Emergency Car Recovery
If you've broken down and need help right now, stay calm. Book emergency car recovery in under a minute - the app finds your location automatically, so you don't need to know exactly where you are. Recovery starts at £70, the price is locked in before a truck is sent, and every driver is DBS-checked and fully insured.
What to do the moment you break down
Before anything else - including opening the app - get yourself safe. A recovery truck can wait two minutes longer; you being in the path of traffic cannot.
Booking takes under 60 seconds
Once you're safe, the app does the slow part for you. There's no need to describe your location or read out a postcode from a sign you can't see properly in the dark.
Why the app asks about your vehicle's condition
Three quick questions decide which truck we send, and getting them right the first time matters more than it might seem. Does the car roll freely? Does it go into neutral? Does the handbrake release? A car that answers yes to all three can go on a standard recovery truck - quick to load, no extra equipment needed.
A car that answers no to any of them - a seized handbrake, wheel or axle damage, or stuck in gear after an accident - needs a flatbed and a set of skates to load it without causing further damage, or without being able to move it at all. That's a flat £65 add-on, covering two or four skates depending on what the vehicle needs.
If a standard truck turns up to a car that actually needs a flatbed, it can't do the job. The driver has to leave and a flatbed has to be sent instead, which doubles your wait at the exact moment you least want to be waiting. Answering honestly, even if it feels like an odd question to be asked while stressed at the roadside, is what gets the right truck to you once instead of twice.
What emergency recovery costs
| Vehicle | Base price | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Car (under 1300kg) | £70 | First 3 miles included |
| Car (1300kg-1600kg) | £75 | First 3 miles included |
| Car (over 1600kg) | £85 | First 3 miles included |
| Van / minibus | £120 | First 3 miles included |
Beyond the first 3 miles, a per-mile rate applies and increases with distance - shown in the app before you confirm, so there's no guessing. Three extra charges can apply on top of the base price, and all three are shown upfront, never added after the truck arrives.
| Extra charge | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Skates (flat fee) | £65 | Your vehicle won't roll - wheel damage, won't go into neutral, or the handbrake won't release. Covers 2 or 4 skates. |
| Congestion zone | +£25 | Pickup or drop-off falls inside a congestion charging zone. |
| Night rate | 1.5x | Booked between 23:00 and 07:00. |
Every driver is DBS-checked and carries motor trade or hire-and-reward insurance plus public liability insurance, verified before they can accept jobs - so the person loading your car is qualified to do it, not just nearby.
"Emergency" doesn't always mean the motorway
Most emergency recovery calls we get aren't on a motorway at all. Here's what changes depending on where you actually are.
Broken down specifically on a motorway or dual carriageway with a hard shoulder? See our dedicated motorway recovery guide for smart motorway and refuge area guidance. Ran out of fuel rather than broken down? See motorway fuel delivery. Car won't start but doesn't need towing? Try jump start first.
Emergency recovery across the UK
Fastest average response is in these ten cities. Need a van or minibus recovered rather than a car? See van recovery.
Emergency car recovery FAQs
Need recovery right now?
Once you're somewhere safe, get your fixed price in 60 seconds. DBS-checked driver, no membership, no surprises.
Get a fixed price nowTom Hargreaves - Head of Recovery Standards
Tom spent 12 years patrolling UK motorways with the AA before joining TowManVan. He signs off every emergency recovery price, safety step and response-time claim 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.