Not a member of the automobile club?
Car breakdown: This insurance offers the same protection
Oct 17, 2026 – 2:07 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Breakdown, towing service, hotel stay – if there’s a problem on the motorway, it quickly becomes expensive. A current evaluation shows how you can protect yourself against this.
On-site assistance, towing and recovery, onward travel in a rental car or an overnight stay in a hotel – all of this may be necessary if you are traveling by car and have a breakdown. However, these costs are usually not included in your car insurance. To protect yourself against such risks, you need either a membership in an automobile club or a vehicle protection certificate.
Nine out of 18 insurers offer full protection
Anyone who primarily needs breakdown assistance for their car can drive cheaper with a vehicle protection letter than with membership in an automobile club, explains Kathrin Gotthold-Hildebrandt, mobility expert at “Finanztip”. The services included are crucial.
The biggest differences occur with smaller amounts, such as taxi and short journey costs. Only twelve offers reach the 50 euros set by “Finanztip”, six remain below that. Insurers are also selective when it comes to hotels and rental cars: Many providers only cover these costs alternatively – i.e. either hotel or rental car – and often only if you have a breakdown more than 50 kilometers from your home.
Where you can really save
But you should keep one thing in mind: a letter of protection always applies to the insured vehicle – regardless of who is driving it. A membership in an automobile club such as ADACAvD or ACE, on the other hand, binds itself to you as the insured person. This means that you benefit from the services even if you are traveling in another vehicle. In addition, club membership often offers you additional services such as bicycle breakdown assistance and other travel and mobility services.
