Is double breakdown cover a luxury?

Answers to your motoring queries

From B Wallace:

I have been a member of the AA for many years now. I have two cars: one is two-years-old and one is a 50-year-old classic (hence the AA). My wife also has a two-year-old car.

Both of the insurance companies that cover these cars have breakdown services included in the cover. Are these a diluted version of AA service or do they make my AA membership an unnecessary luxury?

The breakdown cover offered by many insurance companies certainly would make you think twice about taking out extra assistance policies.

According to a spokesman from Axa – one of your insurers – its breakdown cover costs €29.99 a year for 24-hour year-round cover for both Ireland and the UK. Some other insurers include a breakdown service as part of the overall package, requiring no extra charge on the policy.

According to a spokeswoman for the AA, its patrols can carry out more repairs on the side of the road – eight out of ten call-outs they claim – without having to tow the car away. Membership also comes with a host of discount benefits. The standard AA subscription is €149 at present.

Ultimately it depends on the level of cover offered by your insurer but in most instances we have come across it is pretty comprehensive. While the AA offers highly qualified service staff, it does seem like opting for membership as well as the insurance cover is a bit of a luxury. After all, you’re not going to call out both to rescue you from the side of the road.

While AA membership also offers discounts on shopping and hotels, when it comes to breakdown services the insurance cover seems like a viable – and more cost effective – alternative.

A reader contacted us some weeks ago about his car, which caught fire due to what would seem from assessor reports to be an electrical wiring issue.

The cause of the fire is disputed, between claims that a part was was not refitted properly during a routine repair and counter claims by the dealership that it is simply the result of wear and tear.

While that dispute is likely to run for a little longer, what struck us was the fact that the reader’s insurance company declined to cover the repairs despite the motorist having fully comprehensive insurance.

According to a spokesman from Royal and Sun Alliance, which insured the vehicle, in situations where the problem is clearly of a mechanical nature then it is up to the motorist to pursue compensation from the mechanic or manufacturer.

When we put it to him that most people would expect that repairs would be carried out under the cover by the insurance policy, and then the insurance firm could pursue the various parties for compensation, he said that only really happens in cases of hardship.

It’s a useful reminder to motorists that just because you sign up for comprehensive cover, you still may be faced with taking on your own potential legal battles if the problem incurred can be attributed to a mechanical fault.

Send your queries to Motors Helpdesk, The Irish Times, Tara Street, Dublin 2, or e-mail motorshelp@irishtimes.com