Do you have AA membership?

Exact same experience.

Towed car to garage (which my car insurance would have covered anyway)

I fully appreciate there are times when the problem is beyond the scope of their abilities but I didn't renew after that.

Drive toyotas never had a breakdown!!

No, my last breakdown used my insurance company but still had to pay €60 to tow me home, he would have brought me to the nearest garage 20klm away but not to my house 30klm away, then again friend who has AA no yellow AA van came out to him just a tow truck taking him to nearest garage which was closed car was left outside then he had organise his own way home, but he did just have the basic AA membership.

Have it through bank as a freebie. Had to use it twice or three times. Once a puncture late at night on motorway that also caused suspension damage. Got me to my preferred garage in Limerick at the time and taxi home.

Had a spring break in Belfast and even though I told them to send a low loader, they sent a van first who took one minute to tell me I needed a low loader. Wasted an hour or two.

Brought it to a BMW dealer for me and luckily had a friend to bring me into Belfast where I hired a car.

Strange one the low loader driver suggested taking it to a BMW specialist he knew. Given age of car I’ve long given up on dealer servicing so I agreed. Driving down the road I realised how bad an idea it was, bringing the car to some random garage so I left a message for the driver and rang the AA to explain the situation and confirm I wanted it taken to the main dealer. Despite that, it arrived to the back street garage the following morning. For half a day the AA didn’t know where my car was.

I contacted the garage myself to tell them my car would be collected and not to work on it. They claimed it was too late and the new spring was in - obviously the most efficient garage in the world. My priority was getting my car back unharmed so I didn’t call them on their BS but asked them to put it back the way them found it before it was collected. They said they’d do that.

The BMW dealer confirmed that the car hadn’t been touched and replaced the springs on both sides for less

money than a Southern dealer would have charged.

That's the card which has a €100 a year cost

travel insurance and AA cover for the €100 payment (no other tangible benefits)

So not free, but good value if you travel outside the EU and drive a lot.

Would never be without it.

Usually use them once every two years maybe? My current cars are a combined age of 87 years old, so lots that ‘can’ go wrong on them. But almost always fixable at the roadside as they are of that age.

I'd take the breakdowns over the shame of driving Toyotas!

You really mean only a quarter are using it,