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The RAC

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Breakdown Services: What The RAC Offer

The RAC uses a combination of employed patrols — more than 1,700 mechanics nationwide — and a contracted garage network in more rural parts of Britain. It says it fixes four out of five breakdowns at the roadside.

Figures published on rac.co.uk, checked August 2026.

The Four Cover Levels

Unlike the AA, the RAC still sells a straightforward ladder. Each tier includes everything below it:

Basic

The entry point. Roadside assistance away from home, and on current pricing it already bundles national recovery and home cover — but read the conditions, because some elements only become available after a waiting period on the cheaper tiers.

Standard

The middle option, and the one most heavily promoted. Adds home cover without the delay and raises the callout allowance.

Extra

Adds onward travel — a replacement car, accommodation or alternative transport — and unlimited callouts.

Complete

The full package, adding the extras that are optional lower down: parts and garage cover, key cover and European cover among them.

Check the callout limit, not just the price. The cheaper tiers cap how many times you can call in a year, and providers can refuse repeat callouts for the same unfixed fault. If your car has a known recurring problem, that cap matters more than the headline monthly figure. See the risks of the cheapest policies.

Recovery And Electric Vehicles

All-wheels-up recovery

Well over 1,600 RAC vans carry a rapid deployable towing rig that lifts all four wheels clear of the road. It was developed because heavier modern cars, 4x4s, hybrids and electric vehicles cannot safely be towed with two wheels on the ground — on an EV, turning the driven wheels spins the motor and can damage it.

EV Boost

The RAC fits a van-mounted mobile charger that puts roughly ten miles of range into a flat electric car in about half an hour — enough to reach a charge point rather than a full charge. It was the first UK provider to deploy one. EV cover costs the same as petrol and diesel cover.

RAC Tools And Services

Route Planner And Buying Advice

A free UK and European route planner, plus buyer services from vehicle inspections and history checks through to car reviews and approved dealers.

Traffic News

A live UK map of current disruption. Visit the RAC traffic news page to see where problems are; on a mobile it will try to find your location.

News And Guides