RRP £49 per year OR £5 per month

Website: www.theaa.com/breakdown-cover/smart-breakdown

The AA Smart Breakdown is an innovative new device from the AA. Previously, you would have only realised your car was breaking down if you saw a red light flashing on your dashboard, heard a weird noise, or worst – saw smoke come out of the bonnet! No longer must you get to the point of no return on your journey before you call the AA!

Smart Breakdown is a wonderful little device that can spot problems long before they become an issue, and can also tell you what to do before ringing up an expert or making it to the nearest garage. It does all of this whilst been linked up to your smartphone to provide you with real time updates on how your car is doing.

We were very excited to try out the Smart Breakdown device at the GadgetHead office. The device was very easy to plug into a port that sits in the footwell of your car. Installation was as simple as that. Luckily, whilst taking a drive, it didn’t notice any severe faults. However, it did kindly remind me that my car is due its MOT: something that my mind and my bank account have been hoping to forget about!

If you do have a problem with your car, the AA Smart Breakdown device will most definitely notice it. The fault detection application can spot 5,000 different fault codes and is able to diagnose the issue with 80% of engine breakdowns. When an issue with your car is noted, the device will send your phone a notification summarising the fault with your car, giving to a description of the problem, and will also give you advice on how to handle this fault. Either you will be able to sort out the issue yourself before it gets out of hand, or if you do need to call out the AA, they will already know the issue with your car before they get there and can be duly prepared.

This virtual mechanic provided by the AA Smart Breakdown certainly puts the mind at ease. If you are nervous about a long-haul journey, or if you have heard a rattling sound, then you can breathe easier using Smart Breakdown. Even if you aren’t a member of the AA, you are still able to buy this device and use it, which we would strongly advise you to do! This could be a life saver.

 

Pros

Detects faults before they cause issues with your car

Offers advice on how to fix faults

Easy to use/install

Cons

None

Rating

5/5