Breakdown Recovery UK
under 28 minutes. Fixed price.
Broken down and need recovery? TowManVan dispatches a vetted recovery operator to you in an average of 28 minutes. One fixed price from £69 covers roadside arrival, fault diagnosis, repair attempt and a flat-bed tow to any garage if needed. No membership, no call centres.
TowManVan is the UK's on-demand breakdown recovery service. Emergency breakdown recovery is fixed from £69 - one price includes on-site diagnosis, roadside repair attempt and flat-bed tow to any garage if the fix can't be done roadside. 24/7 roadside assistance UK across 27 cities, DBS-vetted operators, average 28-minute arrival, no membership required.
From £69 fixed · Roadside diagnosis + repair attempt · Recovery tow if needed · All vehicles incl. EVs · 24/7 across 27 UK cities.
Services in UK
Fixed upfront prices. No membership fees. Live operator tracking across every postcode in UK.
Safe Arrival
Operator arrives at your exact GPS location in under 28 minutes. Reflective equipment deployed, safety assessment performed before any work begins.
Fault Diagnosis
Full roadside diagnostic check. Common causes identified: battery, alternator, starter, ECU, fuses, overheating, fuel issues, mechanical failure.
Roadside Repair Attempt
If the fault can be resolved at the roadside - battery jump, fuse replacement, minor electrics, tyre swap - the operator completes it on the spot.
Recovery Tow (if needed)
If the vehicle can't be repaired at the roadside, a recovery tow is arranged to your nearest garage or any garage you choose. All in the same fixed price.
Common UK breakdown causes we handle
Flat battery - 40% of UK breakdowns
Most common breakdown cause by a wide margin. Battery dies after lights left on, a parasitic drain, or simple old age. TowManVan's jump start service from £49 resolves most of these on the spot, with a full battery health test included free. If the battery is beyond saving, recovery to a fitting centre is arranged in the same app.
Tyre issues, alternator & starter failures
Punctures, blowouts and tyre pressure failure account for around 17% of call-outs; alternator and starter motor failures another 14% combined. Operators carry diagnostic tools and attempt roadside repair first - when that's not possible, a recovery tow to a tyre centre or specialist garage is included in the fixed price.
Overheating, misfuelling and electrical faults
Engine overheating, misfuelling (petrol in diesel or vice-versa), and ECU/wiring faults are the next tier of UK roadside breakdowns. Misfuelling in particular: do NOT start the engine - immediate recovery is required. TowManVan operators handle the safe tank-drain-and-flush procedure or arrange specialist recovery.
TowManVan vs AA, RAC and Green Flag
Traditional breakdown clubs charge you £60–£100 every year before you've ever needed them - and the recovery tow is often limited to 5–10 miles. TowManVan charges only when you break down, tells you exactly how much before you confirm, averages 28 minutes across the UK, and includes the recovery tow in the same fixed price.
Diagnosis first, tow only if needed.
Around 60% of UK roadside breakdowns can be resolved without a tow - a flat battery gets jumped, a tyre gets swapped, a fuse is replaced, a stuck starter solenoid is freed. The cheapest breakdown callout is one where the operator fixes the car on the spot. That's why our standard breakdown recovery callout bundles all four stages into a single £69 price: arrival, diagnosis, roadside repair attempt, and (if needed) a flat-bed tow up to 10 miles to any garage you choose. You never end up paying twice if the roadside fix works.
Operators arrive with an OBD-II diagnostic scanner, a multimeter, a surge-protected 12V/24V boost pack, a basic tyre change kit, misfuelling tanks, and a Chapter 8-compliant flat-bed recovery truck. The combination handles the overwhelming majority of UK breakdown scenarios at the kerb. For the 40% of callouts that need recovery - clutch/gearbox failure, seized engines, head gasket, catastrophic electrical faults - the flat-bed tow to your chosen garage is included. No re-booking, no second operator, no additional callout fee.
A key difference from the AA/RAC approach: we will not recommend a tow if a reasonable roadside repair is possible. Drivers receive a diagnostic summary in the app after every callout (fault code, likely cause, what was done), which you can forward to your garage. For EVs, operators carry EV-safe dolly skates and emergency charge packs (5–10 mile range) - enough to get you home or to the nearest rapid charger.
What actually breaks down
TowManVan operators are trained to handle the full range of UK roadside breakdown scenarios. These are the causes behind the call-outs.
Most common breakdown cause. Battery dies after lights left on or old age. TowManVan jump start service from £49.
Punctures, blowouts, tyre pressure failure. Recovery and tow to tyre centre from £69.
Alternator stops charging the battery. Warning light, dimming electrics. Recovery to garage.
Clutch slip, total clutch failure, gearbox fault. Roadside assessment and recovery tow.
Car won't turn over, clicks on start. Diagnosis and recovery if starter has failed.
Temperature warning light, steam from bonnet. Switch off, wait, recovery to specialist.
Petrol in diesel or diesel in petrol. Do NOT start the engine. Immediate recovery required.
ECU error, fuse failure, wiring fault. Diagnosis at roadside, recovery to specialist.
Based on UK national breakdown data, 2024–25.
Reviews from UK
“Engine cut out completely at a roundabout. TowManVan had someone with me in 24 minutes. Diagnosed a failed crankshaft sensor, couldn't fix at roadside, towed me 8 miles. All in one price, no extras at the end.”
“First time I'd ever broken down. The app showed me exactly where the operator was at all times. He arrived in 26 minutes and got the car started. Honestly better than my old breakdown cover ever was.”
“Alternator went on my BMW on the A34. TowManVan app, 90 seconds to book, operator in 31 minutes, towed to my BMW garage. Price was exactly what the app told me. No upsells, no extras.”
“Car wouldn't restart after stopping for petrol. Operator arrived in 22 minutes, diagnosed a failing starter motor, towed to a garage I use. Fixed price, no drama, no negotiation.”
Recovery in 27 UK cities
Select your city for local arrival time data and operator availability.
Questions, answered
Everything about pricing, coverage and response times in UK.
Need a tow or jump start?
TowManVan also provides vehicle towing from £69 (local tow, long-distance, EV-safe), jump start from £49, flat tyre help, fuel delivery, and car lockout service - all in the same app, same fixed price, same vetted operators.
Broken down? Help in under 28 minutes.
Download TowManVan free. No membership. Fixed price breakdown recovery from £69. Average arrival under 28 minutes. First booking? Use code FIRST10 for £10 off.
No annual fee · Fixed upfront prices · 24/7/365 · Avg arrival under 28 min
Tom Hargreaves - Head of Recovery Standards
Tom spent 12 years patrolling UK motorways with the AA before joining TowManVan. He reviews every breakdown recovery UK price, motorway-safety protocol and AA/RAC comparison on this page. Questions? tom@towmanvan.co.uk.
Last updated April 2026. Prices verified April 2026 by Tom Hargreaves.