Breakdown Problem
Car Undriveable After a Collision
After a collision, the priorities are people, then the scene, then the vehicle. By the time you're calling us the first two are usually handled and the question is simply where the car goes — and getting that decision right matters for your insurance claim as much as for your driveway.
What you're likely seeing
- Wheel or suspension damage — the car won't steer or roll straight
- Fluid on the road under the vehicle
- Bodywork fouling a tyre, or a bonnet that won't latch
- Airbags deployed — the vehicle should not be driven regardless of how it looks
- Lights or indicators destroyed, making it illegal to drive at night
Do this before anything else
- 1Exchange details and photograph the scene before anything is moved, if it's safe to do so.
- 2If anyone is injured or the road is blocked, call 999. The police will decide when the vehicle can be moved.
- 3Don't drive a car with deployed airbags or leaking fluid, even a short distance to a car park.
On a motorway or dual carriageway, ring 999 and ask for National Highways before you call any recovery company. Motorway breakdown advice →
How we move the vehicle
Damaged vehicles that won't roll or steer are loaded with skates or winched, and we photograph the vehicle's condition before and after loading so there's no dispute later about what damage came from the crash and what didn't. We deliver to your insurer's approved repairer, your own garage, or your home — your call, not ours.
What it costs
Recovery of an accident-damaged vehicle is priced on distance and the difficulty of the load. Check your policy before you decide the destination: many comprehensive policies cover post-accident recovery, but they may want the vehicle at their own approved repairer for it to be covered.
Full recovery cost guideQuestions we get asked
The service you probably need
Other problems we're called to
Tell us what the car is doing
Describe the fault on the phone and we'll tell you honestly whether this is a roadside fix or a recovery — and what it will cost — before a driver leaves.