approximately £5,500. While I cannot say with certainty whether earlier diagnosis or recovery would have altered the outcome, it is difficult not to question whether the advice that the vehicle was safe to continue driving contributed to the situation becoming significantly worse. What disappointed me most was RAC's response to my complaint. After detailing the delays, missed appointments, poor communication, financial losses, and concerns about the initial advice I was given, the complaint was largely dismissed. RAC refused to reimburse even basic expenses such as meals purchased while I was effectively stranded waiting for recovery over two days. I appreciate that delays can happen, but the repeated missed ETAs, lack of communication, unexplained cancellation of recovery, and dismissive handling of my complaint fell far below the standard of service I expected. Based on this experience, I would have serious reservations about relying on RAC in the future. Reviewed on: 25th June 2026

Broke down on M25 they said my car wasn’t taxed .

Broke down on M25 they said my car wasn’t taxed . I had forgotten to renew it only ten days out . Did it on the side of motor way but they refused to come . Just left us there with hardly any phone battery left . Terrible Reviewed on: 16th June 2026

Cold, Dark, and Forgotten: How RAC Left Me Stranded

I have been a loyal RAC customer for more than 10 years and, until now, I had never needed to call for help. Sadly, when I finally did, I was completely let down. On 19th May, my car broke down on a road near Bath. I waited over 4 hours for the first patrol to arrive. After inspecting the vehicle, I was told I needed a flatbed recovery truck and that it would arrive within 90 minutes. I trusted them and waited. Hours passed. Another patrol arrived later and again reassured me that the flatbed was “on the way.” I repeatedly called RAC and every time I was given the same promises and reassurances. Meanwhile, it became dark, cold, and rainy. I am almost 70 years old and was left stranded on the roadside for more than 8 hours with no real help arriving. What made the situation even more dangerous was that my lights were no longer working, yet the patrol did not even attempt to fix or recharge the battery so I could at least use my hazard warning lights while waiting in the dark. By 10:30 at night, RAC suddenly told me a private contractor would come instead. No one came. Eventually, exhausted, freezing cold, and deeply distressed, I had no choice but to leave my car on the roadside and somehow make my own way home. RAC promised again late night the recovery will come tomorrow between 7am and midday. Once again, nobody arrived. After more waiting and more broken promises, I finally had to arrange and pay privately for a flatbed truck to take my car to a garage. What hurt most was not just the delay — breakdowns can happen — but the complete lack of honesty, compassion, accountability, and care shown throughout the ordeal. I only needed RAC once in over a decade of membership, and when I truly needed support, they abandoned me. I am sharing this as a warning for others, especially elderly drivers and vulnerable people. Please think carefully before trusting a company that can leave someone stranded for more than a day with empty promises and no concern for their safety or wellbeing. Reviewed on: 21st May 2026

Shambolic company of lying thieves.

Shambolic company of lying thieves. My car broke down and I called them. I was told their system was down and they won’t do anything. No one has ever arrived. When I complained they blatantly lied that a patrol attended. Not only that, they even say that my policy does not cover recovery which is another lie because my policy booklet states the exact opposite. Reviewed on: 20th May 2026

Waited two days for RAC to recover my vehicle.

Waited two days for RAC to recover my vehicle. Unbelievably incompetent. Promised vouchers for food but didn't pay. Lost two days waiting by the vehicle. I can't put into words how crap they are. Reviewed on: 20th May 2026

Absolutely shocking service!

Absolutely shocking service!!! Was paying over £30 per month for breakdown cover. Our car broke down once and was recovered to a garage after a 3 and a half hour wait. The problem was found to be a faulty oil pressure switch, so we had this fixed and collected the car. Unfortunately, a few days later the car broke down again for a different reason (nightmare, right?) and of course, this time it was a busy road in Exeter city. My partner (a woman on her own who suffers from Generalised Anxiety Disorder) was panicking and called me and I told her not to panic, we were covered, and to go on the app as before and report the break down. This time, the app rejected her report and gave her a number to call instead. She called the number and was told that because we had broken down within 7 days we had to get the mechanic to email to confirm what work had been completed. The only problem was, the mechanic was not available, was not at work, and we couldn’t get hold of him. We had no choice but to pay for her car to be privately recovered back to a garage and have now fixed the second problem. So, we were paid policy holders but had to pay to have our car recovered. I wrote a complaint and the case handler responded that there was “no record of our second breakdown” presumably because she couldn’t see it on the app. So essentially, despite a 3-minute call to the RAC recorded on her Iphone during which they outlined the reasons they wouldn’t come out, and this being evident on her call log and presumably on their system, my partner is a liar and must have imagined the whole thing? They refused to refund the money I had paid for private recovery so understandlably, I chose to cancel my membership moving forward. Fast forward a few days and the RAC have written me a threatening letter saying they have been unable to take a new payment (naturally I cancelled my direct debit) and have threatened me with referals to credit agencies if I don’t pay THEM a cancellation charge of £130!!! I have called several times only to be told my “case handler” will “get back to me” via email. She hasn’t. The letter says if I don’t hand them £130 by 26/05/26 for a cancellation fee I am at risk of damage to my credit. I have just submitted a second complaint. AVOID THIS COMPANY AT ALL COSTS they will charge you through the nose, fail to recover you and then harass and threaten you when you (understandably) choose to take your custom elsewhere. APPALLING. Reviewed on: 11th May 2026

Left stranded for 18hrs and nobody showed up

Left stranded for 18 hrs before having to make our own way home. The company is a joke as are there customer service and complaints department. No body is interested in the people who actually pay their wages. Nearly 4 months for them to get our expenses back. Customer complaints don't return your calls or respond to emails and as to having to provide all calls under subject access request they dont provide all of those either even when you tell them thats not all of the calls. Reviewed on: 20th April 2026

Complete hustlers

Complete hustlers, upping the price monthly despite new once using their service. They think they can secretly up the price month after month to milk you dry. Started at £15 ended on £45 when I cancelled after years of them taking my money. They are charging me more for not using them? Absolute daylight robbery. Obviously they also make it extremely difficult and long winded to cancel. Do not use them. Reviewed on: 15th April 2026

An appalling lack of care and service from the RAC...

An appalling lack of care and service from the RAC My 18‑year‑old daughter and her three friends (aged 17–18) broke down at Thorpe Park. They called the RAC at 6pm. No one arrived until midnight. During that time, we discovered that a patrol had been mistakenly sent to Thorpe Park Gardens—over 2.5 hours away. At no point had anyone from the RAC checked or clarified their actual location. Little care was shown for the fact that four young women were stranded in a vast, deserted car park late at night. I phoned the RAC to explain that they were anxious and felt vulnerable, only to be dismissed with, “What are they worried about?” When a patrol finally arrived, he immediately confirmed that the car was not drivable—something we had repeatedly told the RAC since 6pm. He also reported that the girls were vulnerable and should be prioritised for transport home. He then left. It was another hour before a taxi arrived. Two taxis refused to take the job because they didn’t want to drive to Wales. During this time, the RAC phone line did not answer our calls, leaving us extremely concerned about how the girls would get home. The girls were told that someone was on their way to collect the car and were instructed to leave the keys with it. We understood this would be for a short time. However, when they arrived home at 3.45am, the car had still not been collected. I was repeatedly assured that the car would be recovered before Thorpe Park reopened at 10am. It was not. I alerted the RAC that the car was parked just beyond the exit barrier and would cause an obstruction when the park opened. I also raised concerns about my vehicle being left unattended far longer than I had been told. Throughout this ordeal, I had to call the RAC multiple times because I was not kept informed. I received contradictory information—at one point I was even told the car had already been collected, which was untrue. I was promised several times that someone from the “special intervention team” would call me. I received only a couple of inadequate text messages, and they did not respond to my replies. I was repeatedly told there was “nothing they could do.” The car was finally collected at 12pm—42 hours later. I was not informed when it was picked up or when it was delivered to the garage. The service has been unacceptable on so many levels. The lack of care for my daughter and her friends’ wellbeing and safety was shocking. The disregard for my concerns about my car being left unattended and obstructing an entrance for such a long period was appalling. This has been the most frustrating and disappointing experience. I have been with the RAC for 30 years, but after this, I will not be renewing my breakdown cover.. I have been with the RAC for 30 years. I will not be renewing my break down cover again after this. Reviewed on: 11th April 2026

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