24 Hour Car Recovery on the M25 from J1a to J5, with Guaranteed Attendance from J2 to J5
Open 24 hours for cars, vans and 4x4s from Dartford to Sevenoaks, with the price agreed on the phone before we dispatch. Our attendance guarantee applies from J2 to J5 and does not extend to the A282 approach roads at J1a and J1b.
- No separate call-out fee
- Price agreed first
- Guaranteed attendance on confirmed jobs
- 24/7/365
If you cannot reach a place of safety and also cannot get out of your vehicle safely, stay in it with your seat belt and hazard lights on and call 999 first.
Send your details on WhatsApp once you are safe
Get to safety first and do not go back to the vehicle to check anything. Answer only from what you already know. If you cannot reach safety and also cannot get out safely, call 999 instead.
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We provide 24 hour car recovery on the M25 from J1a, by the Dartford Crossing, to J5, signed for Sevenoaks, for cars, vans and 4x4s. We guarantee attendance on every job we confirm from J2 to J5, and where the police or National Highways are managing the scene we attend as soon as they allow access. The price is agreed by phone before we dispatch, with no separate call-out fee; a motorway callout on the M25 runs from £250 to £750 depending on location. J1a and J1b, on the A282 approach to the Dartford Crossing, are outside our guarantee.
Our attendance guarantee
Once we have confirmed your job with you and agreed the price, we guarantee to attend. We cannot give an arrival time, because it depends on where you are and, where the police or National Highways are managing the scene, on when they allow access. The price is agreed before we set off, with no separate call-out fee. The guarantee does not extend to the Dartford Crossing itself or its approach roads, where only a constable or traffic officer may move a vehicle.
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The M25 from J1a to J5: an overview
The M25 between J1a and J5 runs through Kent, from the Dartford Crossing as far as Sevenoaks. It opens with two junctions on the A282 trunk road: J1a at Littlebrook, signed for Swanscombe, Erith and Bluewater, and J1b for Dartford. The M25 proper starts at J2, where signs point to the A2 for London and Bexleyheath, to Ebbsfleet International and, via the M2, to Canterbury. J3 at Swanley meets the A20 and is where the M20 begins, J4 at Badgers Mount is signed for Orpington and Bromley, and J5 at Chevening meets the A21 for Sevenoaks and the M26. The whole stretch lies in Kent.
Measured between the driver location signs, J1a to J5 is about 12.8 miles (20.6 km), of which about 10.9 miles (17.5 km) is motorway proper from J2. The road is four lanes each way on the A282 as far as J2, then three lanes each way through J3 and J4 to J5. It is a busy road: National Highways says the Dartford Crossing was designed for 135,000 vehicles a day but averages about 150,000, and the Department for Transport's 2025 count put the J2 to J3 link at roughly 131,000 vehicles a day, about 13 per cent of them HGVs. The M20 from J3 is signed for Dover and the Channel Tunnel.
Broken down on the M25? Get to safety first
If your vehicle breaks down, your safety comes before the car. The Highway Code (rule 277) says to leave the motorway at the next exit or pull into a service area if possible, and National Highways says not to stop in a live lane unless absolutely necessary. If you cannot leave the carriageway at the next exit or pull into a service area, follow the three steps below. A hard shoulder gives less protection than other places of relative safety (rule 275).
Step 1, go left. Move into the left lane. Pull into an emergency area or onto a hard shoulder if you can, and stop as far to the left as possible, leaving space to exit your vehicle, with your wheels turned to the left and your hazard lights on (use sidelights too if it is dark or visibility is poor). If you can, stop just beyond an emergency telephone.
Step 2, get safe. If it is safe and possible, exit the vehicle by the side furthest from traffic and make sure passengers do the same. Wait well away from the vehicle and moving traffic, behind the safety barrier where there is one, aware of unseen hazards such as sudden drops, uneven ground or debris. Do not stand where your vehicle could be forced into you. Do not return to the vehicle, even if it is raining, cold or dark, and do not attempt repairs or put a warning triangle on the carriageway.
Step 3, get help. Use the free emergency telephone and face the traffic while you speak. If you have not stopped near one, or you cannot get out of the vehicle, call 999 immediately and ask for the police, or press your vehicle's SOS button if it has one and ask for the police. Tell them if you are a vulnerable motorist, such as disabled, older or travelling alone. In an emergency area you must use the emergency telephone and follow the operator's advice before you leave (rule 278), because a lane may need to be closed so you can rejoin.
If you cannot reach a place of relative safety and cannot get out safely, stay in the vehicle with your seat belt and hazard lights on, and call 999 and ask for the police (or press your SOS button if your vehicle has one). Rule 279 gives the same advice if you have a disability that stops you following these steps. If you cannot use an emergency roadside telephone because of a speech or hearing impairment, National Highways takes texts for roadside assistance on 0738 028 3600.
Call us once you are somewhere safe: behind the safety barrier, well away from your vehicle and moving traffic, after you have spoken to National Highways or 999, or in a service area or off the motorway. Tell us your direction of travel (clockwise or anticlockwise), the last junction you passed, and the registration, make and model. Quote a marker post or driver location sign only if you can read it from where you are safely waiting. Do not go back to the vehicle to find details. Do not wait for us in or beside a live lane.
On the Dartford Crossing and its approach roads (the A282), only a constable or traffic officer may move a vehicle at rest because of a breakdown (other than in a designated parking area), and repairs need their express permission (Dartford-Thurrock Crossing Regulations 1998, regulation 9). If you are in danger there, call 999. Our attendance guarantee does not extend to the crossing or its approach roads.
Junction by junction: M25 J1a to J5
J1a and J1b: the A282 junctions before the Dartford Crossing
J1a is the Littlebrook interchange, a dumbbell interchange where the A282 meets the A206. Leaving clockwise you are signed for Swanscombe, Erith and Bluewater on the A206; the anticlockwise exit is signed Swanscombe and Erith. National Highways refers to it as A282 junction 1a. Anticlockwise, it is the last junction before the Dartford Crossing, where traffic uses two northbound tunnels that National Highways says have different height restrictions, of 4.8 m and 5.0 m. The A282 is four lanes each way here, and the driver location signs read about 5.7 km.
J1b follows 1.8 km (about 1.1 miles) later clockwise: a roundabout interchange where the A282 meets the A225, signed Dartford on the clockwise exit. Anticlockwise there is no exit at J1b, only an entry slip. Both junctions are on the A282 approach to the Dartford Crossing, which is a trunk road and not a motorway. That is why our attendance guarantee does not extend to them: under regulation 9 of the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing Regulations 1998, only a constable or traffic officer may move a vehicle at rest because of a breakdown on the crossing or its approach roads.
J2 Darenth: the A2 stacked roundabout where the motorway starts
J2 is the Darenth interchange, a three-level stacked roundabout where the M25 meets the A2. Signs point to the A2 for London (SE and C) and Bexleyheath, to Canterbury via the M2, and to Ebbsfleet International; the anticlockwise exit adds Bluewater on the A2 and Dartford on the A225. The M2 is reached along the A2 rather than at J2 itself. National Highways calls the junction M25 junction 2, the Darenth interchange, and calls J1a and J1b A282 junctions. Three lanes run each way to J3, and the driver location signs read about 8.8 km.
J2 is also where the road changes name. The junction's signs show the A282 becoming the M25 for clockwise traffic and the M25 becoming the A282 for anticlockwise traffic, and the clockwise exit carries a sign for non-motorway traffic. Variable speed limits start on the J2 to J3 section as well. Because J1a to J2 is the A282 and outside our guarantee, tell us your exact position when you call: the carriageway, and whether you are on a slip road, the roundabout or the main road.
J3 Swanley: where the M20 starts
J3 is the Swanley interchange, another three-level stacked roundabout, where the M25 meets the A20 and the M20 begins just east of Swanley. The clockwise exit is signed Dover, the Channel Tunnel and Maidstone for the M20, and London (SE) and Swanley for the A20. The anticlockwise exit is signed London (SE and C) and Lewisham on the A20, with the Channel Tunnel and Maidstone via the M20. Swanley, in Sevenoaks District, lies next to the Greater London boundary. Three lanes run each way, and the driver location signs read about 14.0 km.
The M20 numbers its own junctions, so say 'M25 junction 3' rather than just 'junction 3': the M20's junction 3, for example, is where the M26 joins. The variable speed limits that start at J2 also cover the clockwise exit to the A20 and the linking carriageways to and from the M20, as well as the main carriageways. Clockwise, J2 is 5.2 km (about 3.2 miles) behind you at J3 and J4 is 5.6 km (about 3.5 miles) ahead.
J4 Badgers Mount: Orpington, Bromley and the Hewitts Roundabout spur
J4 is the Badgers Mount interchange, a roundabout interchange. In both directions the signs read Bromley (A21) and Orpington (A224), with London (SE) added on the anticlockwise approach. The A21 and the A224 Orpington Bypass meet at Hewitts Roundabout, which an M25 spur road links to J4. Badgers Mount is a village in Sevenoaks District, about 3.6 miles south-east of Orpington and 5.6 miles north-west of Sevenoaks.
J4 sits 5.6 km (about 3.5 miles) after J3 and 6.7 km (about 4.2 miles) before J5, with three lanes each way, and the driver location signs read about 19.6 km. Neither the National Highways map nor the Department for Transport's smart motorway stocktake lists a smart motorway scheme on this length, so it is a conventional motorway. When you ring, say 'M25 junction 4' and your direction: clockwise runs towards Sevenoaks and J5, anticlockwise towards Swanley and the Dartford Crossing.
J5 Chevening: the A21, the M26 and an unusual layout
J5 is the Chevening interchange, a non-standard junction where the M25 meets the A21 and the M26. The A21 leads to Sevenoaks and Hastings; the M26 runs about 10 miles to the M20 at Wrotham, for Maidstone, the Channel Tunnel and Dover. The clockwise exit is signed Sevenoaks and Hastings (A21) only, while the anticlockwise sign lists Dover, the Channel Tunnel and Maidstone via the M26 and M20, and Sevenoaks and Hastings via the A21. The driver location signs read about 26.3 km. Chevening village lies north-west of Sevenoaks, close to the motorway.
The layout is a legacy of how the road was built: until February 1986 the anticlockwise M25 simply became the M26 here. Today there is no exit from the M26 at J5, so M26 traffic joins the clockwise M25, and on the anticlockwise carriageway the main road runs straight on to the M26 unless you take the slip road to stay on the M25. Clockwise, the M25 heads west towards Godstone and J6. Because the junction mixes three roads, tell us your carriageway and direction.
Hard shoulder and smart motorway status on J1a to J5
The National Highways operational and planned smart motorways map (reference CRE25_0085, information last updated 21 January 2025) and the Department for Transport's 2020 smart motorway stocktake agree on this stretch. Neither lists the A282 approach from J1a to J2. Both list J2 to J3 as a controlled motorway: variable mandatory speed limits on a conventional motorway that keeps its permanent hard shoulder, which is how the stocktake defines the term. The 2012 regulations that set them apply the limits on the main carriageways and on named slip roads and M20 linking carriageways at J2 and J3.
Between J3 and J5 neither source lists an M25 scheme, so on their classification this length is conventional motorway, three lanes each way. Immediately after J5 that changes: both list the M25 junction 5 to 7 scheme under all lane running, although the J6 to J7 length keeps a hard shoulder, and the evaluation of that scheme describes the hard shoulder between J5 and J6 as converted to a permanent running lane. Layouts, variable speed limits and roadworks change, and National Highways updates its map from time to time, so follow the signs and signals on the day.
Motorway services for J1a to J5: none on the stretch
There is no motorway service area between J1a and J5. The first on the M25 beyond the stretch, clockwise, is Clacket Lane, which lies between J5 and J6, about 4.7 miles (7.5 km) past J5 by the driver location signs. It is in Surrey, next to the Kent boundary, with two separate sites, one on each side of the motorway and no public connection between them (postcode TN16 2ER). It sits inside the all lane running section that starts at J5.
Going the other way, anticlockwise, the first service area is Thurrock services, on the far side of the Dartford Crossing, so reaching it from this stretch means crossing the Thames. Leave at J31, the first exit after the tunnel, and follow the signs at the A1306 roundabout.
What makes the J1a to J5 stretch different
The defining feature is that the first two junctions are not on a motorway at all. The Dartford Crossing and its approach roads are the A282, a trunk road rather than a motorway, and the first tunnel was built in the 1960s as a local connection, before the M25 existed. Anticlockwise (northbound) traffic uses two tunnels, each about 1.4 km long, the west tunnel dating from 1963 and the east from 1980; clockwise (southbound) traffic uses the four-lane QEII Bridge, opened on 30 October 1991. National Highways does much of its maintenance on the crossing overnight, usually one northbound tunnel at a time.
South of the river the four-lane A282 carries on to J2, where the road becomes a three-lane motorway. J2 and J3 are both three-level stacked roundabouts; the J2 to J3 section opened on 4 April 1977 and J3 to J5 on 19 February 1986, and the M25 as a whole was completed on 29 October 1986. J5 still shows its history, with the M26 (opened 18 November 1980) running straight on from the anticlockwise carriageway. The Kent and Surrey boundary falls between J5 and Clacket Lane, and from J5 to J8 the M25 follows the edge of the North Downs.
How our M25 car recovery works on this stretch
We are based in Leyton, East London, and open 24 hours a day for cars, vans and 4x4s. On the M25 from J2 to J5 we guarantee attendance on every job we confirm, and where the police or National Highways are managing the scene we attend as soon as they allow access. The guarantee does not extend to the Dartford Crossing or its approach roads, the A282, which on this stretch means J1a, J1b and the road between them and J2.
The price is agreed on the phone before we dispatch, with no separate call-out fee, and a motorway callout on the M25 runs from £250 to £750 depending on location. We can supply and fit a replacement tyre, deal with locking wheel nuts and seized wheels, or arrange recovery. When you ring, give the last junction you passed, which way you are heading (clockwise or anticlockwise), the driver location sign number if you have it, and the vehicle and what has happened.
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If another driver was at fault, we arrange your recovery free of charge through our sister claims service, CityGrip Claims. Start a claim there to see how your accident is handled.
M25 J1a to J5 car recovery FAQs
Do you cover the M25 from J1a to J5, and what does your guarantee mean?
Yes. We cover the whole M25, open 24 hours a day, for cars, vans and 4x4s. We guarantee attendance on every job we confirm, and where the police or National Highways are managing the scene we attend as soon as they allow access. The guarantee does not extend to the Dartford Crossing or its approach roads, the A282, which on this stretch runs from J1a to the Darenth interchange at J2.
What should I tell you when I ring about a vehicle between J1a and J5?
Give the last junction you passed and your direction, clockwise (junction numbers rising towards Sevenoaks) or anticlockwise (towards the Dartford Crossing). Add the driver location sign number if you have it, the vehicle, and what has happened. If you are on the A282 between J1a and J2, say so, because the A282 is outside our guarantee. At J2 itself, tell us whether you are on a slip road, the roundabout or the main road.
How is the price set for a recovery on this stretch?
The price is agreed on the phone before we dispatch, and there is no separate call-out fee. A motorway callout on the M25 runs from £250 to £750 depending on location. Tell us where you are and what the vehicle is, and we agree the price for your job before anyone is dispatched.
Is the M25 between J1a and J5 a smart motorway?
Only in a limited form, and only between J2 and J3. The National Highways map, with information to January 2025, and the Department for Transport's 2020 stocktake both list J2 to J3 as a controlled motorway: variable speed limits with the hard shoulder kept. Neither lists a smart scheme between J3 and J5, and J1a to J2 is the A282 trunk road. All lane running starts at J5. Layouts and roadworks change, so follow the signs on the day.
Are there motorway services between J1a and J5?
No. There is no service area on this stretch. The first on the M25 beyond it is Clacket Lane, about 4.7 miles past J5 clockwise. Going anticlockwise, the first is Thurrock services, across the Dartford Crossing, reached by leaving at J31, the first exit after the tunnel.
What are J1a and J1b, and why does your guarantee not cover them?
J1a (Littlebrook, for the A206) and J1b (for Dartford on the A225) are junctions on the A282, the trunk road approach to the Dartford Crossing, not on the motorway. Under regulation 9 of the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing Regulations 1998, only a constable or traffic officer may move a vehicle at rest because of a breakdown on the crossing or its approach roads, so our guarantee does not extend there.
What does M25 J2 connect to?
J2, the Darenth interchange, is a three-level stacked roundabout where the M25 meets the A2. The A2 is signed for London (SE and C), Bexleyheath and, via the M2, Canterbury, and Ebbsfleet International is signed too. The junction's signs show the A282 becoming the M25 for clockwise traffic. When you ring, give J2, your carriageway and your direction.
How do I tell M25 J3 from the M20 when I ring?
M25 J3 is the Swanley interchange, where the M20 begins just east of Swanley and the A20 also meets the M25. Its signs name Dover, the Channel Tunnel and Maidstone for the M20, and London (SE) and Swanley on the A20 clockwise or Lewisham on the A20 anticlockwise. The M20 numbers its own junctions, so say 'M25 junction 3' and give your direction.
Which junction is Sevenoaks, and how does J5 work?
J5, the Chevening interchange, is where the M25 meets the A21 (Sevenoaks and Hastings) and the M26, which runs to the M20 at Wrotham. It is a non-standard layout: there is no exit from the M26 at J5, and anticlockwise the main carriageway runs straight on to the M26 unless you take the slip road to stay on the M25. Tell us your carriageway and direction.
Which junction serves Orpington and Bromley?
J4, the Badgers Mount interchange. Its signs read Orpington (A224) and Bromley (A21) in both directions, and an M25 spur links J4 to Hewitts Roundabout, where the A21 and the A224 Orpington Bypass meet. Clockwise, J4 comes after J3 at Swanley and before J5 at Chevening; anticlockwise the order is reversed. Say 'M25 junction 4' and your direction when you ring.
How long is the M25 between J1a and J5?
About 12.8 miles (20.6 km) from J1a to J5, measured between the driver location signs, of which about 10.9 miles (17.5 km) is motorway proper from J2. The gaps are about 1.8 km from J1a to J1b, 1.3 km from J1b to J2, 5.2 km from J2 to J3, 5.6 km from J3 to J4 and 6.7 km from J4 to J5. Give us the last junction you passed and your direction.
Can you supply and fit a tyre or deal with a locking wheel nut?
Yes: we can supply and fit a replacement tyre, deal with locking wheel nuts and seized wheels, or arrange recovery, for cars, vans and 4x4s. Which applies depends on the vehicle and what has happened, so tell us both when you ring. The price is agreed on the phone before we dispatch.
Where the road details come from
Road details on this page were checked against these sources in October 2026.
Updated 19 October 2026. Written and maintained by CityGrip Recovery, Leyton. Open 24 hours. Once you are somewhere safe, call 07960 200253 for car recovery on the M25.
Broken down on the M25 between J1a and J5? Get to safety first, then call us.
Call 07960 200253, tell us your direction (clockwise or anticlockwise) and the last junction you passed, and we agree the price before anyone sets off.