With the current credit crunch, very few people have the funds available to cope with an unexpected bill, and if that bill is the only way you can get a much needed car back on the road then it becomes an expensive necessity.To help their members protect themselves against these costs the AA has introduced Breakdown Repair Cover.From less than ￡6.50 per month AA members can be covered against repair costs following a breakdown, up to the value of ￡500 per claim including VAT, parts and labour, with just a ￡25 excess to pay. Cover also allows up to 6 claims per year.'A breakdown is inconvenient at the best of times but then to be left with a large repair bill can be devastating, especially in the current climate' said Mark Jackson, Head of Product Development at the AA. 'With Breakdown Repair Cover most of the pain of the breakdown is taken away. The average cost of parts and labour to repair an alternator is ￡274. With AA Breakdown Repair Cover all that the member will pay is ￡25 excess and leave the rest to us, from taking the vehicle to the garage of their choice to paying the bill at the end of the repair.'There are three levels of AA Breakdown Repair Cover covering cars, motorcycles (over 50cc), vans (under 3.5 tonnes) and driving school vehicles. For ￡67 per year AA members can cover a single vehicle under 10 years of age and under 100,000 miles. For single vehicles over 10 years and/or over 100,000 miles the cost is ￡90. AA members can also purchase Multiple Vehicle Cover for up to 3 vehicles of any age and mileage for ￡119 per year. For more information on Breakdown Repair Cover visit theaa.com