If a warning light comes on, the engine cuts out or a tyre goes flat, the order for handling a rental car breakdown is: get the car and everyone in it safe, then call the rental company, and only then think about towing or repairs. With a Grandpride car, call or WhatsApp +6010 322 3223 CHECK: 24-hour breakdown number for rental customers outside showroom hours, if different. Don't book a tow truck or a workshop yourself before you've spoken to us.
The first five minutes
- Signal, slow down and get as far left as you can: the emergency lane on an expressway, or a layby. Avoid stopping on a bend or just over a crest, where drivers behind can't see you.
- Turn on the hazard lights once you've stopped.
- Get everyone out on the side away from the traffic and behind the road barrier. A car on the hard shoulder can be hit; people standing beside it can too.
- If there's a warning triangle in the boot, set it well behind the car so approaching drivers see it in time.
- Call 999 if anyone is hurt or the car is in a dangerous spot. On a PLUS expressway, the highway operator's hotline is 1-800-88-0000, open 24 hours, and there are emergency phones along the road.
- Call Grandpride. Have three things ready: where you are (the highway name, direction and the nearest kilometre marker or exit), what happened, and what the dashboard is showing.
Don't try to fix the car or change a tyre in the emergency lane. Malaysia's road safety institute, MIROS, has called it very dangerous, with traffic passing close by at expressway speed. Our guide to car breakdowns on Malaysian highways has more on staying safe on the expressway itself.
Why call the rental company before anyone else
It's their car, and they decide who touches it. A tow truck you flag down, or one that turns up uninvited, may take the car somewhere that isn't approved and charge a high fee to release it. A repair you arrange on your own is one the owner hasn't agreed to, and it may not be the right fix.
Whether a breakdown call to Grandpride brings a tow truck, a mechanic or a replacement car, and how long that takes, is CHECK: what roadside assistance Grandpride provides for rental cars (towing, on-site help, replacement car) and typical response time in and outside the Klang Valley. Follow what we tell you on the call, and keep your phone charged; a car charger cable in your bag is a good habit on any road trip.
What kind of problem is it?
A warning light
If a light comes on that you don't recognise, don't guess. Pull over somewhere safe, photograph the dashboard and send it to us on WhatsApp, along with anything the car's screen says. If the car's handbook is in the glovebox, it explains each symbol.
A flat tyre
On an expressway, don't change it at the roadside. Get off the carriageway if you can do so slowly and safely, otherwise stop in the emergency lane and call. Tyre damage is covered under Grandpride Protection+, which includes glass and tyres; under Basic Cover or a Loss Damage Waiver, what you pay is CHECK: how tyre damage is charged under Basic Cover and LDW.
The car won't start
Note anything the car says on the screen, check it's in Park (or neutral) with your foot on the brake, and try once more. If it has a keyless start, make sure the key is inside the car. Then call.
You've run out of fuel
It happens, especially in a car with a bigger thirst than you're used to. Call us rather than walking to a station along the highway. Our guide to the rental fuel policy has tips on keeping an eye on the gauge.
It was an accident, not a breakdown
That's a different process with a police report involved. Follow our guide on what to do after a car accident in Malaysia.
Who pays, who fixes
Is the renter responsible for a breakdown?
A mechanical fault you didn't cause and damage you did cause are treated differently. Damage you cause, such as hitting a pothole hard enough to break a wheel, falls under your protection level and excess. How Grandpride splits the cost of a breakdown, and if lost rental time is refunded, is CHECK: who pays for towing and repairs after a mechanical breakdown, and whether lost rental days are refunded or a replacement car is supplied.
Does Grandpride offer breakdown cover?
Every rental includes Basic Cover, and you can add a Loss Damage Waiver or Grandpride Protection+; the price of each shows against every car on the rental fleet when you book. Those deal with damage and theft. Roadside help is a separate matter, so ask us what's included when you book, especially before a long drive.
What if I break down far from KL?
Grandpride cars can be driven anywhere in Peninsular Malaysia, so a breakdown can happen far from Petaling Jaya. Call us the same way and give your exact location. If you're heading somewhere remote, such as the east coast or the highlands, save the number in your phone before you set off, and take a look at our list of emergency numbers for drivers in Malaysia.
