Breakdown

[morris van]

My Morris van broke down today the clutch adjustment rod snapped so Im insured with the clubs recommended insurers so I phone the break down service and they would be with me in two hours but a van got to me within forty mins but he took one look and said ill get you a lorry so the van can be put on the back as he did not want to tow it. A hour and a half later still waiting so I called again it had not been organised luckily I had a spare rod but had hell of a job fitting as I wanted it jacked to fit it but with a bit of swearing i did it and drove home and adjusted it and hopefully all is fine and for the recovery people i would be still be waiting.I was still getting texts that they were going to with me soon that was after four hours even I has cancelled them coming to me,

[Classiccars]

I was lucky then.Went to take the traveller for a drive and had left the ignition on so a flat battery.Glad my issue happened in the garage for a change not on the rioad for a change.

[kevin s]

All too common now I'm afraid, a couple of guys had to wait 8 hours for the AA to recover them in a broken down van, I waited 4 for my range rover to be recovered by them.

[Chief]

When the gearbox went on mine, we were taken as far as our first hotel stop of the journey (to a restorers to add to the irony).

Next day, the insurance company agreed to take us the rest of the way and said the recovery firm would be with us within the hour.

We waited, and waited, and waited and eventually rang back - at which point we were informed they (the insurance company) had decided not to honour their original agreement to get us there and that we'd been waiting all that time for nothing.

So we had to hire a private firm to take us (at our expense).

Had another experience where we were told by the breakdown company that the local recovery firm would be with us within an hour, ended up ringing the recovery firm direct to be told that they didn't work on Sundays and had already told our breakdown people they wouldn't come out to us. We'd have been stuck good and proper if not for ringing a local taxi firm and leaving the car where it was.

[myoldjalopy]

See here my tale of woe from 2019: viewtopic.php?p=643512&hilit=clutch+rod#p643512

[James k]

I broke down in Lane 3 of the M25 at Dartford a few years ago, on my way back from Inverness. It had stalled with vapour lock and then sucked up some dirt into the carb jet, it turned out. I managed to push it into the hard shoulder with the help of a lorry stopping in lane 2 and watching the inside lane. The AA turned up within ten minutes and trailered it home. I wonder if they respond quicker if it's on a motorway.

[kennatt]

many years ago AA and RAC staff were experienced and qualified mechanics who had a vast knowledge of common faults on a wide range of cars ,most were fixed at the road side, Today its just tow it to a garage,after plugging in the diagnostic and realising they havent a clue how to fix it.
A couple of years ago I had a Citroën C5, I drove to the supermarket about 2 miles,on a dark wet evening, when I returned to the car it failed to spin the engine over. My first thoughts were battery,so with headlight and heater motor on ,tried again no spin but no dimming of the lights etc. so battery ok. Because it was pouring down and pitch black ,just call AA .
Turned up after an hour,Its the battery he said,no I've tried that. Gets tester out no its not the battery. Plugs diagnostic in no faults show. Ill give you a lift to garage. No thanks says I just take me home ,just up the road.
Get home go on line and find that its a very common fault on the C5 (Of the year of my car) for the starter fuse to blow after the solenoid on the starter ages,and the twenty amp fuse blows ,and that a simple get home it to change the fuse and as soon as possible fit a higher 30 amp fuse .
Checked next day and sure enough that was it fitted 30amp sold the car three years later with no repeat.
I bet 40 years ago the AA man would have had a vast experience of common break downs ie Moggy no go, no tick from pump, give it a tap with a screw driver head ,drive it home .Not I'll tow you to a garage.
I've spoken to loads of friends who have had the same sort of response, the breakdown guys just seem too keen to me to just get it into the garage. Don't suppose its anything to do with extracting cash from us .is it

A long time ago At a service station on the M1,I saw an AA man actually change a cam belt on a ford escort,with a camping trailer on the back,obviously heading on holiday.I heard him saying to the driver "well hear goes,as he starts it up,if it dosent knock it should be ok for you to continue . Sounded Ok to me and off he went. I spoke to the AA guy and he said he had been to loads of ford cam belt failures so just carries a couple for emergency cases.
Bit different these days

[Classiccars]

Yes the experienced people as not around so much now.At least we can get advice from the great people on the forum.Not that it helps on the side of the road so much.

[Meggie moggy]

I had our first experience of the AA on Saturday after having a day in Guildford we went to head home, Meggie stsrtedvon the button but no oil pressure showed on the gauge after a couple if taps to the gauge it was up with bonnet to find no oil on the dip stick which was worrying as it was fine when we left that morning.
With no puddles under her but a trickle of oil on her sump I thought it best to get some oil and nurse her home.
With oil topped up we gently headed of to see the oil pressure drop gradually over 5 miles in we pulled and called the AA who arrived with 45 minutes and between us we diagnosed the oil pressure gauge pipe connector to the block ( where I then found that there are 2 types of connection and I had the wrong type)
Colin from the AA said no matter what we will get you going as the distributor came out to gain access to the offending tapping, with the nipple removed and the oil pressure switch refitted and enough oil 15 40 to see us home she was completed and running which was a superb service from them. He also stated it was nice to have a car which could be fixed at the roadside.

[kevin s]

I had a similar experience a few years ago when a heater hose split on our mx5, AA guy turned up and I said I had a full set of hoses in the boot I had yet to fit, he then proceeded to replace both the hoses for me and said exactly the same, that is was great to be able to work on something a bit more interesting than changing tyres, tipping leak fix in radiators or jump starting flat batteries.

When they eventually turn up the AA guys seem pretty good, the problem is a management one in that seems to be there is not enough of them to go around and their recovery performance is woeful.