Breakdown Cover

Car Breakdown Cover

Why do you need breakdown cover?

Imagine being stranded on a busy motorway or a quiet country road in the middle of nowhere with your family because your vehicle suffered a mechanical or electrical breakdown. This is where car breakdown cover can really help.

If your car breaks down or doesn’t start it can be a real hassle. You could be late for work, and potentially left with a large bill for getting your car towed to a garage where it can be repaired. You might never have had a problem with your car before, so breakdown cover might sound like an unnecessary expense. But it’s all about peace of mind and potential cost savings.

What vehicles can you cover

Most vehicles can be covered under a breakdown policy, including:

• Cars
• Light Vans
• Motorbikes

To be eligible your vehicle will need to meet certain specifications, for example weigh no more than 3,500kg (3.5 tonnes) gross weight, maximum of 5.18 metres (17 feet) length and no more than 17 years old.  Compare breakdown cover offered by Nova Direct by visiting our What’s Covered page.

What is covered by breakdown cover?

Roadside assistance

Roadside assistance is standard with all breakdown policies, so even if you have the most basic level of cover, you will be able to get roadside help if you experience a problem. This excludes breakdowns at home and is only valid for breakdowns while on the road, more than 1 mile from your home address.

National recovery

Cover applies within the territorial limits, more than one mile from your home address. If local recovery is not possible at the time of the Breakdown, or the repair cannot be made within the same day, we will arrange for you, your vehicle and up to 4 passengers to be transported to your home or original destination within the territorial limits.

Home Assistance

It’s not unusual to break down at home, especially in cold weather when engines struggle to start. Basic breakdown policies do not cover this kind of assistance, so make sure you know what policy you have before you call to claim. If we are unable to effect repairs or repairs will take longer than 30 minutes, we will arrange and pay for You, Your Vehicle, and up to 4 passengers to be recovered to the nearest suitable garage within 25 miles able to undertake the repair.

Onward travel

Onward travel is an option that can provide you with a courtesy car, alternative transport or an overnight stay in a hotel should you break down somewhere far away from home, making it ideal for anyone who is required to travel regularly for work. Types of onward travel cover vary greatly between companies so always ask for more details.

European Breakdown Cover

European cover comes as standard on our Gold levels of cover; Gold and Gold XS.  This provides roadside assistance, local recovery and onward travel benefits for up to 31 days per trip in Europe.

What does breakdown cover not cover?

You cannot claim for breakdown assistance within 48 hours of purchasing your car breakdown cover policy or within 30 days for any electrical or non-starter issues. Breakdowns caused by failure to maintain the Vehicle in a roadworthy condition including maintenance of proper levels of oil, water or tyres will not be covered either.  Tyre related call out are covered where you have a (1) spare tyre or space saver (2) a jack and (3) a locking wheel nut. You must pass the immobility test for breakdown assistance to be provided.  Failure to pass the immobility test may result in your claim being denied.  Your vehicle must be legally on the road; taxed, MOT and insured.

Please read the policy wording for a full list of exclusions.