Guide to Car Hire Breakdowns and What to Do
Renting a car on holiday or for a business trip offers freedom and flexibility, until the unexpected happens and the car breaks down. Staying calm and taking the right steps can help you make the stressful breakdown situation into a manageable incident during your journey with the help of this car hire breakdown guide.
What to Do If a Rental Car Breaks Down?
Nothing throws a wrench in your travel plans like a car that suddenly coughs and dies on the road. If your rental car breaks down, follow these immediate steps to stay safe and get help quickly:
- Pull over safely: At the first sign of trouble, such as hearing strange noises, warning lights, or loss of power, signal and steer the car to the side of the road as far out of traffic as possible. Find a level, stable spot to stop. Your priority is to get out of the flow of vehicles and avoid causing an accident. Never just stop in an active lane; even if the car is losing power, try to move to a safe area. Once stopped, engage the handbrake and switch off the engine if the engine is getting harsh.
- Turn on hazard lights and use a warning triangle: Turn on your hazard flashers immediately. If you have a high-visibility vest, put it on before exiting the car. Place the warning triangle on the road a good distance behind your car, about 45–50 metres is recommended, or even further on high-speed roads.
- Stay safe and be cautious: If you’re on a motorway or any busy road, it’s usually safest to exit the vehicle, using the passenger side doors away from traffic and wait well away from the road, possibly behind a barrier or up an embankment if possible. Do not linger in the car if it’s at risk of being hit and never stand in front of or behind the vehicle. If you’re on a quieter road and it seems safe to remain inside, for example, in bad weather or an unfamiliar area, keep your seatbelt on and doors locked while you wait for help.
- Contact the car rental roadside assistance: As soon as you’re safely off the road, call the rental car company’s emergency number. Nearly all major rental companies provide a 24-hour car hire roadside assistance hotline. Hence, check your rental agreement for the number. Let them know your situation by identifying yourself, the car and registration number, your location, and what happened if you noticed any warning lights or strange sounds.
- Do not attempt major repairs yourself: Even if you’re mechanically well-versed, you generally need the rental company’s approval to arrange fixes. If the car is totally immobilised, they may arrange for a replacement car to be sent or guide you to the nearest branch to swap vehicles once the car is towed.
- Call local emergency services if needed: If the breakdown is in a dangerous spot, like the middle of the road, or you feel at risk, for instance, on a dark highway at night, you can also call the local police for assistance. You can dial 999 for emergency help, or 101 for non-emergency help, and they will send roadside help or police to secure the area if needed.
- Document the situation (if safe to do): While waiting, it can be helpful to take notes or photos, especially if there’s any visible issue like smoke, fluid leak, or a flat tyre or if an accident led to the breakdown. This documentation can be useful later when dealing with the rental company or insurance. However, only do this if you can do so safely, off the road. Your main focus is to stay out of harm’s way until help arrives.
Who Is Responsible for the Breakdown?
Once you’ve dealt with the immediate problem, the next big question is: Who pays if a rental car breaks down?
Responsibility for a rental car breakdown can fall on either the rental company or you, the driver, depending on what caused the breakdown. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the common scenarios:
1. Mechanical failure due to normal wear and tear
If the car’s engine dies or the battery gives up during the journey, then the rental company is responsible. Rental agencies are obligated to provide roadworthy, well-maintained vehicles. In such cases, the rental firm should cover towing, and repair costs, and arrange a new car for you at no extra charge. They have to make it right when their vehicle fails.
2. Breakdown due to driver negligence or misuse
On the other hand, if the breakdown can be traced to something you did as the driver, you may be held liable for the damage. Negligence covers a range of mistakes, for instance, misfuelling, driving it with no oil or coolant after ignoring warning lights, or taking the car off-road where it’s not allowed and damaging the undercarriage. If you drive recklessly or contrary to the car hire agreement and cause a breakdown, you’re likely to be liable for the costs.
Even seemingly minor negligence can cost you, for example, if you run the battery flat by leaving the lights on overnight, the car hire company might charge you for the call-out and fixes.
3. Accident-related breakdowns
If the car’s breakdown is the result of an accident or collision, responsibility will be determined by the circumstances of that crash. If you crashed the car or someone hit you, it’s no longer just a breakdown, it’s damage from an accident. In these cases, the rental’s collision insurance (CDW) or your car hire excess insurance should cover the repairs, but you will almost certainly have to pay the excess payable until insurance is settled.
If another driver was at fault, their insurance may ultimately cover it, but you might still be asked to pay the excess temporarily
What to Do If You Are Unfairly Blamed for Damages
Unfortunately, there are cases where a traveller who hired a car gets blamed and billed for a breakdown that wasn’t their fault. The rental company might assume misuse simply because you were the one driving when it happened. If you find yourself in such a dispute, you have the right to challenge it. Provide any evidence you can such as photos, mechanic’s notes, or witness statements that back your story.
Escalate the issue within the car hire company, and don’t be afraid to dispute charges with your credit card if you have solid proof. The key is documentation, the more you can show the breakdown wasn’t due to you, the better your chances of not paying.
If needed, seek advice from a consumer protection body or ombudsman, especially in the country of the car hire. Always read the hire agreement’s section on breakdowns and damage, it will outline your responsibilities and what you’ll be charged for.
Tip to Consider: upon pickup, ask about the car’s service history or age. If you’re given a very old, high-mileage car and it breaks, it strengthens the argument that it was a pre-existing issue.
Understanding Car Hire Breakdown Cover
When you hire a car, you might wonder, does rental car insurance cover breakdowns? The answer is usually not by default. Car hire insurance breakdown cover is a separate aspect that may or may not be included in your rental package. Here’s what you need to know about it.
- What standard breakdown assistance includes? Most major car hire companies do include essential services for roadside assistance in the car rental rate. This usually covers mechanical faults such as towing and repair that are not the renter’s fault, essentially, it protects their own car asset. For instance, if the engine dies, the car hire company will tow and fix it at their expense. However, this basic assistance often won’t cover driver-induced issues.
- What will breakdown insurance cover? To fully protect yourself, car hire companies offer roadside assistance packages for an extra daily fee. This Comprehensive breakdown cover, whether purchased from the rental company, typically covers the cost of towing and repairs for breakdowns due to mechanical issues and also covers certain driver-induced incidents. If you have this cover and if your car breaks down, you call the assistance number and they’ll take care of everything at no extra cost: recovery, repair, and often onward travel or a replacement car.
Common exclusions to be aware of
- Misfuelling - Many policies exclude it because it’s considered an expensive driver’s mistake.
- Clutch damage - If you burn out the clutch, insurers often deem it driver misuse.
- Tyre damage - It can be excluded unless you buy specific tyre protection.
- Lost keys - Lost keys or locking keys in the car might not be covered by basic plans.
- Off-road Driving - Harsh driving or breaking the rental terms voids the cover, if you take the car somewhere you shouldn’t, and it breaks, then a breakdown cover will not save you.
Gigasure’s Breakdown cover advantages
In car hire breakdown scenarios, Gigasure’s Car Hire Excess Insurance, for instance, offers some valuable breakdown-related protections that standard car hire companies may not. Gigasure covers scenarios that many basic policies exclude. For example, misfuelling is covered up to £2,000 with Gigasure. This is a huge relief, as misfuelling is typically not covered by rental companies and can cost hundreds of pounds to get the car running again.
Gigasure also includes car hire key replacement up to £500 as standard, so if your key fob dies or you lose the key, you can claim that expense if the rental car company decides to charge you. With the Gigasure app, you can notify us of your claim in 4 easy steps and the insurance company will proceed to settle the amount you are seeking reimbursement for.
Additionally, coverage extends to damage to tyres, windscreen, and undercarriage, addressing numerous causes of breakdowns.
While Gigasure’s car hire excess insurance is primarily there to cover damage costs, those benefits effectively act like breakdown cover for many incidents that would otherwise come out of your pocket.
What Costs Could You Face Without Breakdown Cover?
Breakdowns can not only ruin your holiday or planned trip, they can also raid your wallet if you’re not properly insured or covered. Without a good breakdown cover or insurance, you may be liable for a range of costs. Here are the potential expenses you could face when a hired car breaks down and you don’t have cover:
- Towing and call-out fees: Getting a broken car off the road and to a garage is priority number one. If your car hire includes basic roadside assistance for mechanical faults, the towing might be arranged free by the company, but if the breakdown was due to something like driver error or if you violated the car hire terms, then you could be charged for the same.
- Roadside assistance charges: If the issue is minor and can be fixed roadside, like a flat battery jump-start or replacing a punctured tyre, a breakdown service might charge a fee for that. Some car hire companies will bill you a standard roadside call-out fee, if the cause was not a car fault.
- Replacement car costs: A car hire company generally provides a rental car breakdown replacement policy through which they provide a replacement vehicle if the original one is out of action, but the conditions vary. If the breakdown was a mechanical failure and you followed all the procedures as per the terms and conditions, then the car hire company should give you another car at no extra rental cost.
- Repair bills: If it’s a mechanical issue not caused by you, the rental company pays the repair. But if you are at fault, you could be charged for the repairs. If you lack breakdown cover or a good insurance, you’ll have to pay the bill.
- “Loss of use” and admin fees from the rental company: Car hire companies can charge you for the income they lose while the car is off the road being repaired. This is called a loss of use fee.
When and How to Claim for a Breakdown?
If you experience a breakdown in your hired car, dealing with the aftermath is a two-step process
- Getting the car sorted in the moment
- Handling the claims and paperwork afterwards
Steps to Take if Repairs are Needed
- When you call the rental company about the breakdown, they will guide you on how to proceed with repairs or recovery. In many cases, they’ll send their own approved mechanic or tow service.
- If they instead ask you to arrange repairs, make sure you get approval for any expenses.
- Do not just fix the car on your own at an unauthorised or non-approved garage without informing the car hire company.
When to Pay Upfront vs. Wait for Approval
As a rule of thumb, don’t spend your own money on the car without checking with the car hire company first. The exception is if you’re in an emergency and absolutely can’t reach them. In such dire cases, you might pay for help out-of-pocket and sort it out later. But, generally, insist the rental company to arrange things or to approve your course of action.
Furthermore, be aware that breakdowns often result in a cluster of paperwork, starting from towing receipts, mechanic invoices, new rental agreements for replacement cars, etc. Keep every piece of documentation. Also, if any repairer or mechanic gives you a report or diagnosis, keep that too as it can prove the cause of breakdown for insurance claims.
Claim Process via Gigasure
If you have Gigasure’s Car Hire Excess Insurance, the good news is you can likely claim many of the costs incurred due to the breakdown in 4 easy steps. Here’s how it works:
- Step 1: Log In and Select Your Policy
Start by logging into the Gigasure app and select the policy relevant to your claim to kickstart the process.
- Step 2: Provide Details of Your Trip
Now enter the details of your trip, specifying any particulars that relate to the claim.
- Step 3: Describe Your Claim and Attach Documents
Next, describe what happened, including assistance you required. Easily upload any supporting documents such as receipts or mechanic reports directly through the app.
- Step 4: Submit Your Claim
Finally, review your details, add your payment information for any reimbursements, and submit your claim.
How to Avoid Breakdowns and Unexpected Costs
While not every breakdown is preventable, there are many steps you can take to minimise the risk of a breakdown and avoid unexpected costs. Here’s how to be proactive with your rental car:
- Thoroughly inspect the car before driving: The car agent will usually walk around the car with you to note any existing damage, but don’t rush this process. Take your time to check the car’s exterior and interior for any issues. This protects you from false damage claims later, and it might reveal something that could cause a breakdown.
- Check fluid levels and tyres, especially before long trips: It might feel odd to check under the bonnet of a hired car, but basic maintenance can save you a headache. Verify the engine oil level and coolant level if necessary. Moreover, inspect all four tyres for proper tread and any signs of damage or low pressure. If any tyre looks deflated, ask the car hire company to inflate or replace it before you depart.
- Follow the car hire company’s rules and the car’s limits: Many breakdowns occur because the car was ridden beyond its intended use. Do not engage in prohibited uses.
- Pay attention to how the car feels in the first few miles: As you drive away from the car hire company lot, be alert to the car’s behaviour. Does it steer straight? Are the brakes responsive without any strange noise? If something doesn’t feel right, return to the rental office immediately or call them. It would be advisable to change the car right away.
Your Frequent Questions Answered
1. Can I get a replacement car if mine breaks down?
In most cases, yes. If the car hire cannot be quickly fixed or towed to a nearby location, the rental company will provide a replacement vehicle so you can continue your journey. How fast and where you get the replacement can depend on circumstances. Also, make sure to clarify with the roadside assistance when you call: ask they will you be sending a replacement car, and if so, how and when?
2. What if I break down outside the car hire company’s service area?
First, ensure you’re allowed to take the car hire to that area, if you’ve driven into an unauthorised country or region, the rental agreement might be void and you might be fully liable for any issues. If you’re in a very remote area, you might have to involve local authorities or park services to help get you to a safe location. The car hire company might then tow the vehicle later.
Hence, when the car breaks down out of the service area, you’ll still get help, but expect a bit more self-reliance until the rental’s network can reach you. It’s wise to have travel insurance in this scenario, as they can sometimes coordinate emergency assistance.
3. Will my travel insurance cover a car hire breakdown?
Generally, standard travel insurance does not cover mechanical breakdown of a hired car. Travel insurance may cover accidents, medical expenses for you, or possibly rental car damage via a collision damage waiver add-on, but a car breakdown is considered a responsibility of the rental car agreement. If car breakdown cover is important to you, consider Gigasure’s Car Hire Excess Insurance which fills that gap.
4. How can I ensure I don’t get charged for damage I didn’t cause?
When picking up your rental car, take the time to thoroughly inspect it. Document any pre-existing damage by taking clear, timestamped photos and ensure that these are noted by the rental agent on the paperwork.
Upon returning the car, insist on a joint inspection. If the agent suggests you can just leave the keys, request a formal check while you are present. Use your phone to take photos or videos at drop-off as proof of the car's condition.
Take Control of Your Journey with Gigasure's Car Hire Excess Insurance
Car breakdowns in a rental can be stressful, but they don’t have to derail your trip. Remember the key actions: stay safe, alert your rental company immediately, and document everything.
Gigasure’s Car Hire Excess Insurance is a traveller’s best friend when it comes to unexpected costs. It acts as a safety net during car rental. If your rental car breaks down or suffers damage, Gigasure steps in to cover towing charges, repair bills and the excess fees that rental companies levy.
Gigasure’s Car Hire Excess Insurance provides support including
- Excess protection up to £10,000, insuring against damage to bodywork, tyres, roof, windscreen, and undercarriage, as well as covering fire damage, vandalism, and theft.
- Misfuelling cover up to £2,000
- Up to £75,000 in Collision Damage Waiver Protection**
- Rental Car Vehicle Key Protection included as standard
- Cover for up to 9 named drivers on any single rental agreement
- Up to 65 days of continuous cover on any one rental agreement with Annual Multi-Trip policies
**Collision Damage Waiver available with USA & Canada and Worldwide policies.
Be prepared and you’ll stay in control during the breakdown of your rental car. Most rentals go smoothly, but it’s empowering to know you’re ready for the what-ifs. Furthermore, Gigasure also provides Van Hire Excess Insurance for those planning to rent a van. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us to learn more or if you have any queries regarding Travel Insurance or Car Hire Excess Insurance.
Safe travels, and with Gigasure’s protection, you can hit the road with confidence and peace of mind, you won’t be left stranded or out-of-pocket.
