Breakdown recovery for a puncture - expectations

Breakdown recovery for a puncture - expectations

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TheFungle

Original Poster:

4,109 posts

214 months

Saturday 30th November
quotequote all
Mrs Fungle punctured yesterday evening on the A1M on her way from work.

As it’s a company car, she went via the lease company and the AA.

Was promised recovery within 60 mins but it was 3hrs in total, not ideal in the cold and dark by herself at side of road.

Highways Agency were super kind, the AA not so much…

Before I turn into an enraged husband on her behalf, what are the expectations for recovery in the event of a puncture?

As it stands, she was recovered to a Moto service station to then be re-recovered to a local Kwik Fit where ideally she should have been taken home for a mobile fitter.

As far as she’s aware, she should have ‘get you home’ cover but I suspect they treat punctures differently.

Yes, the car has an inflator kit. No, using it for the first time on the hard shoulder of the A1M in the dark is not the time to use it for the first time.

miniman

26,454 posts

270 months

Saturday 30th November
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Appreciate that she doesn’t have a choice in this case, but I don’t understand why people still use AA and RAC when they are so expensive and pretty much every experience people have with them is terrible.

Surprised the traffic wombles didn’t try to fix it for her but I suppose they are not allowed to.

Nola25

229 posts

59 months

Saturday 30th November
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I’ve had two experiences of using the RAC with a company car.

First time my wife had a blowout on the M1, with our then 2 yr old in the car, was told by the RAC it would be 30-60min.

I left home as soon as she told me it’d happened and drove up to swap vehicles (about 30 miles) so we could get her and my son home. The car had a spare which I started to change (wheel had welded itself to the hub) but the Highways Agency turned up, gave me a telling off for trying to change and made me follow them 6 miles to the next junction and wait there.

RAC eventually turned up after 4 hrs.

Second occasion, I had a puncture about 2 miles from home, rang my lease company (again company car) which gave a time of 4-6 hrs. Hole was too big for the foam kit to fill so eventually left the car and walked home.

Time was continually changing on when the RAC would show up. It ending up being the next day, nearly 18 hrs after the first call but then they don’t have a spare space saver to use as it had been utilised on a previous callout. Ended up waiting for another van for another 2 hrs so they could fit the SS and follow me down to a tyre place.

I don’t know whether this is a lease company thing but when my wife’s cambelt decided to snap, again on the M1, it only took the RAC an hour to get there (private car and own policy)


matchmaker

8,660 posts

208 months

Saturday 30th November
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I had a puncture, so naturally, went to fix it. I found that last time I'd tidied out the boot I'd left the wheelbrace in the garage...phoned Green Flag. Within 30 minutes I was on my way again.

Lester H

3,080 posts

113 months

Saturday 30th November
quotequote all
Slightly at a tangent, but not thread derailment: do those inflator kits work (assuming tyre not wrecked) just to get you to a tyre depot?

TheFungle

Original Poster:

4,109 posts

214 months

Saturday 30th November
quotequote all
Lester H said:
Slightly at a tangent, but not thread derailment: do those inflator kits work (assuming tyre not wrecked) just to get you to a tyre depot?
Post-incident research as well as the opinion of the recovery driver would indicate they are suitable for getting to the nearest garage only.

I have to say, reading the iinstruction manual for them, I wouldn't fancy attempting to use it for the first time on the side of a M-Way in the cold and dark.

https://www.mbusa.com/en/owners/manuals/eqs-suv-20...

dxg

8,814 posts

268 months

Saturday 30th November
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More to the fact: how many of those kits languishing in various boots are still in date? How many people have checked that the compressor will reach to all wheels?

Back when I was doing huge motorway miles, I had a full size spare, an extending wheel wrench, and a full sized jack in the boot. Had to use it a couple of times (potholes in the dark on the M8, mainly).

omniflow

2,897 posts

159 months

Saturday 30th November
quotequote all
I've had 2 punctures that were dealt with by recovery. In both cases it was the RAC and I get the cover as part of a bundled deal with my bank account. Both punctures were large gashes in the sidewall - not fixable with an inflator kit.

First puncture was only about 2 miles from home. Managed to get the car off the road and into a layby (of sorts). RAC were fairly quick to attend but their temporary spare wheel wouldn't fit so they needed to call recovery. Car is very low with overhangs, so needed a specific type of flatbed. Got a neighbour to collect me and my wife and we went home. Several chasing phone calls later the recovery truck eventually arrived. By this time it was 10pm, about 8 hours after the puncture. I drove down in my other car, "helped" the guy load it up and then he followed me home. It was tolerable in those specific circumstances, but would have been a total nightmare if we'd been further from home.

Second was in Brighton, about 90 miles from home. We were meant to be helping my Daughter move house, using the car to do so. It was a Sunday morning and Brighton were playing in some football tournament at Wembley, so the only 24 hour mobile tyre fitter I could find was not working that day. RAC were there pretty quickly, we found a Kwik Fit that was open with the right size tyre in stock. He drove me and the wheel there and we had a coffee in the MacDonalds over the road whilst we waited. He then drove me back and re-fitted the wheel. Took about 3 hours from start to finish. Can't fault the service for this one.

119

9,771 posts

44 months

Saturday 30th November
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Any time we have a puncture, i just call a local tyre centre out. He repairs puncture or replaces tyre on the spot.

I really wouldnt rely on any of the breakdown companies to turn up in a sensible time and even then, do anything.

98elise

28,339 posts

169 months

Saturday 30th November
quotequote all
Lester H said:
Slightly at a tangent, but not thread derailment: do those inflator kits work (assuming tyre not wrecked) just to get you to a tyre depot?
Yes they work as long as it's a small puncture. I've used them a couple of times.

Pica-Pica

14,529 posts

92 months

Saturday 30th November
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Reading all this, has made be decide to keep my runflats!

Decky_Q

1,668 posts

185 months

Saturday 30th November
quotequote all
Tyre string plugs are so easy to use and dont expire as quickly as the foam kits that it's a no brainer to keep a kit in the boot with the 12v compressor.

I have an ebay multitool too so I can get the screw or whatever pulled out. It's a permanent fix and has worked 100% of the time so far 4 or 5 punctures. Much faster than even taking the wheel off!

raspy

1,814 posts

102 months

Saturday 30th November
quotequote all
TheFungle said:
Mrs Fungle punctured yesterday evening on the A1M on her way from work.

As it’s a company car, she went via the lease company and the AA.

Was promised recovery within 60 mins but it was 3hrs in total, not ideal in the cold and dark by herself at side of road.

Highways Agency were super kind, the AA not so much…

Before I turn into an enraged husband on her behalf, what are the expectations for recovery in the event of a puncture?

As it stands, she was recovered to a Moto service station to then be re-recovered to a local Kwik Fit where ideally she should have been taken home for a mobile fitter.

As far as she’s aware, she should have ‘get you home’ cover but I suspect they treat punctures differently.

Yes, the car has an inflator kit. No, using it for the first time on the hard shoulder of the A1M in the dark is not the time to use it for the first time.
My understanding was that breakdown companies would give priority to those calls where a woman on her own in the dark needs assistance? Unless I'm mistaken.

TeeGTI

102 posts

16 months

Saturday 30th November
quotequote all
Decky_Q said:
Tyre string plugs are so easy to use and dont expire as quickly as the foam kits that it's a no brainer to keep a kit in the boot with the 12v compressor.

I have an ebay multitool too so I can get the screw or whatever pulled out. It's a permanent fix and has worked 100% of the time so far 4 or 5 punctures. Much faster than even taking the wheel off!
+1 for the tyre strings. A bit agricultural, but have gotten me out of a hole (pun intended) many times.

Hugo Stiglitz v2

355 posts

2 months

Saturday 30th November
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I carry a can of foam and a inflation goo kit.

If i buy a car (not lease). I buy a spacesaver. It's just not worth sitting for hours and the excuses

"It's rush hour..winter... so busy"


Veryoldbear

228 posts

112 months

Saturday 30th November
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Even better buy a "real" spare. If you travel in Europe these can be a life-saver. WE go to France quite a lot and if you have to buy a new tyre they will only sell them in pairs (it's a bit like shoes)

Dynion Araf Uchaf

4,699 posts

231 months

Saturday 30th November
quotequote all
The lease company’s AA and RAC contracts are normally for the whole fleet of cars. As such the contract could be worth 10s of thousands . So both the AA and RAC basically sell a contract at £7 pa IIRC per car.

So you can see where this is going if you have to use them.
Equally as the breakdown cover is with the lease company’s and not the driver there’s no danger of the customer cancelling, and also that breakdowns on a fleet on thousands are few and far between.

The lease companies want to offer breakdown cover as part of the lease terms, the breakdown company wants the business but non one wants to pay for it.

You would be better with your own policy even if it is from the same providers.

POORCARDEALER

8,545 posts

249 months

Saturday 30th November
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Last time got a non repairable puncture in Panamera was wait 4 hours for them to come out or they’d send their “approved” tyre company out who came and fitted a new one ( tyre was £100 dearer than I could get one for , presumably due to % RAC will be getting) . Arrived and fitted within the hour

Gericho

608 posts

11 months

Saturday 30th November
quotequote all
Pica-Pica said:
Reading all this, has made be decide to keep my runflats!
Are they noisy? I would get some next time if they're quiet.

cadmunkey

550 posts

97 months

Saturday 30th November
quotequote all
raspy said:
My understanding was that breakdown companies would give priority to those calls where a woman on her own in the dark needs assistance? Unless I'm mistaken.
This is true, last time I needed to call for recovery I had both front tyres punctured from a truck that shed its load right in front of me on the motorway. When I rang them they asked if I had any women and children in the car and when I said no they apologised and said I would be in for a long wait. Was nearly 6 hours in total.