What to Do If Car Breaks Down?

Updated on October 20, 2008
O.N. asks from Chicago, IL
7 answers

What do you do with a baby in the car & yourself when car breaks down? Do you call your insurance or police or who? '
(Say you can't ge in contact with a family member)

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M.W.

answers from Chicago on

AAA is a great investment for piece of mind! Not only do they provide roadside assistance, they offer discounts on hotels, restaurants, and more. They even came and replaced my battery pnsite when I was in the car with my child last winter (there was a fee for the battery).

Otherwise, if you can't call a tow truck, I would call the police for assistance (they can protect your car from being hit by other passing cars, and can usually assist with calling a tow truck).

1 mom found this helpful
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S.Z.

answers from Chicago on

I would invest in a AAA policy. It's worth the peace of mind - they'll send a tow truck out for you.

Your insurance probably doesn't cover tows unless it's related to an accident. And all the police can do for you is call a tow truck.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.S.

answers from Chicago on

Shannon is right. Invest in AAA or another group that helps. We had AAA and they were wonderful, but Sam's Club has protection and we have GEICO now and were able to make my class reunion last year because they saved the day!

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T.C.

answers from Chicago on

You have gotten some great advice already. Melanie is correct when saying- Call the police to protect your car or yourself from being hit. A couple of years ago a man was killed because it was night out and a semi hit him while he was pushing his vehicle out of the road way. I am sure he is not the only one to have this happen and stopped cars get hit as well!

In poor weather you may want to keep an emergency kit in your car also. In winter we keep blankets, extra gloves and hats, hard candies as well as a working flashlight and also you want something to be able to put outside of your car to show other drivers that you are stopped until the police are able to assist. Do not assume that you will be able to use your hazards!!!!!

Hopefully you will never need any of our advice but if so- good luck to you and many blessings for safe travels!

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L.F.

answers from Chicago on

I have one big thought be prepared! My father made sure I knew basic auto function and repair. I think taking a backyard mechanic or womans auto maintance course is vital. Your car could have something silly that you could fix if you can do simple checks for different things. Maybe a spark plug needs cleaning.

As woman and mothers we have to protect ourselves from being stranded or being over charged by a tow truck and a business. It is also wise to have a survival kit for your car. It should contain simple tools, phone numbers, and simple things to get you to a safe place. You need different things in winter and summer to survive a wait for help.

Once my fuel enriching chip died leaving me stranded on the railroad tracks. Because I knew I really needed help I was pushed off the tracks by another driver. The car started and I was able to get to a parking space and wait for help. The chip cost $100 and I had a mechanic who put it in instead of a dealship.

The more we know about cars and other things we use the better our lives we be because of knowledge.

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C.S.

answers from Chicago on

It depends on the situation. Kind of a long story but I know from experience.

I had my car break down twice. The first time with my 2 young children in the car and my husband. It was at night in the winter and we were driving to my parents for the holidays. Our car broke down and luckily I was able to pull it off to the side of the road. I call AAA for a tow truck and the police because we were on a very busy highway and it was dangerous. The tow truck couldn't take all of us so lucky I had called the police and they gave us a ride to the nearest exit, which had a local airport and we were able to rent a car. We had the car towed to the nearest dealership and we continued on our way. After the car was finished we returned rental and pick up our car on our way home.

The second time was last summer while I was heading to my parents in Michigan. We had driven about 2 of the 5 hours and my car over heated. Luckily we were able to pull off at an exit with a gas station. I was by myself this time with our now 4 children. There ages 1, 5, 8 and 12. I ended up calling a tow truck again, a rental place and a local dealership. I had my car towed to the dealership and the rental place picked us up. Continued on with a rental car to my parent's house visited there for a few days. When my car was finished dropped off rental car and they dropped me off at the dealership. It all turned out pretty well. I would make sure that you always have a cell phone, roadside assistance like AAA and any other info you might think is helpful.

I usually have found that your car breaks down when you are out of town and not locally. It would be much easier if it is local. Good luck hopefully you won't need this advice.

C. S.

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M.O.

answers from Chicago on

If the weather was decent (not too hot or cold) and if I was in a safe area; I would call a tow truck.

If the weather was really hot or cold, I would look for a place to go and wait for a tow inside.

If there was not a place available to wait for a tow, I would call the police for help.

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