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RAC: Breakdown Cover reviews

Name: Breakdown Cover
Rating: 1.75 (152 reviews)

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1.37

Based on 152 reviews, last reviewed 27th Apr 2025

No new 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

43% increase in 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

13%

78%

Latest highest rating:

4

Brilliant There is a discount on brake down cover at min...brilliant for money. Reviewed on: 24th August 2024

Latest lowest rating:

1

Not worth the money - don't recommend. On the 21 January I put my car in to a garage. The problem had been faulty rear windscreen issue that as I pulled in to the garage shut down the car e... Read more Reviewed on: 27th April 2025

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About this product

Like many drivers, breaking down is not something we want to think about! But when it happens, You'll be thankful that you're with a good breakdown cover provider. That's were our RAC breakdown cover reviews come in. You can read and write YOUR RAC Breakdown cover reviews. We started Smart Money People to help drivers like you to find the best breakdown cover based on our honest reviews. Together, we can make financial services work better for everyone.

RAC Breakdown Cover reviews (152)

Review of the RAC, Breakdown Cover:

I would give them a ZERO if I can.

I would give them a ZERO if I can. 2024 New Years Eve I was returning back from Scotland to Leicester and the weather was pretty bad, heavy winds and rain 100%. My car started showing warning signs on the dash and the car started slowing down, drove the car until I got to the nearest services at Kendal Southbound which was at around 4.30pm. Took the RAC cover out and called them out for an emergency breakdown. Charged me £199 for the callout. Assuming either they fix the car or take us home. Anyway had no choice as I had young kids with me so I paid it as had to get back home. The RAC Patrol came around 6.45pm and had a look at the car and (THOUGHT) that the turbo has gone. Nothing much was done and no other options available other than towing the car to the nearest garage within the 10 mile radius or quoted me £1500 TO GET THE CAR & PASSENGERS TOWED . Now can someone tell me which garage would be opened at this time on New Yrs Eve to check the car and who in the right fraame of mind would pay £1500 to get the car towed? With not much on the table the guy left. Managed to arrange a breakdown for £500 to get us and the car towed to my home address, which we got home at 5am on New Years Day. All in all £800 went in the bin and no service provided. WHAT A GREAT START TO 2025!!! A COMPLETE WASTE AND A SCAM BUSINESS. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY WITH THEM. ABSOLUTELY USELESS. THEY ARE JUST MAKING MONEY, NO EXPERIENCE OF BREAKDOWN AND NO EMPATHY AT ALL. MY 6 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER FELL ILL BECAUSE OF THEIR POOR SERVICE. Reviewed on: 4th January 2025

Not worth the money - don't recommend.

On the 21 January I put my car in to a garage. The problem had been faulty rear windscreen issue that as I pulled in to the garage shut down the car electrically. Short story it didn't start again and I had to get it to another garage for diagnostics. I arranged to take it to a garage around 3/4 mile away for further work. I then called the RAC for a tow. The reception for phones in the area was not good and the request was conducted by text. At first it was going to be around a 2 hour wait with updates for that timing. I waited in the garage with no real facilities for long waits i.e. a toilet. Getting near the 2 hour wait for breakdown recovery the wait time was then extended for up to a 3 hour wait. (5 hours altogether). I couldn't keep waiting that long, I had to get back home, and the moving goal post for RAC attendance was the last straw. I didn't have faith that they wouldn't move it again. I then made local arrangements for the car to be lifted and taken at a cash cost of £40 - it happened in 30 minutes. I then had to make arrangements for a taxi to take me the 10 or so miles or home. This was at a cost of around £25. My RAC membership would have covered all of that. The customer service said I only waited an hour before I cancelled not siting the fact that the time was extended from the 2hrs to 5 hrs. I asked for compensation for the poor service some months afterwards as I contacted RAC for a separate matter and was told I could complain over it. The woman in customer care said no to any recompense. I asked her to escalate and she came back as her own adjudicator and reevaluator and said no. She did not escalate. I was not at all happy with the service provided that day and simply could not wait up to 5 hours for this car's removal. Very disappointing considering that I have RAC cover for a situation like this and they were not readily available to the point where I had to make other personal arrangements. All of the above would have been covered in my policy including a lift back to my home. So in total I was £65 out of pocket. It was a very difficult event for me and the very reason you have breakdown cover. I will not renew my membership after this experience. I simply couldn't go through that again. Reviewed on: 27th April 2025

Broke car alarm provided diagnostics from garage pro...

Broke car alarm provided diagnostics from garage proving they damaged it now won’t pay The RAC changed my battery incorrectly which caused my alarm to sound continuously once locking . They informed me to get a diagnostics from the main dealership proving this was the cause of it. The garage confirmed that an incorrect battery fitting by the RAC caused the issue. Report sent costing £162. They have now decided that there is not enough evidence and refused to pay. This is despite a mechanic from the RAC coming out. Below is an email from them Alarm sounding. Tried various things to try and stop the fault. Only option is to get it into peugeot. It does not state that RAC caused the issue. Unless you can provide a garage report to confirm we caused the fault, RAC will not accept liability. Peugeot confirmed the above and now they will not pay (ref: UF148727034 Reviewed on: 25th April 2025

RAC con with £25 admin fees!

RAC con with £25 admin fees! I called 3 weeks ago to say i had sold my car and to ensure the policy would not auto renew. I also checked the day before expiry and it was set to renew (call handler obviously didnt change anything). So i made sure it was set to not auto renew the day before expiry. Today however, it has auto renewed and i have been requested to pay £25.00 admin fee to cancel the policy. I will not be paying this. RAC should be better than this! Be warned, ensure your auto renews are off!! Reviewed on: 21st April 2025

Just a joke of a company.

I was a member since 2019, never needed to use them till yesterday. Apart from automated phone functions, could not get hold of anyone - text link sent to my phone did not work. Son-in-law towed me home ! Now RAC want 56% increase for renewal (was £228.99 2024, £356.99 2025). Just a joke, now cancelled membership. Reviewed on: 15th April 2025

Autorenew

My membership auto renewed, jumping from £150 to £220. I only noticed when they took the money from my account which they took after the 14 day cooling down period and then wanted to charge a cancellation fee. Left my on hold repeatidly while i tried to cancel my memebership, presumably hoping id give up. Even then I had to repeatedly say that I wanted to cancel before they would consider it A bunch of crooks and not the respect institution of old Reviewed on: 28th March 2025

Atrocious service

Had a patrol attend to a puncture. I have tyre cover so he ordered a new tyre. Unfortunately he ordered the wrong one. Had to wait 8 hours for a patrol to come out the next day and order the correct one. Next day the rac sent me a bill for £260 for the tyre that should have been done foc. Have now had to buy my own tyre and start a claim through the County Court for the price of the tyre. Avoid this company like the plague. No customer service at all. Reviewed on: 26th March 2025

Wait over 9hours for a recovery to come out

Wait over 9hours for a recovery to come out Reviewed on: 5th March 2025

Inexistent service for comprehensive insurance paid...

Inexistent service for comprehensive insurance paid My car broke down last night at 8.30pm on M6 M482.2. I reported the issue and had police securing my car on the emergency line whilst waiting to get recovered. I had a call from one of the RAC mechanics telling me to drive slowly to the next service station even if my car wasn't drivable...I am on my own, a widow and my dogs trying to reach out home address. After we finally reached the services the mechanic said is a misfire but no problems with sparkplugs or coil pack. He left saying will send another team leaving me in the cold. The next team was booked 4.20 am ...had a recovery truck at 2.30 which takes me only couple miles down to Killington....practically I wasn't 150 miles away from home but still 110...is 5.44 , they promised me a taxi, accommodation over the night, recovery to be taken home...none of this happen. Instead they sent someone to take me only down to Preston...not at home as they should...I slept in the cold all this time with my dogs in my car without being able to turn on the engine as the car is broken down... Reviewed on: 3rd March 2025

not worth one star

Just got my renewal letter for van breakdown cover last year £224 this year £291 a rise of £67 that is a 30% increase for being a loyal customer when inflation is 3% .The RAC are offering this same cover as a special offer today for £133.33 to new customers! I have paid a lot of money to the RAC over the years and never had call them out .After a phone call they reduced it by a few pounds but not enough to make me renew .The RAC should look after loyal customers instead they use them as cash cows Reviewed on: 21st February 2025

RAC Membership Number 200110007211676Well, the lett..

RAC Membership Number 200110007211676 Well, the letter starts off NEXT YEARS Cover – SORTED Sorted for Who? The RAC not for the customer – after not calling them out once they put the price of your cover up from £140.40 to £203.99 an increase of £63.59 ( 31.1731% increase) who’s running this business the Labour party ? When I asked to cancel the policy, they said there is a cancellation fee LOL Then after much protesting stating – since Id been with them never once did, I ask for or need assistance they very kindly knocked off the cancelation fee – is that legal trying to charge this anyway? This is just another giant of a company that offers noting for loyalty no added bonus for not calling them out for a breakdown – nothing – but if I was a brand-new customer, I would get a discounted price – what’s the point of staying with them you might as well switch every year and get a cheaper quote The RAC you SUCK Reviewed on: 5th February 2025

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