Car Breakdown in London? Breakdown Recovery and Roadside Assistance, 24/7
If your car has broken down in London, call or WhatsApp 07960 200253. Tell us where you are and what the car is doing. If it can be fixed where it stands, such as a flat battery or a puncture, we fix it there. If not, we recover it to your garage, home or wherever you choose. Recovery starts at £80, a jump start at £60, and the price is agreed on the phone before we set off. On a motorway follow the Highway Code rule 277 steps and call 999 if you cannot reach safety and cannot get out safely, then call us once you are safe.
- No call-out fee
- Price agreed first
- Fully insured operators
- 24/7/365
We take your location, registration, fuel type, gearbox type and the symptom, agree a fixed price on the phone, then set off. There is no call-out fee, no membership and no annual contract. We cover every London postcode, the M25 and the wider motorway network, and the vehicle goes to your garage, your home or wherever you choose. For other jobs, see our page on all vehicle recovery in London, which covers cars and vans.
Breakdown recovery or roadside assistance: which do you need?
Roadside assistance is testing and fixing the fault where the vehicle stands, such as a flat battery, a puncture or an empty tank. Breakdown recovery is the truck: it is what happens when the fault cannot be put right at the side of the road, and the car is taken to your garage, your home or wherever you choose. You do not need to know which one you need when you ring. Describe what the car did and where you are, and we will work it out with you on the call.
The AA says it fixes 4 out of 5 cars at the roadside, based on its own operational data between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. We do not publish a fix rate of our own. What we commit to is the order of work: we look at fixing it first, and we only load the vehicle when fixing it where it stands is not the right answer.
Not your fault? Recovery after a non-fault accident
If anyone is hurt or the road is blocked after a crash, call 999 first. If another driver was at fault, we can arrange your recovery at no upfront cost to you, and the claim is handled through our sister service at citygripclaims.co.uk. The costs are claimed from the at-fault driver's insurer. Whether you can have a replacement vehicle depends on the circumstances. If liability is disputed, what you owe depends on the agreement you sign, so read it before you sign. There is more on accident recovery if the car was damaged in a crash.
How we decide whether to fix it here or load it on the truck
The first thing that happens at the scene is not a spanner. It is a judgement about where the vehicle is standing and whether the work can be done safely there at all. A car on a quiet residential street, a car in lane one of the A406 and a car on level minus two of a shopping centre car park are three different jobs even when the fault is identical. On a motorway or any busy road, the first step is the one the Highway Code gives in rule 275: try to stop in a place of relative safety. Any work by our technician comes after that. Drivers should not attempt repairs on a motorway (rule 277).
The checks run from the commonest and cheapest cause towards the most expensive: what the car was doing when it stopped, whether it cranks, battery voltage and terminals, fuses and relays, warning lights, fluid levels and stored fault codes. The job tips from repair to recovery on specific evidence: a part that has to come apart to be reached, a noise or smell that points to internal damage, a loss of steering, braking or drive, or a fault we can only guess at. A fix that would get the car rolling but not home safely is not a repair either. If the fix is honest, we do it and you drive away. If it is not, we say so plainly and recover the vehicle to where you choose. The price is agreed on the phone before we set off.
What a roadside check tells you, and what the warning lights mean
A roadside check of cranking behaviour, voltage under load, warning lights, fuse and relay condition, fluid levels and stored fault codes will usually point to a flat or failing battery, a charging fault, a blown fuse, a bad earth, a fuel supply problem, a coolant loss or a tyre and wheel issue. It will also tell you when something serious is wrong, even when it cannot say exactly what.
Red warning lights mean stop as soon as it is safe to do so. A red oil pressure light means the engine has lost oil pressure, and a red coolant temperature light means it is overheating, so do not drive on with either. An amber light means the fault needs checking.
Roadside assistance in London: what we fix where the car stands
The AA lists 12 volt battery faults as the most common cause of breakdowns. A jump start is from £60 and gets a flat battery moving again. Alongside that sit blown fuses and relays, loose or corroded battery terminals and a poor earth. Lost keys and coded replacement keys are auto locksmith work rather than roadside work, and we will say so on the call. If the battery itself needs replacing rather than boosting, see our battery assistance and jump start service.
Wrong fuel is the call where the first minute matters most. The AA says do not start the car, and the RAC says to leave the engine off and keep the key out of the ignition, because the most serious damage happens after the ignition is turned on. Draining is quoted on the call, because the price depends on how much fuel is in the tank and whether the engine has already been started. If you have simply run out, fuel delivery is £70 to £200 and includes a set amount of fuel. See our fuel delivery and wrong fuel drain service. An electric vehicle at zero charge needs recovery to a charge point, not a jerrycan.
Tyre and wheel calls stall for predictable reasons: a locking wheel nut with no key in the car, wheel nuts too tight for a roadside brace, or no spare wheel in the boot. Tell us which applies when you call. Mobile tyre fitting starts at £140 on ordinary roads and runs from £250 to £750 on motorways, where restricted access and working conditions are the reason for the difference. See our mobile tyre fitting service.
Breakdown recovery in London: the faults that usually need the truck
Some faults usually mean the car needs the truck: clutch failure, gearbox failure, a snapped cambelt or timing chain, head gasket failure, a significant loss of coolant or oil, a seized engine, a broken driveshaft or wheel bearing or a snapped suspension spring. In those cases the vehicle is loaded and taken where you want it, from £80, with the price agreed before we set off. For flatbed jobs see car towing.
Electric cars, automatics, vans and motorbikes: why we ask what you drive
Electric and hybrid cars are carried on a flatbed with all four wheels off the ground. Tell us the make and model when you call. One point that surprises owners: a flat 12 volt battery can stop an electric car starting even when the main battery is nearly full.
Automatics, dual clutch gearboxes and four-wheel-drive vehicles can need different handling from a manual two-wheel-drive car, so tell us whether yours is manual or automatic.
Low or lowered cars are harder to load, and a loaded van behind a height barrier is a different job from an empty one on a driveway. We also recover vans (see van breakdown recovery) and motorbikes (see motorbike and scooter recovery). This is why the call asks what you drive, whether it is manual or automatic, petrol, diesel or electric, whether the wheels turn and whether the steering unlocks: the answers tell us how the job has to be done.
No breakdown cover or membership needed: how a one-off call works
You do not need a policy to call us. There is no membership and no annual contract, and you can call even if you already hold cover with someone else. If you plan to claim the cost back from your own provider, ask them before you agree the job, because whether they reimburse an invoice from another company depends on their terms. More answers are on our FAQs page.
Our prices are agreed on the phone before we set off. Recovery and towing start at £80. A jump start is from £60. Fuel delivery is £70 to £200 and includes a set amount of fuel. Mobile tyre fitting starts at £140 on ordinary roads, and £250 to £750 on a motorway. Wrong fuel draining is quoted on the call. There is no call-out fee on any of it. For more detail see our London car recovery price guide, or call 07960 200253 for a price.
The price is one figure for the whole job, rather than a call-out charge plus a rate for every mile. What changes it is distance, time of day, whether the vehicle rolls and steers, whether the wheels turn at all, seized brakes or a locked steering column, a motorway or red route location, and underground or multi-storey access. We put all of that into one number and tell you what it is before we set off. Ask for an itemised invoice, because you will need it if you intend to reclaim the cost from an insurer, a breakdown policy, an employer or a fleet operator.
Car breakdown in London: what to do first
On an ordinary road (not a motorway), Highway Code rules 275 and 276 apply. Get the vehicle off the road if you can, and keep well away from it and from moving traffic. Switch on your hazard warning lights if it is causing an obstruction. Wear light-coloured or fluorescent clothing in daylight and reflective clothing at night or in poor visibility. Keep your sidelights on in the dark. Never stand, or let anyone else stand, between your vehicle and oncoming traffic. Only if you have a warning triangle and it is safe to do so, put it on the road at least 45 metres (147 feet) behind the vehicle on the same side, taking great care when you place it. Do not walk back along a fast or busy road to place one, and never use one on a motorway. Once you are safe, call us on 07960 200253. The motorway steps are different and follow in the next paragraph.
On a motorway the advice is different. Highway Code rule 277 says to leave the motorway at the next exit or pull into a service area if you can. If you cannot, move into the left lane (into an emergency area if you can reach one), stop as far to the left as possible and switch your hazard lights on. If it is safe and possible, leave by the side furthest from traffic, make sure any passengers do the same, and wait well away from the vehicle, behind the safety barrier where there is one. Only if you cannot get your vehicle to the left lane or a place of relative safety, and cannot get out safely and well away from the vehicle and moving traffic, stay in the vehicle with your seat belt and hazard lights on and call 999 immediately and ask for the police (or press your SOS button if your vehicle has one and ask for the police). Do not try repairs, do not place a warning triangle on the carriageway and do not go back to the vehicle once you have left it. Once you are safe, call us on 07960 200253. Some motorways have no hard shoulder at all (all lane running smart motorways), for example the M25 between Junctions 23 and 27. On those stretches aim for an emergency area, which is marked by a blue sign with an orange SOS telephone symbol.
If you do not know where you are and can see a marker post or driver location sign from where you are safely waiting, read us the number on it. Otherwise give us a what3words address. Do not walk along the carriageway to find a post or sign. If you have stopped in an emergency area, a lay-by or on a hard shoulder where the motorway has one, National Highways can give advice and assistance on 0300 123 5000.
Broken down on a London red route or underground?
Tell us on the call if you are on a red route, in a bus lane, below ground or behind a height barrier, because it changes how the job is done. TfL's red routes are controlled by signs and road markings, and TfL may issue a penalty charge notice (PCN) if they are not followed. On TfL's red routes the PCN for traffic offences is £160 if paid within 28 days, reduced to £80 if paid within 14 days. Nobody can honestly promise a PCN will be cancelled. The practical answer is evidence: once you and everyone with you are safe and away from moving traffic, photograph the vehicle in position with the road markings visible, note the time, and keep the dated recovery invoice.
Access decides how the job is done, and therefore the price. A standard flatbed cannot get under most height barriers, so for a multi-storey or underground car park tell us the signed clearance height and whether the car rolls and steers, and we will tell you on the call whether we can do the job. A bus lane, a bridge, a tunnel or a narrow mews also changes the job, so say so on the call.
Breakdown recovery in London: what happens after you call
- Price first: we agree a fixed price on the phone before we set off. Distance, time of day, access and whether the vehicle rolls and steers can all change the figure, and you are told the number, not the formula.
- Fixed where it stands, if it can be: a flat battery, a blown fuse, a loose connection, a puncture or an empty tank are fixed there, and you drive away.
- Recovered if it cannot be fixed: if a roadside repair is not possible or would not get you home safely, the vehicle is loaded and taken where you choose. The price is agreed on the phone before we set off.
- Taken where you choose: your garage, your home, a main dealer, a body shop, an auction site or a scrap yard. Longer runs beyond London and the M25 are quoted on the call.
- Payment and paperwork: agree the payment method on the call, and ask for an itemised invoice, which you will need if you plan to claim the cost back from an insurer, a breakdown provider, an employer or a fleet operator.
The starting prices are above. For a wider comparison see our London car recovery price guide, or call 07960 200253 and we will quote the job.
Breakdown recovery across London and its main roads
Pick your part of London or your road below, or ring 07960 200253.
Parts of London
Main roads
Busy places
What to tell us when you call
Having these to hand keeps the call short and lets us confirm the price straight away.
- Where you are: a road name, the nearest junction or a landmark. If you are on a motorway or the North Circular, say which direction you are travelling and the nearest junction, or the number on a marker post or driver location sign if you can see one from where you are safely waiting.
- The vehicle: make, model and registration, and whether it is petrol, diesel, hybrid or electric.
- What has happened: a flat battery, a car that will not start, a flat tyre, a warning light, a fuel problem or an accident.
- Where it needs to go: a garage, your home or another address.
- Your safety: if anyone is hurt or the road is blocked after a crash, call 999 first. On a motorway follow the Highway Code rule 277 steps and call 999 if you cannot reach safety and cannot get out safely, then call us once you are safe. On an ordinary road, follow Highway Code rules 275 and 276: get the vehicle off the road if you can, keep well away from it and from moving traffic, and call us once you are safe.
- If it is in a car park: the car park name, the level and the bay.
Broken down in London?
The price is agreed on the phone before we set off.
Frequently asked questions
How much does breakdown recovery cost in London?
With CityGrip Recovery there is no membership and no call-out fee. Recovery and towing start at £80, a jump start is from £60, fuel delivery is £70 to £200 including a set amount of fuel, and mobile tyre fitting starts at £140 on ordinary roads or £250 to £750 on a motorway. Wrong fuel draining is quoted on the call. The exact figure depends on distance, time of day, access and whether the vehicle rolls and steers, and it is agreed on the phone before anyone sets off. Call 07960 200253.
Will you try to fix my car before towing it?
Yes, that is the order we work in. On arrival we check the battery, terminals, earth, fuses, relays, warning lights, fluid levels and stored fault codes before considering the truck. If the fault is a flat battery, a blown fuse, a loose connection, a puncture, an empty tank or a similar roadside job, we fix it there and you drive away. The vehicle is only loaded when a roadside repair is not possible or would not get you home safely. The price is agreed on the phone before we set off.
Can you jump start my car at the roadside?
Yes. A jump start is from £60 with no call-out fee, and the price is agreed on the phone before we set off. We take calls 24 hours a day. We also check whether the battery is simply discharged or failing: a car that starts on a jump and then dies again soon afterwards may have a charging fault or a battery that cannot hold charge. If the battery needs replacing rather than boosting, see our battery assistance and jump start service.
Do you charge per mile?
No. We quote one price that covers the whole job, agreed on the phone before we set off. Distance is one of the things that determines that number, but you are told the number, not the formula.
Do you work 24 hours, including nights, weekends and bank holidays?
Yes. We take calls 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Call or WhatsApp 07960 200253 at any hour. Time of day is one of the factors that affects the price, and it is included in the figure you are given on the phone rather than added afterwards.
Do I need breakdown cover to call you?
No. There is no membership and no annual contract, and you can call us even if you hold cover with someone else. If you plan to claim the cost back from your own provider, check their terms before you agree the job. Our number is 07960 200253. On a motorway follow the Highway Code rule 277 steps and call 999 if you cannot reach safety and cannot get out safely, then call us once you are safe.
Where can you take my vehicle?
We can take it to your garage, your home, a main dealer, a body shop, an auction site or a scrap yard. Longer runs beyond London and the M25 are quoted on the call. Tell us the destination when you ring so the price you are given is the price for the whole job.
What if my garage is closed when the vehicle arrives?
Tell us before we set off if the destination may be shut, because it changes the plan. Some garages will accept a vehicle left in a secure yard or on a forecourt by prior arrangement, so ask them first. If nothing can be arranged, choose another address you control, such as your home.
Can you recover an electric car or an automatic?
Yes. Tell us the make and model, whether it is manual or automatic, and whether it is petrol, diesel or electric. Electric and hybrid cars are carried on a flatbed with all four wheels off the ground. Automatics, dual clutch gearboxes and four-wheel-drive vehicles can need different handling, so say which yours is. A flat 12 volt battery can stop an electric car starting even when the main battery is nearly full, so say so if the car is completely dead.
What should I do first if my car breaks down in London?
Get the vehicle off the road if you can, put your hazard lights on if it is causing an obstruction, keep well away from it and from moving traffic, and never stand between it and oncoming traffic (Highway Code rules 275 and 276). Once you are safe, call 07960 200253. On a motorway follow the Highway Code rule 277 steps and call 999 if you cannot reach safety and cannot get out safely, then call us once you are safe.
What happens if my car breaks down on a London red route?
Tell us on the call. TfL may issue a penalty charge notice if the signs and road markings on a red route are not followed, and the PCN is £160 if paid within 28 days, or £80 if paid within 14 days. Nobody can honestly promise a PCN will be cancelled. Once you and everyone with you are safe and away from moving traffic, photograph the vehicle in position with the markings visible, note the time and keep the dated recovery invoice. On a motorway follow the Highway Code rule 277 steps and call 999 if you cannot reach safety and cannot get out safely, then call us once you are safe.
Not my fault: who pays for the recovery after an accident?
If anyone is hurt or the road is blocked after a crash, call 999 first. Where another driver was at fault, we can arrange your recovery at no upfront cost to you, and the claim is handled through our sister service at citygripclaims.co.uk. The costs are claimed from the at-fault driver's insurer. Whether you can have a replacement vehicle depends on the circumstances. If liability is disputed, what you owe depends on the agreement you sign, so read it before you sign. See how non-fault claims work.
Can you recover from an underground or multi-storey car park?
It depends on the access. Tell us on the call that you are below ground or behind a height barrier, and give the clearance height if it is signed. A standard flatbed cannot get under most barriers, so the clearance height decides whether the job can be done, and we will tell you on the call whether we can do it. It also helps to know whether the vehicle rolls and steers freely, whether the steering lock releases, and whether the handbrake is stuck or the brakes are seized, because a car that will not move under its own weight in a tight car park is a longer job and that is reflected in the quoted price.
Do you cover the M25 and London's main roads?
Yes. We cover every London postcode, the M25 and the wider motorway network, as well as main roads such as the A406 North Circular, the A12 and the A13. Some motorways have no hard shoulder (all lane running), for example the M25 between Junctions 23 and 27, so aim for an emergency area if you can reach one. On a motorway follow the Highway Code rule 277 steps and call 999 if you cannot reach safety and cannot get out safely, then call us once you are safe. If you can see a marker post or driver location sign from where you are safely waiting, read us the number on it. Do not walk along the carriageway to find one.
What if my car has no MOT, no tax or no insurance?
Tell us when you ring and give us the registration. Say too whether the car rolls and steers, because that decides how it is loaded. The price is agreed on the phone before we set off.
How do I claim breakdown recovery costs back from my insurer?
Check with your insurer or breakdown provider before you agree the job, because whether they reimburse an invoice from another company depends on their terms. Ask for an itemised invoice when you agree the job, and keep it with a note of the price agreed on the phone. An employer or fleet operator may ask for the same paperwork.
What happens when I call?
We take your location, registration, fuel type, gearbox type and what the car did, then agree a fixed price on the phone before we set off. We fix the fault where the car stands if we can, or recover it to your garage, your home or wherever you choose. On a motorway follow the Highway Code rule 277 steps and call 999 if you cannot reach safety and cannot get out safely, then call us once you are safe.
How do I know a recovery operator is legitimate?
Check for a named business with a real phone number answered by a person, a price agreed on the phone before the job starts, and an itemised invoice. Ask whether the operator has insurance that covers your vehicle while it is on the truck. Agree the payment method on the call, along with the price, before anyone sets off.
Do you provide roadside assistance or only towing?
Both. Roadside assistance means fixing the problem where the car stands, such as a flat battery, a blown fuse, a loose connection, a puncture or an empty tank. If the fault cannot be fixed there, or a repair would not get you home safely, the car is recovered on a truck to your garage, your home or wherever you choose. You do not need to know which one you need when you call: describe what the car did and we will work it out with you. The price is agreed on the phone before we set off.
Can you recover a van or a motorbike?
Yes. Vans and light commercial vehicles are recovered as well as cars, and motorcycles, scooters and mopeds are covered too. Tell us the make and model, whether the van is loaded, and whether the wheels turn and the steering unlocks, because a loaded van behind a height barrier is a different job from an empty one on a driveway.
What if my car will not roll or steer?
Tell us when you call. A vehicle that will not roll or steer, because of a locked steering column, seized brakes or wheels that will not turn, is harder to load, especially in a tight space such as a car park, so it can take longer and it affects the price. Give us as much detail as you can about what the car is doing.
Is it safe to stay in the car after a breakdown on a motorway?
Only as a last resort. Highway Code rule 277 says to leave the motorway at the next exit or pull into a service area if you can. If you cannot, move into the left lane (into an emergency area if you can reach one), stop as far to the left as possible and switch your hazard lights on. If it is safe and possible, leave by the side furthest from traffic, make sure any passengers do the same, and wait well away from the vehicle, behind the safety barrier where there is one. Only if you cannot get your vehicle to the left lane or a place of relative safety, and cannot get out safely and well away from the vehicle and moving traffic, stay in the vehicle with your seat belt and hazard lights on and call 999 immediately and ask for the police (or press your SOS button if your vehicle has one and ask for the police). Do not try repairs, do not place a warning triangle on the carriageway and do not go back to the vehicle once you have left it. Once you are safe, call us on 07960 200253.
Updated 6 November 2026. Lines open 24 hours. Call 07960 200253.
Tell us the symptom and we will tell you the price
Call or WhatsApp 07960 200253. Our lines are open 24 hours a day. No membership, no call-out fee, and a fixed price agreed before anyone sets off. Questions first? See our FAQs or contact page.