Motorists are being reminded to check the small print on their breakdown cover to see if they’re protected against misfuelling, after new research reveals that many policies leave it out.
Defaqto has analysed 288 motor breakdown policies for their coverage on fuel-related breakdowns and found that 23 per cent of motor breakdown policies exclude cover if you fill your car up with the wrong fuel.
Another 14 per cent of the breakdown policy providers surveyed will not provide cover if you run out of fuel.
This means thousands of drivers could be left unprotected, with AA research highlighting that every year more than 100,000 motorists put the wrong fuel in their car. Fuel problems are also one of the ten most common problems dealt with by the AA’s motor breakdown patrols.
This means motorists could end up paying through the nose to fix a relatively easily-made mistake.
Mike Powell, from Defaqto’s general insurance research team, said: “Drivers putting the wrong fuel into a vehicle not only face a huge repair bill but may also find that their breakdown policy doesn't provide cover for their vehicle to be towed to a garage.
“Even those with motor breakdown policies that do cover such an eventuality will tend to find that the extent of the coverage is limited to towing the car to a garage or to their destination."
Motorists are being urged not to neglect the small print on their motor breakdown policies even beyond the better-known classifications such as roadside assistance, home service, towing, onward travel, replacement car, hotel expenses and European cover.
