How often do you break down?

1996 Citroen Xantia TD head gasket failed
1999 Citroen Xantia HDI Exclusive Estate core plug on block failed so emptied the coolant out very quickly!

Er that's it in 6 years of running my own cars. the other cars were

1992 Renault 19 1.4RL Prima
1996 Ford Mondeo
1999 Citroen Xantia HDI SX
1996 Ford Transit Van (this did run out of fuel due to the alternator belt failing and the car subsequently running out of juice on a long run home. Didn't have the balls to fill it up with the engine running)
1997 Honda Accord Aerodeck 2.2 ES
1986 Nissan Silvia S12 Turbo
1997 Mazda MX5

I only got breakdown cover this year because I got full recovery cover at £42.50. Previously been to France and Germany on holiday with no cover.
I did earlier this year have my bacon saved by the GF had her AA card with her when I was 200 miles from home and the Xantia was ******* its coolant everywhere. I do between 20-25k per year as well so it's not as if I do ultra low mileage and drive nice new cars. My Reanult was bought for £150 or something!!!
 
Not done too badly, seeing as I've only owned sheds.

Mini Clubman 1275 GT - track rod end sheared, had to be carried over to the side of the road.
Sierra 2.0 GLX - Torque converter died.
Vauxhall Vectra - probably everything, it ate alternators, batteries and brake parts like they were going out of fashion.
 
Rapidly touches every piece of wood in sight.

34 years of driving, I have never had a breakdown that required outside assistance to get me home.
The closest problem to needing a tow home, that I have had, was a broken clutch cable on a Renault 19 16v. Although even that can not be classed as a full breakdown by your rules as I did manage to drive it 124 miles back home with no clutch as the cost of recovery was ridiculous.

Did have one occasion of a brake pipe splitting, (old mk2 Escort) but managed to drive the 3 miles or so back home on the hand brake, so again not much of a problem.

Other than that have had approx 12 punctures necessitating replacement of tyre & wheel at side of road.
 
2002 - Ford Sierra Sapphire 1987 - had the engine rebuilt, 1st trip down the motorway alternator fell off - engine shop didn't do the bolt up tight enough.

2002 - Sam car - head gasket blew - they'd put on a 2.0 HG instead of the correct 2.1HG!

2003 - Same car - immobiliser packed in - cut it out the same afternoon - all good.

2008 - '97 Scorpio Cosworth - Auto box cooler hose leaking AFTER coming back from a successful MOT - rusty part cut out and joined with 10mm fuel hose same evening.

Not too bad for the age of the cars esp as two of them were due to shoddy workshop practices (they got a right good kicking for those two mistake btw). I never worry about break downs - that's what the RAC cover is for plus I keep on top of maintanence so generally spot things before they go pop.
 
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1989 Renault 5 Campus - Car cut out when driving through a town, towed to garage, turned out it was a dirty fuel filter due to crud in the tank.
1994 Peugeot 306 XLd - Blown HG and warped head, needed a tow home.
1988 Peugeot 205 XR - Snapped Aux. belt, RAC came and took me to Halfords to get a new one, fixed at roadside.

In 4 years and 3 cars that's not too bad, especially as they were all 'unreliable French hatchbacks'. :)

EDIT: Seeing Freefaller's post reminded me... 1994 Peugeot 306 XLd - Plastic end of a clutch cable snapped requiring me to call out my brother to buy one and the RAC to fit it.
 
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I had a Fiat UNO 60s, the clutch cable snapped back in 1999.

That's the only issue I've ever had.

I now drive an Alfa, and it's been reliable for over a year! :eek: Who'd have thunk it ;)
 
Only in a old Rover 214 i had ... i broke down so many times the AA wrote me a letter saying they cannot assit me anymore lol:D :eek:

My other cars:

Cinquicento - Never
Nissan Pulsar GTI - Never (5 years too)
FTO - Never

Oh and i did have a Citroen ax as my 1st car ... i never put oil in and the engine blew lol
 
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I had a wheel come off the suspension arm going over a speedbump. Thank god it never came off the next day when i had 150mile drive back to uni.
 
2000 - Gear linkage failed on Pug 106, had literally just parked it at the hospital for a baby scan and that was it ! Had to get towed to garage to replace it.

Other than that no actual breakdowns in over 12 years of driving, i did lock myself out of a KA hire car once but broke into that and got it opened with no damage to car !
 
Twice, both in a 1989 FIAT Uno.

First time a fuel pipe split, AA bloke cut the split section off and reattached it.

Second time the fuel pump stopped working. AA man got it working again.
 
Once in 6 years. Serpentine belt snapped at 75mph on the A12. Not a fun time to learn you've got no power steering (not dangerous, per se, but when you approach a corner assuming you've got it when you havent, it can lead to tears). Luckily i managed to pull off a sliproad. It then overheated and boiled everything.
 
[TW]Fox;12871519 said:
2003 in a 1994 Citroen Xantia 1.9TD - Plastic clutch cable clip failed, Dads mate towed it home.
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that happened to me. Luckily I had a cable and clip with me at the time. Took me about 5 hours at the side of the road to replace the cable and clip... finished at about midnight IIRC.
 
whitecrook said:
that happened to me. Luckily I had a cable and clip with me at the time. Took me about 5 hours at the side of the road to replace the cable and clip... finished at about midnight IIRC.
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That's what happened to mine when it snapped, but I got the RAC man to fit a new one my brother dropped off.

I found out later that it's not hard to fit yourself, fiddly, but not hard...but then when I fitted it the next time I was in a garage with the car on stands. :p
 
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