Breakdown Cover from John Lewis Car Insurance includes:

 

  • RAC roadside assistance anywhere in the UK

  • 24-hour help via our Freephone number: 03301 598 702

  • 24-hour Car Insurance claims in the UK: 03300 240 613

What is John Lewis Breakdown Cover?

We’ve partnered with breakdown experts at the RAC to get your car back on the road. This optional cover is exclusive to John Lewis Car Insurance customers.

 

You'll have access to: 

Cover for your car driven by you or another driver with a full and valid licence

Car repairs at the roadside - when you’re more than a quarter of a mile from home

Up to £500 for overnight accommodation or travel expenses for you and your passengers if you're travelling in the EU

Depending on your level of cover, we’ll come out for flat batteries and keys locked in the car too. You will need to pay for any replacement keys, though.

What's included with Breakdown Cover

We offer four levels of optional breakdown cover for the car you insure with us: 

  • Roadside

  • Roadside & Recovery

  • At Home

  • European Assistance

Roadside

Roadside assists you anywhere in the UK, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To use it you need to be at least a quarter of a mile from home when you break down.

If we are unable to repair the vehicle at the roadside, we will recover the vehicle and passengers to a destination of your choice up to a maximum of 10 miles from the breakdown.

 

 

Roadside & Recovery

Roadside & Recovery extends the cover of our Roadside policy to include transportation anywhere in the UK. 

Make sure you always keep a spare tyre in your car. If you need a new tyre and don’t have one with you, we will only be able to take you 10 miles to the nearest garage.

Roadside & Recovery is only available for new John Lewis Car Insurance customers.

 

At Home

At Home extends the cover of our Roadside & Recovery policy to include breakdowns less than a quarter of a mile from your home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

European Assistance

European Assistance gives you all the cover of our other cover levels combined, and adds:

  • Breakdown cover in 48 countries in continental Europe

  • Transportation for you, your passengers and your car - if your car can’t be repaired in continental Europe

  • Alternative transport if your car cannot be repaired during or up to 24 hours before your European trip

  Roadside repair at least a quarter of a mile from your home Recovery of your vehicle over 10 miles Repairs less than a quarter of a mile from your home Breakdown cover in 48 European countries
Roadside level      
Roadside & Recovery level    
Home Repair (At Home) level  
European Assistance level

When does my Breakdown Cover start?

Your breakdown cover starts immediately upon adding it to your policy. However, it’s not available if your car has already broken down, so you can’t buy it at the side of the road.

What is not covered?

We don’t cover:

  •  The cost of any parts, including batteries and tyres

  •  The cost of replacement keys

  •  The cost of fuel

  •  Breakdowns that happened before you purchased cover

  •  Traffic collisions

  •  Breakdowns caused by a previous fault that was not properly repaired

  •  Breakdowns that happened after you were given professional advice about a temporary repair which you did not follow

 

If your car breaks down while towing a caravan or trailer, we can take you to a single destination. If your caravan or trailer breaks down in the UK we can come and attempt a repair but can’t give you onward transportation.

What to do if you break down

If you break down, call us on freephone 03301 598 702 (24 hours). Wait in a safe place near your car until we get to you. If you cannot find a safe place, call the police for assistance on 999. 

 

If you're involved in an accident, you're legally required to:

  • Give your name, address and insurance details to anyone who has a good reason to ask for them – namely the other driver.

  • Report the incident to the police within 24 hours if you or anyone else is injured.

  • Provide the police with your Certificate of Motor Insurance within five days.

 

You should also collect the following information, if possible:

  • The other driver(s) full details.

  • Registration numbers of all vehicles involved in the accident.

  • Where, when and how the accident happened.

  • Any injuries or damage caused.

  • The names and contact details of any witnesses.

  • Police officers’ details and any reference numbers you are given. 

  • Photographs of the scene and/or any damage.

  • CCTV or dashcam footage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Breakdown cover gives you the reassurance that if your vehicle breaks down unexpectedly, roadside assistance will come and help get your car back on the road or to the closest garage.

John Lewis breakdown cover is provided by the RAC and is available in four tiers, ranging from roadside assistance to recovery in Europe.

This provides you with the benefits of breakdown cover while giving you the option of choosing which cover suits you best depending on how and when you drive your vehicle.

Yes. Breakdown cover usually includes recovery as a result of punctures and flat tyres.

Breakdown Cover with John Lewis Car Insurance can also include call-outs for flat batteries and keys locked inside your car, depending on what level of cover you choose.

Make sure to check your policy documents to confirm the level of cover you have.

Home Start or At Home Breakdown cover, is roadside assistance that includes cover if your car breaks down at your home address.

John Lewis At Home Breakdown cover includes breakdowns less than a quarter of a mile from your home.

The cost of breakdown recovery can vary depending on where you’ve broken down and why. The costs can include roadside repair, tow costs to a garage and the cost of continuing your journey or staying somewhere overnight if your car can’t be fixed straight away. 

John Lewis Breakdown cover includes up to £500 for overnight accommodation or travel expenses as a part of European cover, so you, your car and your passengers are taken care of.

Roadside assistance means that a qualified RAC mechanic will travel to your vehicle to see if they can make repairs to get you up and running again.

The RAC will travel anywhere in the UK over a quarter of a mile from your home if you have our Breakdown add-on with the Roadside option. For repairs closer to home, you will need our At Home or European Assistance cover.

If your car can’t be fixed at the roadside you may need us to provide transport to get home. This is included with Roadside & Recovery, At Home and European Assistance. Roadside & Recovery is currently only available for new John Lewis Car Insurance customers.

No. Our breakdown cover is only available to John Lewis Car Insurance customers.

Optional add-ons

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Motor Legal Protection

Get peace of mind with up to £100,000 towards legal costs and expenses, if you've been in an accident that wasn't your fault.

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No Claims Bonus

If you have 4 or more years' no claims bonus, we'll give you the opportunity to protect it.*

Read more

John Lewis Finance, John Lewis Insurance and John Lewis & Partners are trading names of John Lewis plc. John Lewis plc is an appointed representative (registration no. 416011) of Covea Insurance plc which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (registration no. 202277). John Lewis Car Insurance is underwritten by Covea Insurance plc.
Registered Office: A&B Mills, Dean Clough, Halifax, HX3 5AX. Registered in England and Wales (registration no. 613259).

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