What To Do When Your Car Breaks Down

Even if you take your car to all necessary maintenance appointments, sometimes, things just happen and you can be left on the road with a broken-down car.

Whether it’s on a busy highway after a sharp piece of debris deflated one of your tires, or in the middle of nowhere, after your battery died, these situations can happen to anyone. Because they are unpredictable, it’s always to be prepared.

What To Do If Your Car Breaks Down

The best way to handle a broken-down car depends on the situation. For instance, you would need different tools for a depleted battery and deflated tire.

Regardless of the situation though, there are certain basic steps that you need to follow:

1. Turn on your hazard lights to alert other drivers that you have an emergency. Make sure to keep these lights on until help arrives.

2. Pull off the road and onto the shoulder if possible. Make sure to also put on the emergency brake and turn your wheels away from the road.

3. Stay in your vehicle. Unless it’s not safe to stay in your car, remain seated and avoid looking at the damage until help arrives.

4. Make yourself more visible. If you’re in a safe spot and can get out of your car, prop up the hood of your car and place flares or reflective triangles (if you have them) behind your car.

5. Call for help. If you have a service like AAA or your insurance offers roadside assistance, make sure to contact these services. You can also call a tow truck or trusted mechanic. If you’re in an emergency, call 911.

Once you’ve gone through all these steps, it’s time to sit tight. Help is on the way.

What To Do If Your Car Breaks Down On A Highway

Highways are some of the most common locations for car breakdowns. The fast pace of these roads, though, can make it difficult to pull over safely.

If you can, pull off to the left shoulder so that if you need to get out, you can do so without stepping in traffic.

If your vehicle broke down in the travel lane and you’re stuck in traffic, stay in your car with the hazard lights on. Wait for help to arrive so that they can safely escort you out of your vehicle.  

What To Do If Your Car Breaks Down On A Road Trip

When you’re out on the open road, you need to be prepared for anything, including a car break-down.

So, besides knowing what to do if your car breaks down, you’ll also want to have these extra supplies on hand:

• Extra vehicle fluids

• A spare tire

• Tire-changing supplies

• Jumper cables

• Prepared food

• Drinking water

What To Do If Your Car Breaks Down At Night

You’ll take the same basic precautions if your car breaks down at night as you would if your car broke down during the day.

Depending on where you are, though, you might need to sit tight overnight. If a tow truck can’t pick you up until morning, it will be helpful to have the following items on hand:

• Drinking water

• Preserved food

• A blanket

• Flashlight and batteries

• Extra medications

• Cell phone charger

• First-aid kit

You likely won’t have to stay in your car overnight as there are 24-hour towing services nationwide. Plus, roadside assistance services covered by insurance companies often operate 24/7.

You may, though, want to share your location with a friend or family member just in case.

What To Do If Your Car Breaks Down In The Middle Of Nowhere

A car breaking down anywhere can be inconvenient, but it is especially exasperating if you’re in the middle of nowhere.

Nowadays, it’s hard to get stuck out in the middle of nowhere thanks to cell phone reception that reaches even the smallest towns. Mechanics and towing services are also located in nearly every city.

Just as you would with any other car breakdown scenario, you’ll want to pull off to the side of the road, turn on your hazard lights, and call for help.

If you can’t look up local towing services, call 911 or your insurance company for assistance.

What To Do After Your Car Breaks Down

A broken-down car can be an inconvenience, but it can also be a wake-up call. This is especially true if this isn’t the first time your car has broken down on you.

If you’ve taken your car to the mechanic multiple times over the past few months, it might not be financially sustainable to keep doing so.

In fact, your car might not even be worth the repairs it’s costing. In this case, you’ll want to consider selling your car. We explain how you can do so with JunkCarMasters below.

How To Sell A Broken Down Car

If after your car breaks down, you realize that it will be a better decision to sell it rather than try to repair it, JunkCarMasters can help.

Here’s how you can sell your broken-down vehicle with us:

1. Enter your vehicle details into our calculator.

2. Get your offer in less than two minutes.

3. Accept our estimate.

4. Schedule your free car pick-up in 24 to 48 hours.

5. Get your check!