When your car is towed, the recovery driver loads it onto a flatbed or lifts one end, secures it and takes it to the address you give, usually a garage or your home. Choose a garage if you want it diagnosed and repaired soon. Choose home if the garage is closed or you want time to compare quotes.
Should I have my car towed to a garage or home?
It depends on what's wrong, what time it is and where the car can legally be kept.
A garage makes sense if:
- you want the fault found and fixed as soon as possible
- the garage is open, or has agreed to take the car out of hours
- you'd otherwise have to pay for a second tow from home to the garage later
Home makes sense if:
- it's late at night or the weekend and your garage is closed
- you want time to get quotes from more than one garage
- the problem may turn out to be simple, or you haven't decided whether the car is worth repairing
If the car will sit at home for a while, check where it will be kept. GOV.UK says you must make a SORN if a vehicle isn't taxed or isn't insured, and a vehicle counts as "off the road" only if it's kept somewhere like a garage, a drive or private land, not on a public road. If it's going to be parked on the street, the Highway Code's parking rules apply as normal. For example, Rule 248 says you must not park on a road at night facing against the traffic unless you're in a recognised parking space.
Can I choose which garage it goes to?
Yes. It's your car, so you choose where it goes: your usual garage, a main dealer, a specialist or any other address. Before you decide, it's worth a quick check on two things:
- Insurance claims. If the car has been in an accident and you're claiming, ask your insurer where they want it taken before it's moved.
- Warranty. If the car is still under a manufacturer or extended warranty, check the terms. Some warranties expect the work to be done by a particular network of garages.
Have the garage's full address and postcode ready when you call. It's also worth phoning the garage first to make sure they can take the car.
What if the garage is closed when the car arrives?
Talk to the garage before the car is moved. Some garages will accept a car left on their forecourt or car park out of hours and others won't, and not every site is secure. Ask:
- whether they're happy for the car to be dropped off when they're closed
- where they want it left, and what to do with the key
- whether they need anything else from you, such as a description of the fault or your phone number
If the garage can't take it, have the car taken home or to another safe address, then book a planned move for when they're open. Vehicle transportation is for planned moves like this, as well as longer journeys.
What happens when the recovery truck arrives?
The driver will check the car and the location, then load it using the method that suits the car and its fault. Our towing service uses both flatbed and wheel-lift towing.
You can help it go smoothly:
- Have the key ready. The driver usually needs it to unlock the steering, select neutral and release the parking brake. Many cars can't be moved safely without it.
- Say if anything is jammed. For example, the steering won't turn, the electronic parking brake won't release, or a wheel is locked or badly damaged.
- Take a few photos of the car from all sides before it's loaded. Then you have a record of its condition.
- Confirm the destination and your phone number, so the driver can reach you if there's a problem getting in.
Does it matter if my car is automatic, 4x4 or electric?
Yes. It can decide how the car must be carried, so say what type of car it is when you book. Manufacturers often limit towing with the wheels on the ground. For example:
- Automatics. Dacia's official handbook for the Bigster says a car with an automatic gearbox should be transported on a trailer or towed with the front wheels off the ground. It allows towing on all four wheels only in exceptional circumstances, and never for its hybrid version.
- 4x4s. The same handbook says you must never tow a four-wheel drive vehicle if any of its four wheels is touching the ground, except for off-road recovery.
- Electric cars. Renault's handbook for the Megane E-Tech electric says it is "strictly forbidden" to tow the car with its front wheels on the ground.
The RAC also lists crossovers, SUVs, 4x4s, automatics, hybrids and electric vehicles among the vehicles that "normally need to be recovered separately". Rules vary between models, so check your own handbook, and don't let anyone tow the car on a rope or with its drive wheels on the road unless the handbook says that's allowed.
What should I take out of the car?
Assume you won't see the car again for a day or two. Before it's loaded, take out:
- phones, wallets, bags, laptops and any other valuables
- house keys, if they're on the same ring as the car key and the car is going to a garage
- medication, children's things and anything you'll need that night
- any parking permits or documents you'll need to show elsewhere
Leave the car key with the car for the driver, and later the garage, unless you've agreed otherwise.
What happens once the car reaches the garage?
Usually the garage diagnoses the fault first, then contacts you with a price before carrying out the repair. A few points help:
- Agree charges before work starts, including any diagnostic fee. Ask whether you're getting a fixed quote or an estimate.
- You don't have to agree to extra work. The Motor Ombudsman says a garage cannot force you to agree to any further work, but you'll pay for any work you've already agreed, and possibly for putting the car back together.
- You have legal rights. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a trader must carry out a service with reasonable care and skill. If no time has been agreed, it must be done within a reasonable time.
If the car went home instead, you can take it to the garage later once you've booked it in.
How much does a tow cost, and do I actually need one?
With Roadside Assistance Group, car recovery and towing start from £120. The final price depends on where the car is, where it's going and what's wrong with it. We confirm the price on the phone before we send a truck.
You may not need a tow at all. A flat battery might only need a jump start, and an empty tank only needs fuel delivered. Both start from £70. A puncture can often be sorted by mobile tyre fitting, from £120. If you've put the wrong fuel in, note that we don't drain fuel at the roadside. We can tow the car, without the engine running, to a garage or fuel specialist you choose, or to your home.
FAQ
Can you tow my car to my home instead of a garage?
Yes. We can take it to your home, a garage you choose or any other address in the UK. Tell us about access when you call, such as a narrow drive, a gate or a steep slope.
Do I need to be with the car when it's collected?
It's best to be. The driver will need the key and will want to confirm where the car is going.
Can you tow an automatic or electric car?
Tell us the make and model when you book. We'll plan the job around what the manufacturer allows for that car, which often means keeping the drive wheels off the ground.
How quickly can you get to me?
We aim to reach you within 45 minutes in London. Elsewhere in the UK, call us and we'll tell you what to expect for your location.
Are you open at night and at weekends?
Yes. We operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 020 8088 4032.
Roadside Assistance Group provides 24/7 breakdown recovery, towing, jump starts, fuel delivery and mobile tyre fitting across London and the UK. Call 020 8088 4032.