Navigating Vehicle Breakdowns and Emergencies Abroad: ADAC’s Assistance and Support

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a breakdown, an accident or a natural phenomenon such as hail at a holiday destination abroad – if the vehicle of an ADAC Plus or Premium member cannot be made roadworthy again within three working days, it will be transported back to Germany to a workshop at the place of residence.

Current situation in summer 2023

In the first summer after the Corona travel restrictions, the ADAC recorded Record figures for damage in other European countries. About 10,000 cases are reported to the ADAC every week.

At an event like this severe storm in northern Italy, over 1,000 cases were added overnight in a single region. The result: all affected members want to reach the ADAC at the same time. You need a tow truck, help organizing the journey home, have many questions.

hail in northern Italy

“We’ve prepared well for the high season.” Sasha Petzold, board member at ADAC Versicherung AG. “In an event where more than a thousand members want to reach us at the same time, even we reach our capacity limits. However, with our team in Italy and the colleagues we sent from Germany, we were able to provide active emergency aid on site in a very short time. “

How does the ADAC help?

In the Basic Membership does not include services abroad. If it is possible in terms of capacity, the ADAC employees will of course advise the member.

For ADAC Plus and Premium members are provided by the ADAC partner clubs On-site roadside assistance. If the breakdown cannot be repaired, towing to a workshop (up to a maximum of 300 euros) will be organized. There are no guaranteed times when help will arrive.

Die direct journey home is available as an option from the day after the breakdown if the damage cannot be repaired. If necessary, the partner club will, on the instructions of the ADAC, help if possible and available to organize rental cars.

Here you can, if you want, the return journey self-organizing and submit the invoice for reimbursement. This includes paying for a Rental car for the direct journey home (up to 500 euros)one 1st class train ride or from Flight costs from a distance of 1200 km from your place of residence to the agreed performance limits.

The ADAC is also trying to mediate of a hotel to support, which can prove difficult in high season. The assumption of costs by the ADAC within Europe for up to three nights amounts to maximum 85 euros per person and night.

Cannot return the vehicle within three business days be made technically roadworthy and it exists no economic total lossthe ADAC takes over Vehicle return transport to a workshop at the member’s place of residence.

Collective transports to Germany

Both vehicle return transport For logistical and environmental reasons, it is a collective transport, which is an organizational problem, especially in the main travel season leader take advantage of. If you need your vehicle back home immediately, you can organize return transport yourself after consultation with the ADAC.

But you have to be aware that you have to be liable for any damage caused on the return transport. The The invoice for the return transport can be used for reimbursement and the costs will be covered up to the amount that ADAC would have had to pay for the return transport. Submitting the invoice is very easy and digital with the online damage report.

When is my car coming?

Because of significant volume Due to the vehicle return transports that have to be organized in the high season, the personnel situation in the transport sector and various local obstacles, it is unfortunately not possible for the ADAC to always provide members immediately the current status in the vehicle return transport chain.

Tracking is due to General Data Protection Regulation also not possible. However, once the collective transport has started, we will contact the member immediately and provide the one transport period. The workshop we go to then contacts the member when the vehicle has arrived and agrees on details for the repair.

When do I need to contact my car insurance?

Do you have one? accident abroador the vehicle was, for example, through Hagel damaged like now in northern Italy, you have to inform your car insurance company within a week.

Is the vehicle in Germany at arrived at the workshopone must with the car insurance an expert appointment damage assessment agree. Only then can the workshop repair the damage. Sometimes the billing runs directly between the insurance company and the workshop and you only have to do the deductible send to the workshop.

If the vehicle is so badly damaged that the ADAC is economic total loss runs out, you should contact your car insurance company immediately and discuss how to proceed. A vehicle with an economic total loss is covered within the framework of the Plus and Premium membership not to Germany brought back.

Whether the insurance in such a case, the damage assessment on site makes or brings the vehicle to Germany very different handled. Is the vehicle worth less than that? estimated repair costs, one speaks of an economic total loss. In this case, the insurance reimburses dThe difference between the replacement value and the residual value of the car after the damage.