The cost of breakdown cover varies between providers and levels of cover. Not all breakdown cover policies are like-for-like so it’s important to bear this in mind when comparing prices. At GEM, we only offer all-inclusive policies that automatically include home and roadside assistance, nationwide recovery and onward travel.

Find GEM breakdown cover prices here

Take a look at our breakdown cover price comparison - you might find we are cheaper than other breakdown cover providers.

With some breakdown cover providers, you have to pick and choose the cover you want. Getting covered with GEM is easy in a few simple steps, since we only provide all-inclusive cover that automatically includes everything.

You can see our breakdown cover prices here

If you’re already a GEM member - the quickest way to get assistance is to use our mobile app, but you can also call our emergency car recovery breakdown number on 01206 785 805 or 0330 999 2505.

I’m not a GEM member - To benefit from GEM breakdown recovery, you must be a GEM member.

GEM breakdown cover is a standalone policy that covers you for road side assistance only. Some car insurance policies will provide breakdown cover as an added benefit, however it’s important to check the level of cover this includes.

Roadside assistance is the basic level of breakdown cover. Having this kind of cover in place means your breakdown company will send out someone to help you if you break down on the side of the road. A full comprehensive car breakdown recovery policy, like those provided by GEM, will also cover you if your car won’t start or has a flat tyre at home.

Breakdown cover is either personal or vehicle cover. If you have personal cover, in other words YOU are covered and not the car itself, you won’t need to transfer your cover if you get a new vehicle. In fact, at GEM you won’t even need to tell us about the change of vehicle and you are also covered if you are a passenger in a vehicle that breaks down, so there is no need to transfer your cover.

No. Your breakdown cover and your car insurance are completely separate, even if they are provided through the same company.

Breakdown cover is different to a motor insurance policy. Breakdown cover isn’t usually included with standard car insurance, but it’s worth checking with your provider. Sometimes breakdown cover is offered as a bundle for a discounted price.

It’s always better to be prepared, and knowing you have breakdown cover in place can be hugely reassuring. As a GEM member, the quickest way to get assistance is to use our mobile app, but you can also call our emergency breakdown number on 01206 785 805 or 0330 999 2505.

Either way, we will need to know some information to identify you and your location. Once we’ve established where you are, our agents will find a recovery operator in your area to help with the breakdown assist. The recovery operator will carry out an inspection. They will first attempt to repair your vehicle by the roadside, but if this is not possible we will arrange motoring assistance and vehicle recovery to the nearest garage able to undertake the repair.

Established in 1932, we’ve been looking after our members for over 90 years. 

We have a long-standing heritage, and our founding road safety mission remains at the heart of everything we do and we still pride ourselves on going the extra mile to look after our members and keep them safe on the roads. Find out more about The GEM Story.

We introduced our own independent and comprehensive breakdown recovery service over 40 years ago. GEM has been named a Which? Recommended Provider for our breakdown cover in September 2024.

Read more about our car breakdown cover and The GEM Story.

Our cover is personal, which means we cover you as a driver or passenger in any eligible vehicle you're travelling in.

Handy if you're looking for the best car breakdown cover that also includes more than one vehicle, whether that’s a car or small van, or perhaps something you enjoy less often like a motorbike, motorhome, towed caravan or trailer or an old classic.

So if you're researching the best breakdown cover UK wide, for multiple vehicles, GEM's personal breakdown cover is a great multi-car breakdown cover option for you.

If you are looking for a car breakdown policy for a specific vehicle, then vehicle cover could be another option for you.

Yes! We cover you as a passenger in any eligible vehicle* you are travelling in that is covered under our terms and conditions. Please also see eligible vehicle information below.

If you're looking for family breakdown cover, you can cover up to three other members of your household by your personal breakdown cover policy. Please note, this only means family members who are driving age, you don't need to let us know about other family members in your household, such as young children. We cover up to four drivers in one household at GEM.

Personal vehicle coverage does not automatically cover your family members, only those in the same household as the policyholder who are named on the policy. However, if you are driving your vehicle, your passengers will be covered under your policy.

Eligible vehicles include private cars or motorcycles. We also cover vans and motorhomes / campervans with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) up to 3500kgs. We will assist towed caravans and trailers which do not exceed 7 metres/23 feet in length (not including the length of the A-frame and hitch). Any caravan or trailer must be attached using a standard 50 millimetre (2 inch) towing coupling. All other vehicles are not covered.

If in doubt, check the terms and conditions. If you're looking for van breakdown cover, please note we DO NOT cover vans with a GVW over 3500kgs.

Yes! We cover vehicles of any age, including classics. Looking for classic car breakdown cover?

Any caravan (up to 7 metres/23 feet long, not including the length of the a-frame or hitch) or trailer (up to 3.05 metres/10 feet long including any load, not including the length of the a-frame or hitch) attached to the broken down vehicle will be recovered with the vehicle.

In the event of a breakdown to the caravan or trailer being towed by the vehicle, we will recover it to any one place chosen within the territorial limits, which means nationwide recovery. Any caravan or trailer must be attached using a standard 50 millimetre (2 inch) towing coupling.

Looking for caravan or motorhome breakdown cover?

Yes! If you break down while driving a rental vehicle then your GEM personal car cover will cover you because you are covered as a member, your cover is personal and you can take it with you in any car you are driving or travelling in.

Yes! If you break down while driving a rental vehicle then your GEM personal car cover will cover you because you are covered as a member, your cover is personal and you can take it with you in any car you are driving or travelling in.

Some breakdown cover companies simply won’t come out if you run out of fuel or charge, fill up with the wrong fuel, get a flat battery or lose your car keys. GEM Motoring Assist have limits in these scenarios but we know that these things happen, and we will help.

Yes, a puncture or flat tyre can happen to anyone. We provide unlimited callouts so you can drive with peace of mind knowing you are covered for many eventualities, including flat tyres and punctures, flat batteries, misfuelling and running out of fuel or charge.

The transportation of domestic animals will be at the discretion of the recovery operator. We will endeavour to help arrange alternative transport however you will need to pay for this service immediately by credit or debit card.

Getting the best breakdown cover is easy with GEM. Simply choose from two options…

Recovery EXTRA – unlimited call-outs included in your car breakdown cover. Just call our recovery control centre and we take care of everything for you.

Recovery RECLAIM - comprehensive cover at the lowest possible cost, with our pay-and-reclaim option you can contact us for assistance or you can make your own arrangements for assistance and claim the appropriate costs from GEM.

A great option if you prefer to go to a specialist garage or if you want to pay less up-front for your cover.

At GEM we don't offer instant breakdown cover, the earliest we can cover you from is 24 hours after purchase.

You can buy your breakdown cover up to three months in advance. So, if you're not going to be driving for a while, or you’re getting organised for an upcoming adventure, you can pay now and rest assured that your cover will start when you need it.

We pride ourselves on providing a speedy and efficient service throughout the whole of the UK. Our fast response times are one of the reasons why we were named a Which? Recommended Provider for Breakdown Services, September 2024.

Bear in mind that response times can vary depending on the time of the incident, the day, the time of year and of course the weather.

We use a nationwide network of approved local independent recovery operators, which means wherever you break down, help is not far away.

With GEM breakdown cover you have peace of mind in the UK. GEM members can access European breakdown cover at discounted rates through our provider.

GEM breakdown cover is award-winning and highly recommended by the experts…

Which? Recommended Provider for Breakdown Services 2024

Highly Commended in the Personal Finance Awards 2023

Defaqto 5 Star Rating, one of the most comprehensive policies in the market

And most importantly, by our members… we have an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars for our online reviews on Trust Pilot, Reviews.io, Review Centre and Google.