Top 10 reasons for vehicle breakdowns on a European road trip

This guide looks at the reasons why a car might break down on a road trip in Europe, and how much it may cost you to repatriate your vehicle.

You can avoid the stress and costs of a breakdown by taking out our European Breakdown Cover.

Every year, the RAC helps thousands of holidaymakers and other travellers who have had a breakdown while driving across the continent.

There can be a wide range of reasons for these breakdowns – some are common while others are far more rare occurrences.

Here are the top 10 reasons for a vehicle breakdown in Europe for Brits:

Outside of the top 10, there were over 90 other reasons for breakdown callouts in Europe last year.

Other common reasons for a callout include engine stalling (2.0%), coolant leak (1.8%), power steering problems (1.4%), oil leak (1.4%), keys locked inside of the vehicle (1.1%), clutch problems (1.1%), and broken glass (1%).

There were 12 unique incidents for a callout from a driver travelling in Europe in 2023, and they included unplanned hospitalisation, vandalism, lock damage, broken seatbelt, and AdBlue being put in the wrong tank (it should only go in diesel-powered engines).

^{Source: RAC}

Read the full European travel checklist to make sure you have all the items and documents you need.

• Crossing the Channel – should you take the ferry or Eurotunnel?
• Driving abroad in 2024? Be prepared, take our European Breakdown Cover
• EU Entry/Exit System (ESS) – all you need to know

Here are the steps to take if you’ve suffered a vehicle breakdown in Europe:

1. Safely pull over and put on your hazard lights
2. Leave the vehicle when safe to do so, and stand away from any potential danger
3. If you are on the motorway, stand on the other side of the barrier well away from traffic
4. Call emergency services if required
5. Contact your European Breakdown Cover provider

Use the country-specific guides for a more detailed description on who to call and what to expect from breakdown and emergency services.

According to RAC data, the average vehicle repatriation cost from Europe back to the UK is £1,602.

Repatriating a vehicle refers to the process of returning a vehicle to its country of origin or to the country where it is registered.

Each year, there are around 1,000 vehicle repatriations from Europe to the UK, highlighting the importance for getting European Breakdown Cover before setting off on your journey.

Repatriation is when a vehicle is collected and shipped back home after it has suffered a breakdown.

Below are the average repatriation costs from 2023 data.

Five most expensive vehicle repatriation destinations

1. Greece - £5,434
2. Norway - £5,319
3. Finland - £4,659
4. Albania - £4,194
5. Romania - £3,561

Five least expensive vehicle repatriation destinations

1. Ireland - £189
2. Turkey - £930
3. The Netherlands - £1,111
4. Belgium - £1,153
5. France - £1,422

Further analysis shows that the highest single repatriation cost was £8,462 to ship a vehicle back to the UK from Norway.

Around 1% of breakdowns cost £5,000 or more to repatriate the vehicle back to the UK – while 10% of drivers will spend over £2,500 to get their car home after a breakdown.

^{Source: RAC}

• Driving in Europe checklist
• Your complete guide to ETIAS – European Travel Information and Authorisation System
• European fuel prices – petrol and diesel prices across the continent

Although France is one of the least expensive countries to repatriate a vehicle, several other European hotspots for British drivers have higher costs.

To repatriate a vehicle from Germany cost an average of £1,467; Italy was £1,982; Spain was £2,336; Portugal was £2,562; and Poland was £2,846.

^{Source: RAC}

France saw the highest number of repatriations of any country in continental Europe in 2023.

Countries with the highest number of repatriations in 2023:

1. France – 58.3%
2. Germany – 10.1%
3. Spain – 7.6%
4. Italy – 6.0%
5. Belgium – 5.0%

^{Source: RAC}

Before you set off on your European adventure, make sure you have your full, valid UK driving licence and vehicle insurance that covers you driving within the EU.

An International Driving Permit (IDP) may also be required to drive in EU countries and Norway if the driver only has a paper licence, or the licence was issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man.

Drivers will also require their passport, V5C certificate and any travel insurance information relating to the journey.

Don’t forget to take out European Breakdown Cover before you set off on your trip to Europe.