Car Recovery in London

Planned moves to a garage in or out of London

Moves can be planned around a garage booking, too. If the car is parked at home, sitting at a garage or waiting for a repair slot, ask for a planned move. The quote form's urgency options include "On or by a specific date", with a calendar to pick the day, and "I'm flexible" if the timing is open.

Give the pickup address, the garage or home it's going to, and whether it starts, rolls and steers. Tell us your preferred destination and check it can accept the car. Confirm any waiting, storage or onward move before booking. A move from London to a garage in another town is quoted for the route and the vehicle.

Example scenario, not a real job. A car that won't start has sat on a residential street in Lewisham for a week, and the owner's garage in Bromley has space on Thursday. Both addresses go into the request, with a note that the car rolls and steers, a photo of the street and Thursday as the date. The quote for that move comes back, and the owner decides.

London pickup details that change the job

The operator needs to know what they're arriving at before they set off. These details go in your request, and they're what your quote is built on.

Underground and multi-storey car parks

In a multi-storey or underground car park, send its name, the level the car is on, the entrance height and a photo of the access point. Height limits differ between car parks: the City of London's own car parks publish limits from 1.85 metres at Baynard House to 2.08 metres at London Wall.

Say whether a ticket or barrier pass is needed to leave, and where the keys are. If the car is on a lower level and won't roll, say that too. Through the network, wheel skates, a winch or a low loader can be matched to those details.

A red route or a busy main road

Get yourself away from the traffic first. The Highway Code says you must not stop on red lines unless signs allow it, and that after a breakdown you should try to stop in a place of relative safety; the Highway Code rules on waiting and parking set out the red line rules in full.

Once you're safe, send the road name, the direction you were travelling and the nearest junction or landmark, such as Staples Corner on the North Circular.

Residential streets and driveways

On a residential street, give the house number or nearest junction, and say whether the car is on the road, on a drive or in a garage. Mention anything that affects access, such as a gate, a slope, a width restriction or a parking bay the car has to be pulled out of. A photo taken from the road helps.

When a London car won't roll, steer or start

Say if the wheels are locked, the handbrake is stuck, the car is an automatic that won't come out of park, or the keys aren't available. Many electric and hybrid cars should be moved with their wheels off the ground, so check your handbook and tell us.

Your quote is based on what you describe. If the car or the access turns out different, the price may change or the operator may not be able to do the job.

Recovery after a London vehicle release

If the Metropolitan Police or a London borough council removed the car, getting it released is between you and them. Snap can arrange the move afterwards if the car can't be driven away.

• The Met sends a letter naming the pound, Charlton or Perivale, when the car is ready for collection. A car towed by a borough for parking is traced through TRACE.
• The Met says a car with a PG9 prohibition notice, or one that isn't roadworthy, can't be driven or won't start, must be collected by a recovery operator at your own expense.
• If you won't be at the pound, the operator needs your signed letter of authority. Check your notice for the documents to bring.

Read the Met's guidance on impounded vehicles, then send the pound as the pickup and your garage or home as the drop-off.

What shapes the price of a London recovery

Your quote depends on the pickup and drop-off, the car's condition, access and operator availability. You see the total for your job before you accept.

In London, these details from your request change it:

• The route: the distance from pickup to drop-off, across a borough or out of London.
• The car: whether it starts, rolls and steers, its size and weight, and any damage.
• Access: a car park level and entrance height, an underground deck, a gate or a red route.
• Timing: evenings, weekends and bank holidays can cost more.
• The destination: waiting time or storage if the drop-off can't take the car yet.

As an indicative guide, not a national tariff: a local tow up to 10 miles typically costs £50 to £150, and a jump start typically costs £50 to £100. Both ranges include Snap's booking fee. Longer-distance recovery is quoted for the route and the vehicle. Accident recovery is quoted for the damage, access and journey. See what goes into a recovery quote.

London areas and postcodes you can request a pickup from

Pickups can be requested anywhere in Greater London. Before a quote goes out, Snap checks which operators are available for that job.

• Central: the City of London, Westminster, Camden, Islington, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Lambeth and Southwark.
• North and east: Enfield, Wood Green, Stratford, Ilford and Romford.
• South: Lewisham, Woolwich, Bexleyheath, Bromley, Croydon, Kingston and Wimbledon.
• West and north-west: Ealing, Hounslow, Uxbridge, Wembley and Harrow.

Postcode areas include E, EC, N, NW, SE, SW, W and WC, and outer areas such as BR, CR, DA, EN, HA, IG, KT, RM, SM, TW and UB.

Paying for a London recovery

The quote comes first. Snap assesses the job, checks prices and availability with operators covering the area, and sends one quote showing the booking fee, the operator's charge and the total. Nothing is booked until you accept.

Requests are handled 24/7, round the clock, so you can send one whenever the car needs moving. After you accept:

• Pay the booking fee by bank transfer, using the details on your tracking page. Snap doesn't ask for card details. You get a receipt for your booking fee.
• The operator's details and an estimated arrival time come by SMS or WhatsApp.
• Pay the operator's charge to them when the job is done.
• Cancel within 15 minutes of confirming, or before an operator is assigned, whichever comes first, and the booking fee is refunded in full. See how paying works and the cancellation stages.

Snap checks operators' insurance and licensing when they join. Ask for ID and insurance details when they arrive, whether that's at a pound, a car park or your street. More on how operators are checked.

Questions about recovering a car in London

Related services and other areas

Services: car recovery and towing · breakdown help · accident recovery · jump start · help guides

Other areas: car recovery areas across the UK