Breakdown recovery to franchised garage

Birka

We have a 2017 Peugeot that has a 5 year warranty but only 3 years breakdown assist. Our insurance breakdown cover will only recover the car to the nearest competent repairer so there's not much chance of it being recovered to a Peugeot dealer.

This is an issue because there's a decent chance that the Peugeot warranty will cover the cost of repairs but that gets messy if a non-Peugeot repairer fixes it.

Does anyone know of a breakdown assist service that'll recover a broken-down car to a franchised dealer?

zilog_jones

The two times I've used breakdown cover I was given the choice of where to get it towed to. So if the dealer is nearby I can't imagine it being a problem.

EndaHonesty

In almost 30 years of driving I've had to use breakdown assistance 3 times.
Each time they took the vehicle to wherever I chose.

Broadly speaking the breakdown assistance included when you buy the car is exactly the same as the assistance included with insurance.

I think you are worried about something that will never happen.

colm_mcm

EndaHonesty wrote: »

Your insurance policy should include breakdown assistance...

Read the OP again

bladespin

Check with your dealer, many franchises have their own service which will take your car to their nearest dealer.

Birka

Thanks everyone for the answers.

Our local Peugeot dealer, from who we bought the car doesn't provide a free recovery service, although I was dealing with service and not sales during the week - maybe sales would have some clout in the matter. The dealership is 30km away from our house and the recovery service would pass though one and possibly two large towns with quite a few 'competent repairers' on the way there.

It is possible that I'm worrying about something that'll never happen but it might well boil down to what kind of the day the motor insurance company's recovery truck driver is having. He's a subcontractor so he has to keep an eye on the bottom line too. While we got the car to the dealership ourselves in the end this week, it's our second breakdown with the car within the last year so its got the potential to happen again.

EndaHonesty

Birka wrote: »

Thanks everyone for the answers.

Our local Peugeot dealer, from who we bought the car doesn't provide a free recovery service, although I was dealing with service and not sales during the week - maybe sales would have some clout in the matter. The dealership is 30km away from our house and the recovery service would pass though one and possibly two large towns with quite a few 'competent repairers' on the way there.

It is possible that I'm worrying about something that'll never happen but it might well boil down to what kind of the day the motor insurance company's recovery truck driver is having. He's a subcontractor so he has to keep an eye on the bottom line too. While we got the car to the dealership ourselves in the end this week, it's our second breakdown with the car within the last year so its got the potential to happen again.

A 2017 car should not be breaking down. What caused the previous breakdown's?

bladespin

EndaHonesty wrote: »

A 2017 car should not be breaking down. What caused the previous breakdown's?

That all depends.

Birka

EndaHonesty wrote: »

A 2017 car should not be breaking down. What caused the previous breakdown's?

Adblue injector the last time. Possibly same again this time as that's logged although with a different code this time and ties in with the symptoms. Adblue system issues are becoming quite common with newer diesel Peugeots. The warranty covers it all but getting the car to the dealer is a concern.

Dirty Nails

EndaHonesty wrote: »

Broadly speaking the breakdown assistance included when you buy the car is exactly the same as the assistance included with insurance.

Sorry to contradict you,but no,it's not. OP is correct, years warranty but only 3 years roadside assist from Peugeot. That cover is provided by AA. Breakdown cover from his own insurance varies between insurers,but generally 15 km. He could have used the 15km recovery & possibly paid the balance to the recovery agent.
Failing that he could buy AA cover, eg Rescue Plus with unlimited recovery(like warranty cover) rather than Road Rescue which is what his insurer is giving him.
You get what you pay for

antodeco

In the last 12 months, I've used AA breakdown 6 times. I have the higher plan, but they will tow me anywhere in the UK or Ireland to wherever I want it to towed to.

My own car insurance also have a "nearest garage" policy. Interestingly, they won't offer breakdown assistance if the car doesn't have NCT. Which was annoying as one of my policies is a classic policy on 2 cars over 40 years old which are NCT exempt

L1011

Put some pressure on the insurer to bring it where you want and they'll probably do so, or ask for some nominal co-payment.

Two years ago I had the same crap. Emphasised that my car was a specialist vehicle which they were clearly fully aware of when they insured it and that it had to go to someone who could actually repair it. Got phoned back ten minutes later agreeing to do so.

Said mechanic has had cars towed from Galway to him (in Santry) for the same reason - specialist repairer for rare brands. Argument may be a bit less strong for a common vehicle but the core point is still there - it has to go to someone capable.

EndaHonesty

Dirty Nails wrote: »

Sorry to contradict you,but no,it's not. OP is correct, years warranty but only 3 years roadside assist from Peugeot. That cover is provided by AA. Breakdown cover from his own insurance varies between insurers,but generally 15 km. He could have used the 15km recovery & possibly paid the balance to the recovery agent.
Failing that he could buy AA cover, eg Rescue Plus with unlimited recovery(like warranty cover) rather than Road Rescue which is what his insurer is giving him.
You get what you pay for

My own insurance breakdown assistance will tow my car to anywhere on the island of Ireland.
I've never seen any insurance cover that specifies a towing distance, especially not so little as 15km.

They generally have to offer you the option of taking you to your destination, and that could cost much more than taking you to your preferred garage, so for that reason alone they generally will take the car to the garage of your choice.

Dirty Nails

EndaHonesty wrote: »

My own insurance breakdown assistance will tow my car to anywhere on the island of Ireland.
I've never seen any insurance cover that specifies a towing distance, especially not so little as 15km.

They generally have to offer you the option of taking you to your destination, and that could cost much more than taking you to your preferred garage, so for that reason alone they generally will take the car to the garage of your choice.

Possible,like I said,varies with insurers.
Just because you haven't seen it doesn't make it any less true.
I'm not trying to start a battle with you,but I can promise you that I know.

"They generally have to offer you the option of taking you to your destination"
Not necessarily true either. You get the limit of the cover on your breakdown policy.

pippip

EndaHonesty wrote: »

My own insurance breakdown assistance will tow my car to anywhere on the island of Ireland.
I've never seen any insurance cover that specifies a towing distance, especially not so little as 15km.

Don't be offended but I'd double check your current policy to be sure as the fact that you've never heard breakdown assistance with towing distance is a little worrying to begin with as that is more commonplace.

I'm with Zurich and they'll tow "anywhere in Ireland".....to a location of within 50km before I have to pay the extra.

pippip

A family members brand new Peugeot broke down on a Sunday while on a weekend break to Cork last year. Like mentioned Peugeot use AA which happily came out and tried to get the car going. Told they could tow it to the local Peugeot in Cork, not to where it was purchased in Dublin. When repaired the car would also have to be collected from CORK!

Couldn't tow it on the Sunday so had to leave the car there to be towed on the Monday morning.

Fair play to Bluebell (where it was purchased) they said ok to repair there (grounding issue) and they'd transport it up to them to check over again and make sure all ok before handing it back in Dublin.

Rental car to be provided as per policy although that was 30-40 mins drive away and the car had to be collected on a Sunday, no delivery available. Luckily other family down with them so not a problem, on this occasion. And could be returned to the Dublin depot which happened to be in Bluebell too.

Just a few lessons to be learnt from above so people are aware of how everything can seem covered until it actually needs to be used and it turns messy.

Dirty Nails

pippip wrote: »

Don't be offended but I'd double check your current policy to be sure as the fact that you've never heard breakdown assistance with towing distance is a little worrying to begin with as that is more commonplace.

I'm with Zurich and they'll tow "anywhere in Ireland".....to a location of within 50km before I have to pay the extra.

I think AA Rescue Plus is one of the few that gives unlimited recovery if your car is broken down more than 1 km from your home. If it's at home there is a limit on recovery. But thats a separate policy to car insurance. Having said that I've seen Allianze or Aviva (can't remember which) recovering a car long distance but it's a very unusual thing to happen.

Dirty Nails

pippip wrote: »

A family members brand new Peugeot broke down on a Sunday while on a weekend break to Cork last year. Like mentioned they use AA which happily came out and tried to get the car going. Told they could tow it to the local Peugeot in Cork, not to where it was purchased in Dublin. When repaired the car would also have to be collected from CORK!

Couldn't tow it on the Sunday so had to leave the car there to be towed on the Monday morning.

Fair play to Bluebell (where it was purchased) they said ok to repair there (grounding issue) and they'd transport it up to them to check over again and make sure all ok before handing it back in Dublin.

Rental car to be provided as per policy although that was 30-40 mins drive away and the car had to be collected on a Sunday, no delivery available. Luckily other family down with them so not a problem, on this occasion. And could be returned to the Dublin depot which happened to be in Bluebell too.

Just a few lessons to be learnt from above so people are aware of how everything can seem covered until it actually needs to be used and it turns messy.

Peugeot,like most makers will only recover to the nearest dealer. It must have been in a safe place,if it was on the roadside,it would have been recovered to storage & delivered the following day.

pippip

Dirty Nails wrote: »

I think AA Rescue Plus is one of the few that gives unlimited recovery if your car is broken down more than 1 km from your home. If it's at home there is a limit on recovery. But thats a separate policy to car insurance. Having said that I've seen Allianze or Aviva (can't remember which) recovering a car long distance but it's a very unusual thing to happen.

A quick google show Allianz and Aviva as towing to "your garage or nearest garage, whichever is closer", again 50km limit.

I'm sure there are circumstances where they might tow further, maybe breakdown as a result of previous covered repairs from one of their approved garages.

pippip

Dirty Nails wrote: »

Peugeot,like most makers will only recover to the nearest dealer. It must have been in a safe place,if it was on the roadside,it would have been recovered to storage & delivered the following day.

Hotel carpark, but yeh never thought about if it had been roadside somewhere.