Car Breakdown Insurance

The car breakdown insurance directory aims to highlight UK companies or brands who offer car breakdown insurance. Included within each company listing are details of breakdown insurance product features and benefits currently being offered.

Alternatively, read our breakdown insurance information guide below and find out all you need to know before getting a competitive car breakdown insurance quote.

Car Breakdown Guide

Each year thousands of motorists run into difficulties, or break down on the road. The winter months are particularly well known for the ability to ensnare cars mid-journey, the result being a couple of hours being spent on the roadside waiting for breakdown assistance!

Some faults are common and can easily be avoided if you consider spending 30 minutes each month checking over your car. After all, taking proper care of your vehicle should be common sense; it is an asset worth keeping in good condition should you decide to sell it at a later date. It may also prevent you from having to claim on your breakdown insurance and waiting by the car in the freezing cold for someone to come and rescue you.

To keep your car roadworthy it requires proper and regular servicing. Even so, it is highly advisable to invest in breakdown insurance; you never know when you may need it! To reduce the chance of suffering from a break-down you should consider checking the following car parts on a regular basis. It is worth remembering some garages will undertake these checks during servicing, however, always find out first.

Flat Batteries
Caused by age or faulty connections. To avoid the problem, make sure that when the car is serviced the terminals have been cleaned and protected from corrosion.

Tyres 
Know the correct pressure-to-load ratio and check them every few months. The tread on your tyres must be within the legal specification (1.6mm – 8mm) and at least 3mm tread is recommended during the winter months.

Check you have a pumped up spare tyre and, if you are able, that you have the tools to change it!

Starter motor
A car's starter motor does not need to be changed very often as they are robust, and regular services should indicate faults.

Distributor cap
Distributor caps are an important part of the ignition system. A crack in the cap’s insulation will be hard to spot but will allow high ignition voltage to escape stopping any ignition spark.

Spark Plugs
Make sure they are checked and replaced at regular services.

Fan Belt
If the car fan belt squeals continually after the engine has started the water pump may have frozen, which will prevent the water for being circulated. It may take a couple of days to thaw.

Frozen Radiator
A more common problem than a frozen water pump and one which you will notice soon after the engine begins to warm up, as the coolant will be unable to circulate. This causes the car engine to quickly overheat.

Other Items worth getting checked include:

• Water and anti-freeze in the coolant tank.
• Screen wash in the windscreen wiper tank.
• Clean the dirt build up from your headlights to give maximum brightness on dark winter nights.
• Power steering fluid reservoir should be checked at every service.