Schutzbrief in English: what German breakdown cover pays

Updated:
05.10.2026

Schutzbrief (breakdown cover) is a form of insurance that provides extended assistance to motorists in the event of breakdowns, accidents or other unforeseen situations on the road. This type of insurance is often included in a motor third-party liability policy or can be purchased separately. The Schutzbrief offers a wide range of services designed to ensure the safety and comfort of the driver and passengers, as well as to minimise the inconvenience associated with vehicle breakdowns.

Key benefits of a Schutzbrief

The cover provided by the Schutzbrief applies to the insured vehicle, regardless of who is driving. This means that the insurance is valid not only for the owner of the car, but also for any driver operating the vehicle. Depending on the insurance company, the benefits and levels of compensation may vary, but the basic services are similar at most insurers — they are not set by law; insurers follow the GDV model conditions:

Towing, recovery and roadside assistance service

One of the key services provided as part of the Schutzbrief is the arrangement of roadside assistance. If the vehicle breaks down, the recovery service may attempt to fix the fault on the spot. In this case, the insurance company covers the costs of minor repairs and spare parts, usually up to a limit of 200 euros.

If on-site repair is not possible, the vehicle is towed to the nearest service centre, and the costs for this operation are also covered by the insurance company, often within the same limit of up to 200 euros. In some cases, a single shared budget is allocated for all emergency service and towing services.

Reimbursement of travel and accommodation expenses

If a breakdown or accident occurs more than 50 kilometres from home and the vehicle cannot be repaired immediately, Schutzbrief offers compensation for a number of additional expenses:

• Return journey: The insurance company reimburses the expenses for returning home or continuing the trip to the final destination. For distances up to 1’200 kilometres, second-class rail travel is usually paid for; for longer distances, first class or a couchette (Liegewagen). In addition, taxi fares to the station or airport are often reimbursed.

• Accommodation: If the delay in repair requires an overnight stay, the insurance will cover hotel accommodation expenses. Usually, up to three nights are reimbursed with a limit of 50-100 euros per person per night.

Car hire

If the driver does not wish to remain at the scene of the accident and cannot reach their destination or home by train or aeroplane, the Schutzbrief can cover the costs of a car hire. In most cases, car hire can be reimbursed for up to seven days with a limit of 50 to 70 euros per day. Higher limits are often provided for trips abroad.

Additional benefits for overseas travel

A Schutzbrief is especially useful when travelling abroad. In this case, cover may include:

Dispatch of spare parts: If the car needs repairs abroad, the insurance may cover the cost of sending the necessary parts.
Vehicle transport: In the event that the vehicle cannot be repaired on the spot, the insurance company may arrange for its transportation back to the owner’s country of residence.
Customs clearance and disposal: If the car needs to be scrapped or go through customs clearance abroad, the Schutzbrief can also cover these costs.

What to do when your car breaks down

Procedure is more important than speed: on the autobahn, most accidents do not happen at the moment of a breakdown, but afterwards – involving people who got out on the wrong side or remained standing by the car. The ADAC procedure:

Hazard lights — immediately, as soon as you sense something is wrong, even before stopping.
Move out of the lane. Get to an emergency lay-by or a car park; if that fails, coast onto the hard shoulder. Turn the wheels right: if you get hit from behind, the car won’t be pushed into the traffic.
Sidelights on in darkness and poor visibility; switch off the engine.
Hi-vis vests for everyone. Not just the driver: everyone in the car puts them on while still inside.
To exit on the passenger side, not on the traffic side.
Behind the crash barrier. On the motorway, you must wait for help behind the barrier, not in the car or next to it.
Warning triangle. Walk along the barrier towards the oncoming traffic and set it up approximately 50 m away in a built-up area, 100 m on a rural road, no less than 150 m on the motorway. These are recommendations rather than a hard and fast rule — use your judgement based on visibility and the turn.
Call. Using the phone number in your policy, via the app or from the emergency call box. Black arrows on the posts along the road show which way the nearest call box is, they are located every 2 km. If the situation is dangerous for others — 110.
Collect the warning triangle, when it’s all over.

Failing to secure a broken-down vehicle carries a fine: €30, €60 and a penalty point if a hazard is created, €75 and a penalty point if it results in a traffic accident.

Why cars break down: statistics

ADAC went out to breakdowns 3,691,813 times in 2025 — on average, one call every 9 seconds. Reasons:

45,4 % — the battery. Almost every second breakdown. Hence the simple conclusion: if a car struggles to start in winter, the battery is replaced before the frosts, not after.
21,8 % — engine management and high-voltage system.
The rest is the engine, tyres, locks, lights and other minor details.

The number of incidents involving electric vehicles rose by 15 % (50’445 cases), whilst for plug-in hybrids it rose by 13 % (59’985). And in these cases too, the main cause is the standard 12-volt battery, rather than the traction battery.

Schutzbrief emergency telephone numbers

If you have Schutzbrief insurance and an insured event occurs, assistance can be obtained using the following contact details:

Allianz
0800-11-22-33-44

Alte Leipziger
+49-617-166-1416

AXA
0800-2920333 (Claims hotline within Germany)
0800-3050501 (Vehicle glass damage)
+49-221-14835803 International Claims Hotline
Online claim notification

Janitos
+49-6221-7092002

Kravag and R+V
+49-800-533-113

Itzehoer
+49-4821-773630

HDI
+49-511-6263112

Bavaria Direkt
+49-894-6224727

Europa
+49-221-60-60-70-60

Baloise
+49-6172-125-4442

Württembergische
00800-81-82-2000 (in Germany)
+49-711-662-721912 (outside Germany)

Schutzbrief or motoring club: which to choose

The services overlap by about eighty per cent: towing, roadside assistance, a replacement car, and the return journey. The difference lies in three things.

What is the aid tied to? The Schutzbrief is linked to the vehicle: assistance will be given to whoever was driving your car. Club membership is linked to the person: it will help you in someone else’s car, but it won’t help your wife in yours.
Price. A Schutzbrief is sold as an add-on to a car insurance policy and is usually noticeably cheaper than an annual club membership.
What else you get. Beyond roadside assistance, a motoring club offers its own services and discounts, whereas the Schutzbrief only covers breakdown and accident assistance.

Price range for 2026. ADAC membership: Basis from €54 per year (assistance in Germany only), Plus from €94 (Europe plus vehicle repatriation), Premium from €139 (worldwide and towing to your preferred garage). A Schutzbrief is an optional add-on to a car insurance policy and is usually cheaper, but it also offers fewer services; compare the list of services, not just the price.

Usually there is no point in taking both options: the services overlap and you pay twice.

What to check in the terms and conditions

Minimum distance from home. Some services (hotel, return travel) are included only from a certain mileage—different companies have their own threshold.
Courtesy car: for how many days and of which class.
Abroad: In which countries does the Schutzbrief apply and is there a limit on the trip duration?
Vehicle age. Some companies do not provide a Schutzbrief for cars older than a certain age.
How to call for help. Assistance must be arranged by the insurer. If you called a recovery truck yourself, the expenses might not be reimbursed — call the number on your policy first.

Save the number in advance. It is needed at the exact moment when there is no time to look for it: save your insurer’s phone number to your contacts before the trip.

When Schutzbrief does not pay

Rejections almost always come down to five reasons. All of them are predictable, and all of them can be overcome with a single phone call.

You called the recovery truck yourself. The most common story. Assistance must be organised by the insurer — first a call to the number on the policy, and only then everything else. The bill from a tow truck that you found yourself might not be reimbursed at all.
This is not a fault. An empty tank, lost keys, a dead battery from left-on headlights—at some companies these are separate items in the terms and conditions, rather than a “breakdown”. At some they’re covered, at others not.
The car missed its service or TÜV inspection. If the breakdown is directly related to missed servicing or an expired TÜV, the payout may be reduced.
The wrong person was driving. The Schutzbrief is linked to the vehicle, but nobody is covered without a licence or if under the influence of alcohol.
The service was not included in the tariff. A replacement car, hotel and return travel are not always included and often only from a certain distance from home.

Frequently asked questions

Are a Schutzbrief and Vollkasko (fully comprehensive insurance) the same thing?
No. Vollkasko pays for the repair of your car, while a Schutzbrief pays to get you and your car off the road. Each works without the other.

I wasn’t driving, the car is mine — will there be help?
Yes. The Schutzbrief is tied to the car: anyone driving it with your permission will receive assistance.

What to do if your car breaks down abroad?
Call the international number in your policy — most companies have a separate one for it. Save both numbers in advance: it is inconvenient to search for the insurer’s website while roaming.

Is a flat battery in the home car park an insured event?
Under the standard terms, roadside assistance and towing are also provided at your home; the hotel, return journey and replacement car depend on the distance (often from 50 km). Check the clause on minimum distance in the terms and conditions.

How many times a year can you call them out?
Usually there is no limit on the number of call-outs, but there are limits on the amounts for individual services—such as towing, hotel accommodation and a replacement car.

Electric car ran out of charge on the road - will they tow it to a charging point?
For some companies this is a separate service, for others it is not. If you have an electric vehicle, ask about this item directly: it is not included in standard old tariffs.

How quickly do they arrive?
There is usually no guaranteed response time — there is an obligation to organise assistance. Therefore, if you break down in the middle of nowhere, it makes sense to tell the operator straight away that you have children with you or that you are on a main road: this changes the dispatch priority.

What else does a driver need

Motor insurance in Germany — Haftpflicht (third-party liability), Teilkasko (partial cover) and Vollkasko: what each covers and what the price depends on.
Broken car window — who pays and who to call.
Green Card — what to take with you on a trip abroad.
Legal protection insurance — if a dispute started after the road traffic accident.
Private liability insurance — that which motor insurance doesn’t cover.

This material is for informational purposes only. Schutzbrief terms vary between companies — check the wording in your contract. Telephone numbers verified in August 2026.

Sources: ADAC breakdown statistics for 2025 (published 10/03/2026), what to do if your car breaks down, distances for the warning triangle and membership fees.