Car Recovery Prices
Wondering what car recovery actually costs? Every fee is laid out here before you book: £70-£85 for a car depending on weight, £120 for a van or minibus, plus mileage, skates and congestion charges where they apply. The price is locked into the app before a truck is dispatched, so there is no bidding, no haggling and no surprise mileage bill when the driver arrives.
Car recovery prices by vehicle weight
Every price above already includes the first 3 miles of towing. The app weighs up your vehicle from the details you enter, so you are never asked to guess which tier applies.
How mileage is charged
The first 3 miles of every recovery are already covered by the base price above. Beyond that, a per-mile rate applies and increases with distance, so a short local hop and a genuinely long-distance tow are not charged at the same per-mile figure. The app calculates the exact mileage charge from your pickup and drop-off postcodes the moment you request a recovery, and adds it to the base price before you ever see a total. There is no separate mileage invoice later, and nothing to negotiate with the driver on the day.
Extra fees that can apply
Three extra charges can sit on top of the base price and mileage, and all three are shown in the app before you confirm, never added afterwards.
Vetted drivers, and nothing to sign up for
Every price on this page assumes a DBS-checked driver carrying motor trade (hire-and-reward) insurance and public liability cover, verified before they're allowed to take a recovery job. None of that is billed separately, it's already folded into the base price. There is also no membership to buy, no joining fee, and no annual cost sitting in the background: you only pay when you actually need a recovery, and the price you're quoted is the price you pay, whether this is your first recovery with TowManVan or your fifth.
Worked price examples
Three real scenarios show how the pricing actually adds up.
A hatchback under 1300kg won't start outside a house, 2 miles from the nearest garage. Daytime, no congestion zone, and the car rolls fine.
- Base price (covers first 3 miles): £70
- Mileage: included, nothing extra
- Skates: not needed
Total: £70
A saloon in the 1300-1600kg band breaks down on an A-road, mid-afternoon, and needs to reach a garage 15 miles away.
- Base price (covers first 3 miles): £75
- Mileage: charged for the remaining 12 miles, calculated from your exact route
- Skates: not needed
Total: base price plus the mileage figure shown in the app, itemised before you confirm
A large SUV over 1600kg breaks down on the motorway at 11pm and needs recovering 200 miles home.
- Base price: £85
- Mileage: charged for the full 200-mile distance
- Night rate: 1.5x applies, covering both the base price and mileage, because the job falls in the 23:00-07:00 window
Total: every component itemised and totalled in the app before the driver is dispatched
TowManVan vs AA/RAC vs a local firm
How does that compare to calling the AA or RAC without a membership, or ringing round local recovery firms for a quote?
| What you get | TowManVan | AA/RAC (non-member) | Local recovery firm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exact price shown before you book | |||
| Fixed price, no haggling on arrival | |||
| No annual membership pushed on you | |||
| DBS-checked driver guaranteed | |||
| Insurance confirmed upfront, not just claimed | |||
| Live tracking of your driver's arrival |
A non-member AA or RAC callout typically costs £150-£250 or more before mileage, and often comes with a hard push to buy annual membership on the phone. Ringing round local recovery firms can be cheaper, but most will not give you a firm price until the driver has seen the car, so you are committing before you know the total. TowManVan starts at £70, with every extra charge itemised in the app before the truck leaves.
How the price is locked in
Car recovery prices in the UK's biggest cities
Pricing is the same nationwide, but average arrival times and driver availability vary by city. These are TowManVan's ten busiest coverage areas.
Car recovery price FAQs
Ready to see your price?
Enter your vehicle and locations in the app and see the full price, including any extras, before a driver is dispatched.
Get an instant priceTom Hargreaves - Head of Recovery Standards
Tom spent 12 years patrolling UK motorways with the AA before joining TowManVan. He signs off every price, coverage claim and safety step on this page. Questions? Email tom@towmanvan.co.uk. All figures reviewed August 2026.
Last updated August 2026. Prices verified August 2026 by Tom Hargreaves.