What really happens when you break down abroad?
Discussion
I had bit of a narrow squeak last week but made it home. Lots of us have got cars that are out of the ordinary and I suddenly feel a bit jumpy about have a breakdown in France. Do they just tow you to a nearest garage and hope they can fix your specialist car? I've got AA cover for Europe but the thought of being towed home from say Nice to England at 50 mph, no doubt in relays of 50 miles each, doesn't bear thinking about. I wouldn't want to leave my car with them either.
Friend with an old Scirocco had his timing belt snap in Barcelona. He had the full monty AA European Cover. Rang them up as when it was clear what the issue was, they wanted to give him £600 for the car and leave it in a scrapyard in Spain as it was uneconomical to repatriate.
The value of his car was really around £1,500 and as such, paid to have the car brought back to the UK himself. This actually wasn't as expensive as you would imagine it your happy to wait 7-10 days as there are transport companies who specialise in returning poorly cars from mainland Europe to the UK. I think it cost him £500.
The value of his car was really around £1,500 and as such, paid to have the car brought back to the UK himself. This actually wasn't as expensive as you would imagine it your happy to wait 7-10 days as there are transport companies who specialise in returning poorly cars from mainland Europe to the UK. I think it cost him £500.
One thing to be aware of, if the cars UK value is deemed lower than the local (sometimes high) repair estimate they will not bring the car back.
For example a 944 turbo owner recently had this. The local garage in France decided the car needed a new gearbox at a cost of 6000 Euro's IRRC, writing the car off in the recovery firms eyes.
It's easy to fall foul of this due to the low car values in the UK. I bet you wouldn't get one of those for that price in Europe, ignoring the fact that you could get a used box for £250. Worth checking the fine print.
For example a 944 turbo owner recently had this. The local garage in France decided the car needed a new gearbox at a cost of 6000 Euro's IRRC, writing the car off in the recovery firms eyes.
It's easy to fall foul of this due to the low car values in the UK. I bet you wouldn't get one of those for that price in Europe, ignoring the fact that you could get a used box for £250. Worth checking the fine print.
Edited by james0 on Saturday 14th July 11:49
I also heard of a guy who had his 200sx repatriated only to find out that the yard had been shunting it around by pushing it with a forklift or something against the back end of the car and had completely written off the back panel.
Never did find out if he got it sorted or had to take it on the chin.
Breakdown cover in europe is worthless unless you've got a very new car.
Never did find out if he got it sorted or had to take it on the chin.
Breakdown cover in europe is worthless unless you've got a very new car.
My bike broke down last month in France on day 2 of my holiday over a bank holiday weekend. They wouldn't bring it back immediately even after I protested that the garage couldn't look at it until at least Tuesday (I was returning on Wednesday). They took it to the garage where it was repaired (even though I had the spares sitting in my garage to do so and was my wish to have it sent home). I had the option of travelling the rest of the journey by car, but chose to continue as a pillion.
I return home to the UK to get a phone call from the garage to say it was fixed and to collect it ASAP. I phoned the RAC and they told me they wouldn't repatriate it, but would pay for me to collect it up to the value of £500. This was a proper ball ache and cost me an entire weekend of being stuck in a van. The whole experience was a complete pain in the arris.
I return home to the UK to get a phone call from the garage to say it was fixed and to collect it ASAP. I phoned the RAC and they told me they wouldn't repatriate it, but would pay for me to collect it up to the value of £500. This was a proper ball ache and cost me an entire weekend of being stuck in a van. The whole experience was a complete pain in the arris.
freecar said:
Breakdown cover in europe is worthless unless you've got a very new car.
This. It's also well worth having a car under a manufacturer's warranty. Edited by VidalBaboon on Saturday 14th July 11:59
A friend had a break down in Germany requiring a full engine rebuild (1998 and Cerbera shaped 
), the car was worth about £10k and was brought back to the UK without any fuss. It was hoisted up onto a low loader.
I would be less than happy being offered £600 for a £1500 car and to scrap it but then I also wouldn't be paying AA/RAC for the privilege, my money would be going to ADAC for less than half the cost with better cover.
), the car was worth about £10k and was brought back to the UK without any fuss. It was hoisted up onto a low loader.I would be less than happy being offered £600 for a £1500 car and to scrap it but then I also wouldn't be paying AA/RAC for the privilege, my money would be going to ADAC for less than half the cost with better cover.
A friend's Mitsubishi GTO broke down at Spa, a tow truck turned up and took him half way to the port, where they met another tow truck who took him onto the ferry he was due to catch (quite a rapid journey down the motorway), dropped the car off on deck and a UK tow truck met him the other side. It took quite a few phone calls before the initial tow truck arrived but it went smoothly once they got there.
I broke down on a Sunday afternoon last year in Toulouse.
I'm in the ADAC so first job was to call them.
They advised me that the Law in France means that you must call an authorised recovery agent.
The recovery man put me on a low loader and transported my P&J to his Peugot Dealership.
On the way he told me that he was going on holiday the next day and that he would get round to looking at my car in about 2 weeks
When we got to his garage he asked about insurance so I advised him of my ADAC membership.
He was rather happy about that and asked that I call them.
He then took over the call and informed the ADAC man that the car must be imediately transported back to the UK as there are no specialist in France for the make of car
The ADAC man then informed me that they would organise the car transportation back to the UK.
He also informed me where I could collect a rental car from and that I could keep to my scheduled time frame of 4 days driving up to Calais and that there would be anotherrental in the UK.
He also told me that I could charge that nights hotel room to the ADAC.
The ADAC are bloody marvelous. Took all of the worry and concern of leaving my P&J in a little village in southern France.
The French Recovery man was very good in this respect as well.
I'm in the ADAC so first job was to call them.
They advised me that the Law in France means that you must call an authorised recovery agent.
The recovery man put me on a low loader and transported my P&J to his Peugot Dealership.
On the way he told me that he was going on holiday the next day and that he would get round to looking at my car in about 2 weeks
When we got to his garage he asked about insurance so I advised him of my ADAC membership.
He was rather happy about that and asked that I call them.
He then took over the call and informed the ADAC man that the car must be imediately transported back to the UK as there are no specialist in France for the make of car
The ADAC man then informed me that they would organise the car transportation back to the UK.
He also informed me where I could collect a rental car from and that I could keep to my scheduled time frame of 4 days driving up to Calais and that there would be anotherrental in the UK.
He also told me that I could charge that nights hotel room to the ADAC.
The ADAC are bloody marvelous. Took all of the worry and concern of leaving my P&J in a little village in southern France.
The French Recovery man was very good in this respect as well.
Had an engine blow up in my MGB just outside Paris at midnight in 1989, had RAC cover at the time which got me towed off the motorway and put up in a hotel. Had a Fiesta hire car to get me home.
Worst thing was that it took over a month to get the broken down car back to England and then found out that it had been moved about on a fork lift, crushing the exhaust. Months of letter writng to and from the RAC got myself a cheque for £500 for compensation and a paid for the exhaust.
Another time, the clutch went on the TVR in the middle of nowhere in France, took hours for the collection lorry to get us back to the hotel. Then a day later the long slow drive back to Calais where the AA lorry was waiting for us.
What was most amusing about this was the AA lorry went to our old address, as we told the driver of the error, he put the lorry into reverse and the clutch went. So we had to wait another two hours for a replacement recovery lorry to get us home.
Worst thing was that it took over a month to get the broken down car back to England and then found out that it had been moved about on a fork lift, crushing the exhaust.
Months of letter writng to and from the RAC got myself a cheque for £500 for compensation and a paid for the exhaust. Another time, the clutch went on the TVR in the middle of nowhere in France, took hours for the collection lorry to get us back to the hotel. Then a day later the long slow drive back to Calais where the AA lorry was waiting for us.
What was most amusing about this was the AA lorry went to our old address, as we told the driver of the error, he put the lorry into reverse and the clutch went. So we had to wait another two hours for a replacement recovery lorry to get us home.
I had the best value out of an add on AA cover back in '88. Bought it at Dover for £25.00.
A week later, in the South of France, my one month old Honda CBR600 was stolen and the AA cover got me a car from the nearest rental depot. I was supposed to be on holiday with my pillion and mates for another 2 weeks which was no problem.
It rained and rained, ending the 24 hours Bol D'Or races early and after a couple of more days of s
te weather my biking mates rode home whilst we were warm and snug in our little Pug and continued touring France, Switzerland, Belgium and Holland.
Dropped the car off in Calais and there was a Nissan Bluebird waiting for us in Dover where I was informed that I could take my time returning it once I got to London.
Them were the days.
A week later, in the South of France, my one month old Honda CBR600 was stolen and the AA cover got me a car from the nearest rental depot. I was supposed to be on holiday with my pillion and mates for another 2 weeks which was no problem.
It rained and rained, ending the 24 hours Bol D'Or races early and after a couple of more days of s
te weather my biking mates rode home whilst we were warm and snug in our little Pug and continued touring France, Switzerland, Belgium and Holland.Dropped the car off in Calais and there was a Nissan Bluebird waiting for us in Dover where I was informed that I could take my time returning it once I got to London.
Them were the days.
I broke down on the Nurburgring about 3 years ago.
I'm with More Than who were superb, after the marshals got me off into the car park at the breidscheid entrance (I broke down 100 yds after that corner so they just put a car behind me and let me roll backwards off into the car park), I was recovered by the local garage within a couple of hours.
Being a Saturday the garage shut midday so they put me up in a hotel in Adenau until the Monday morning. The local place couldn't find the fault so More Than again had me and the car moved to a Subaru dealer about 20 miles away.
I thought they were superb, paid for everything except the bill at the Subaru garage and even sorted the hotel bill without me lifting a finger.
Spent a most enjoyable sunny Sunday walking the entire perimeter of the circuit after all my group returned to catch the ferry and found the local Subaru garage to be the most efficient and caring garage I've ever been to.
I'm with More Than who were superb, after the marshals got me off into the car park at the breidscheid entrance (I broke down 100 yds after that corner so they just put a car behind me and let me roll backwards off into the car park), I was recovered by the local garage within a couple of hours.
Being a Saturday the garage shut midday so they put me up in a hotel in Adenau until the Monday morning. The local place couldn't find the fault so More Than again had me and the car moved to a Subaru dealer about 20 miles away.
I thought they were superb, paid for everything except the bill at the Subaru garage and even sorted the hotel bill without me lifting a finger.
Spent a most enjoyable sunny Sunday walking the entire perimeter of the circuit after all my group returned to catch the ferry and found the local Subaru garage to be the most efficient and caring garage I've ever been to.
Well the ADAC sound just about as good as it gets.
Last year I towed our large twin axle caravan around Europe, doing some thing like 5000 miles.
We had breakdown cover from NFU, but didn't need it any way (Land Cruiser)
So, where would one begin to get European & UK breakdown cover from ACDC ?
vette
Last year I towed our large twin axle caravan around Europe, doing some thing like 5000 miles.
We had breakdown cover from NFU, but didn't need it any way (Land Cruiser)
So, where would one begin to get European & UK breakdown cover from ACDC ?
vette
uk_vette said:
Well the ADAC sound just about as good as it gets.
Last year I towed our large twin axle caravan around Europe, doing some thing like 5000 miles.
We had breakdown cover from NFU, but didn't need it any way (Land Cruiser)
So, where would one begin to get European & UK breakdown cover from ACDC ?
vette
http://www.adac.de/mitgliedschaft/adac_membership/...Last year I towed our large twin axle caravan around Europe, doing some thing like 5000 miles.
We had breakdown cover from NFU, but didn't need it any way (Land Cruiser)
So, where would one begin to get European & UK breakdown cover from ACDC ?
vette
As I said, I used MoreThan who then outsourced to ADAC but to do it direct with the ADAC you need to phone them if you don't have a residential address in Germany.
Mmm, just checked. Looks like Morethan don't do recovery any more
http://www.morethan.com/Pages/Products/Breakdown/B...
http://www.adac.de/
I cant find an English version ?
ADAC Full European cover costs €83,50 the first year and then €79,- per year after.
If you call them they will provide an English speaker.
As said, very efficient and friendly.
I broke down at Hannover Airport once and had let my AA Membership expire.
I called the ADAC, explaining my situation.
They sent a guy out who quickly sorted my problem - "no charge sir2 - "why dont you join the ADAC ? ".
14 days later they were recovering and shipping that same car back to the UK free of charge. Not only shipping it back but direct to the workshop that had recently rebuilt the engine.
There was no issue about the length of membership at all.
I cant find an English version ?
ADAC Full European cover costs €83,50 the first year and then €79,- per year after.
If you call them they will provide an English speaker.
As said, very efficient and friendly.
I broke down at Hannover Airport once and had let my AA Membership expire.
I called the ADAC, explaining my situation.
They sent a guy out who quickly sorted my problem - "no charge sir2 - "why dont you join the ADAC ? ".
14 days later they were recovering and shipping that same car back to the UK free of charge. Not only shipping it back but direct to the workshop that had recently rebuilt the engine.
There was no issue about the length of membership at all.
Manicminer said:
uk_vette said:
Well the ADAC sound just about as good as it gets.
Last year I towed our large twin axle caravan around Europe, doing some thing like 5000 miles.
We had breakdown cover from NFU, but didn't need it any way (Land Cruiser)
So, where would one begin to get European & UK breakdown cover from ACDC ?
vette
http://www.adac.de/mitgliedschaft/adac_membership/...Last year I towed our large twin axle caravan around Europe, doing some thing like 5000 miles.
We had breakdown cover from NFU, but didn't need it any way (Land Cruiser)
So, where would one begin to get European & UK breakdown cover from ACDC ?
vette
As I said, I used MoreThan who then outsourced to ADAC but to do it direct with the ADAC you need to phone them if you don't have a residential address in Germany.
Mmm, just checked. Looks like Morethan don't do recovery any more
http://www.morethan.com/Pages/Products/Breakdown/B...
The membership cards arrived in 5 days as promised.My wife and I now have membership across Europe for 12 months and if I do have to use them I have utmost faith all will be well.
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