After 23 years with the RAC they failed us when we needed them at the weekend. , no, not for my MY24 Karoq!
This was the first attempt at getting RAC assistance in over a decade and less said the better. We have cancelled the membership.

 

Does anyone have any recommendations for breakdown cover? Though I am wondering with a MY24 Karoq with only 5K miles on the clock if I need it.
There is a "call button" by the emergency button next to the mirror.  Does Škoda have, or recommend, a break-down service?  Can anyone else recommend one other than the RAC?

 

 

8 minutes ago, chills said:

 

Does anyone have any recommendations for breakdown cover?

Liverpool Victoria, aka Britannia Rescue. I've never waited an hour, and this was lucky but I once handed the phone belonging to the garage I was in directly to the owner of the recovery firm and didn't even wait one minute to get a recovery vehicle.

6 minutes ago, Paws4Thot said:

Liverpool Victoria, aka Britannia Rescue. I've never waited an hour

After several hours of three of us trying, we gave up trying to get through to the RAC to request assistance.
We never did get anything back from the RAC never mind a breakdown registered.  Hence, cancelling the membership.

 

EDIT Wife tells me we are insured through LV.....

 

 

Edited 12 February, 20251 yr by chills

10 minutes ago, chills said:

EDIT Wife tells me we are insured through LV...

I think that'll get you a discount on recovery.

In the Family we have AA Cover & RAC cover with our Banks / accounts. Works well with call outs, but obviously Location dependent.

As can Greenflag or others that if you are in remote areas they might use LOCAL RECOVERY / Breakdown garages. 

As can often be the case in Scotland.  Britannia etc.  

 

If nobody is near or available, or phone reception is rubbish, lots of breakdowns or weather events can make a world of difference.

 

10 minutes ago, Ootohere said:

If nobody is near or available, or phone reception is rubbish, lots of breakdowns or weather events can make a world of difference.

There was mobile coverage. My lad phoned home and two of us were trying. We couldn't get past the "pick a number bingo" going in circles, and on the Saturday didn't ever get to speak to a human.

The online, via a computer hard-wired to the Internet didn't get us any further forward.  After about 3 hours we gave up.
 

I don't mind having to wait a couple of hours to get an RAC van or recovery truck to us if there is a backlog, but we didn't even get that option, as we simply could not get the breakdown registered in the first place. This was inside normal working hours in daylight in the midlands.

 

This is the first time in a decade we have called the RAC.  Even then, the RAC call centre was dodgy. Though the roadside assistance mechanic was great.   

Edited 12 February, 20251 yr by chills

@chills

The AA have an emergency number that you can call even if not a member .... You would have to pay a premium for the recovery AND subscribe to their services though for the year.

I don't currently have recovery set up as my Dealership / manufacturer cover has just recently ran out but I do have the AA emergency number in my phone for just in case in the meantime.

 

Do you not get cover with the car or has it ran out ???

 

I do believe that LV / Britannia rescue get the best reviews of all iirc as I looked into this a few weeks ago.

 

https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/advice/running-costs/best-breakdown-cover/

1. LV= Britannia Rescue

Breakdown Cover Satisfaction Score 9.07

Looking for the best car breakdown cover out there? According to our readers, it's provided by LV= Britannia Rescue. Part of the LV insurance group, LV= Britannia Rescue came out top for customer satisfaction and claims an impressive average response time of 53.45 minutes to callouts. Personal cover for you and your partners costs from an additional £26.

How much does LV= Britannia Rescue breakdown cover cost?

Recovery Type	Cost
Roadside Assist	£33
Roadside & Home Assist	£66
UK Recovery	£73
UK Recovery & Home Assist	£102
UK & European Assist	£152

7 minutes ago, Tilt said:

Do you not get cover with the car or has it ran out ???

It wasn't for my Škoda we got at the end of November. (technically 2nd hand)   The RAC cover was automatically renewed in January.  Had we thought about it, we would have cancelled it. The previous cars were 15 and 18 years old. Nissans

As we have car, and I am now told home, insurance with LV who do Britannia we should get a good deal on the breakdown cover. 

 

We just can't see the point in paying the RAC if you can't get hold of them when you need them. Their automated systems just take you round and round in circles, and you can never get hold of someone. We only did this time because we went of the sales line and said we wanted to cancel the membership.   Then they are happy to talk to you about 40% discounts. Just not talk to you when it is getting dark, raining, and you have broken down.  

For 2 wheel cover across UK and Europe I use

 

Breakdown Cover I Car Breakdown Cover & UK Wide Recovery | startrescue.co.uk

 

have never been used in anger

4 minutes ago, BoxerBoy said:

For 2 wheel cover across UK and Europe I use

The wife won't let me drive the Karoq on 2 wheels.  🙂
Wanted to get another motorbike but looking at modern traffic, plus speed bumps and potholes... the dream has faded.
 

We gave up on the RAC earlier this year after a totally ridiculous renewal quote following year in year ratcheting of prices even though we'd never made use of their services.

 

We're now with Green Flag who covered all three cars, including my 30 year old MX5 and both drivers in the UK and abroad to the same extent as the RAC for about a quarter of the price.

After sitting in a  A1 layby last year for 4+ hours and paying £600 for a new injector in my old Octavia I.6  the RAC got the boot.

 

Wish I'd known about Britannia.

Edited 13 February, 20251 yr by erindad

8 minutes ago, erindad said:

After sitting in a  A1 layby last year for 4+ hours

We couldn't even get through to RAC to get a breakdown registered.
The only way we could get hold of anyone was talking to sales about joining/renewing.
When we said "cancel" they were suddenly very friendly with an instant 40% discount! .

So if you are spending money they will talk to you otherwise not.

 

We are going to look at Britannia as we are insured through LV

 

With hindsight we had trouble at the first call to the RAC , maybe they hadn't registered that we had broken-down because after 2 /3 hours we phoned again to see what was happening, things started to happen then ie a phone call to say someone was on their way and shouldn't be too long.   Still took 2 hours after that before anyone turned up and its the injector he says £600 please. Ebay has them about £250/300 same make .

Technically I was a member of the rac in ‘74 and continued to be one into the 2000’s. 

 

Used them a few times, but equally let them go after hikes and service drop off a few years back.

 

With a newer car never say never, but ended up on green flag and have not had need yet.

 

With a ‘24 car, do you not have three years breakdown under a Skoda provision?

2 hours ago, ColinD said:

With a ‘24 car, do you not have three years breakdown under a Skoda provision?

I will have to check, but we bought it technically 2nd hand as it was a Dealer demo car.

 

I can't remember if we were given an option but at the time we said we had family  RAC cover. 

Hindsight is a wonderful thing 🙂

Edited 14 February, 20251 yr by chills

RAC is legendary awful.

 

We've used the AA a few times and it's worked OK - daughter called Skoda Assist (AA came) a few weeks ago after a puncture on the motorway.  She was right by a junction so got off and they came, changed the wheel (I'd got a spare as an accessory) and she was only 30 mins late into work.

On 12/02/2025 at 16:04, Tilt said:

 

Do you not get cover with the car or has it ran out ???

 

 

6 hours ago, ColinD said:

 

With a ‘24 car, do you not have three years breakdown under a Skoda provision?

 

3 hours ago, chills said:

I will have to check, but we bought it technically 2nd hand as it was a Dealer demo car.

 

 

That would still make it an Approved Used surely giving you the Skoda warranty and breakdown cover though, no????

 

I got a years warranty and breakdown cover with my already 2 year old 'Approved Used 1 series'.....

Edited 14 February, 20251 yr by Tilt

I have used START for the last three years covering my Skoda plus my Motorcycle.

Used them twice (for Motorcycle) and had to wait about an hour (although there aren't so many motorcycle recovery options as there are for cars) and have been really pleased with their service.

Annual cost (including recovery and Homestart) was about £120 this year.

1 hour ago, Tilt said:

That would still make it an Approved Used surely giving you the Skoda warranty and breakdown cover though, no????

Thanks for that. I will check.   As it happens, it was another family car that broke down, a French one, NOT the Karoq.

FWIW I don't remember the last time I saw an RAC patrol vehicle. The nearest AA patrolman lives about 1.3 miles from here.

26 minutes ago, chills said:

Thanks for that. I will check.   As it happens, it was another family car that broke down, a French one, NOT the Karoq.

 

Ah, sorry, I think you did mention that earlier. I forgot. 

Hi.

Please feel free to take a look at our breakdown offering if you wish.

Breakdown Cover | Flux Rescue | Adrian Flux

Regards,

Dan

8 minutes ago, DAN@ADRIAN FLUX said:

Hi.

Please feel free to take a look at our breakdown offering if you wish.

Breakdown Cover | Flux Rescue | Adrian Flux

Regards,

Dan

Thanks, I will take a look

 

I went with Britannia Rescue last year as I only needed UK cover, and had a discounted price via Boundless membership and LV insurance. But watch the small print as they only take you to the nearest garage within 10 miles! On my trips across Wales and Scotland I wouldn't be very confident of always finding a garage within 10 miles, never mind one equipped to deal with today's computer controlled Skodas. So I've returned to Skoda Assist for peace of mind and European cover. 

 

Chris