When a car will not start on a Dunedin hill or a trailer has ended up in a ditch on the Southern Motorway, the best tow truck in Dunedin is simply the one that answers the phone at three in the morning. The operators below cover emergency breakdown recovery, accident towing, jump starts, lockouts, tyre changes, machinery transport and heavy salvage. Reilly’s Towage and Salvage and Otago Towing both run round the clock fleets, so towing in Dunedin is rarely more than a phone call away.
1Reilly’s Towage & Salvage
Reilly’s Towage and Salvage is a locally owned and operated towing company working from a yard on the corner of Halsey and Jutland Street in Dunedin. It is an approved vehicle recovery company, works with major insurance companies, and is an AA Roadside Contractor as well as the preferred contractor to the New Zealand Police. The fleet stretches from a straightforward car breakdown tow through to heavy salvage, which suits motorists, fleet operators and anyone moving machinery around Otago.
Services
- 24/7 car breakdown towing and vehicle recovery
- Roadside assistance, jump starts and vehicle lock-outs
- Heavy towing for buses, trucks and trailers up to 55 tonnes
- Machinery transportation for loads of 13 tonnes or less
- Abandoned and illegally parked vehicle removal
Highlights
- AA Roadside Contractor and preferred contractor to the New Zealand Police
- Insurance approved and fully licensed, working with major insurance companies
- Modern fleet of 12 recovery vehicles covering Dunedin and Otago
- Trading since 2002, with the Reilly family running towing operations in Dunedin from the 1930s
- Car park management offered alongside towing and salvage work
Location & Contact
Name: Reilly’s Towage & Salvage
Address: Corner of Halsey & Jutland Street, Dunedin 9016
Phone: 03 477 5787
Website: reillystowage.co.nz
2Otago Towing
Otago Towing operates from Carroll Street in Dunedin and covers Otago and Southland with towing and roadside assistance 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Its trucks are set up for cars, motorbikes, campervans, forklifts, machinery and boats, using flat decks, hiab, hook tows or a transporter for longer South Island runs. Standard towing covers cars, vans, SUVs and 4WDs under 3.5 tonnes, and the company is fully insured for your vehicle on and off the road.
Services
- Breakdown assistance and emergency towing after an accident
- 24/7 roadside assistance, jumpstarts and fuel delivery
- Vehicle unlocking and tyre changes
- Vehicle transportation and relocations South Island wide
- Salvage towing, including classic cars
Highlights
- Flat deck, hiab, hook tow and transporter options within one fleet
- Equipped for cars, motorbikes, campervans, forklifts, machinery and boats
- Fully insured, so the vehicle is covered on and off the truck
- Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
Location & Contact
Name: Otago Towing
Address: 66 Carroll Street, Dunedin
Phone: 0800 869 000
Website: otagotowing.co.nz
3Auto Salvage
Auto Salvage is a South Island towing and transport operator with a Dunedin branch on Glasgow Street in South Dunedin, alongside its Invercargill head office and a Queenstown and Cromwell base. The Dunedin branch runs a full service team and secure vehicle storage 24 hours a day. It is a useful option for drivers working through an insurance claim after a crash, and for owners of low and classic vehicles that need specialist handling.
Services
- 24 hour auto breakdown recovery, jump starts and vehicle unlocking
- Accident recovery, with transport to a panel beater or to storage
- Salvage and off road vehicle recovery
- Indoor and outdoor secure vehicle storage, short or long term
- Repossession and parking enforcement work
Highlights
- Drivers hold background and Police checks and are licensed to NZTA standards
- Low and classic vehicle transport specialists
- Works with all major insurance companies, with recovery often charged straight to the claim
- Every truck carries a digital camera, with before and after photos supplied free for claims
- Branches in Dunedin, Invercargill and Cromwell, plus a partner network north of Christchurch
Location & Contact
Name: Auto Salvage
Address: 84 Glasgow Street, South Dunedin, Dunedin 9012
Phone: 0800 288 674
Website: autosalvage.co.nz
Tow Truck in Dunedin at a Glance
| Business | Based in | Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| Reilly's Towage & Salvage | Dunedin | AA Roadside Contractor and preferred contractor to the New Zealand Po... |
| Otago Towing | Dunedin | Flat deck, hiab, hook tow and transporter options within one fleet |
| Auto Salvage | South Dunedin | Drivers hold background and Police checks and are licensed to NZTA st... |
How to Choose the Right Tow Truck Service in Dunedin
- Match the truck to the vehicle. A flat deck or tilt tray suits a lowered, classic or all wheel drive car, a hook tow is fine for an ordinary breakdown, and a hiab or transporter is needed for machinery and boats.
- Check the weight limit before you book. Some operators tow up to 3.5 tonnes, while others handle buses, trucks and trailers many times heavier.
- Ask how the vehicle is insured while it is being recovered and carried, and what happens if it is damaged in transit.
- If you are making a claim, check the company deals directly with your insurer, because accident recovery can often be billed to the claim rather than to you.
- Ask whether the yard has secure storage, indoor or outdoor, in case the vehicle cannot go straight to a repairer.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dunedin Tow Trucks
How much does a tow cost in Dunedin?
Local operators price by distance, vehicle weight and time of day, and most do not publish fixed rates. Ask for a quote when you ring, and say whether the vehicle rolls, steers and has a key, because a seized or crashed car takes longer to load and costs more to recover.
Can I get a tow at night or on a public holiday?
Yes. The towing companies on this page dispatch 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year round, including weekends and public holidays. Office hours apply to accounts and general enquiries, but recovery work does not stop.
Which parts of the city do these tow trucks cover?
The yards sit in central Dunedin and in South Dunedin, so response times across the city and its suburbs are short. All three operators also work well beyond the city boundary, covering the wider Otago region, and two of them run transporters the length of the South Island for longer relocations.
What can a tow truck carry besides a car?
Plenty. Between them these tow trucks handle motorbikes, campervans, boats, trailers, forklifts and heavy machinery, along with buses and commercial trucks. Flat decks, hiabs and transporters do most of that work, so it pays to describe the load accurately when you book.
Can a vehicle be towed if it has no warrant of fitness or registration?
Yes. A vehicle that is not road legal can be carried on a flat deck or transporter rather than driven, which is one of the common reasons people book a tow rather than drive. You can check the current warrant of fitness and registration requirements on the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi website.
What should I do if my car has been towed from private property?
Look for signage at the site, which should name the towing company holding the vehicle, and ring them directly to arrange release. Abandoned and illegally parked vehicles on public roads are a council matter, and the Dunedin City Council can point you to the right team.
Do I need a tow, or will roadside assistance do?
A flat battery, a flat tyre, keys locked inside or an empty tank can usually be sorted at the roadside, which is faster and cheaper than a tow. Every operator here offers both, so describe the fault on the phone and let the dispatcher decide what to send.
How We Chose the Best Tow Truck in Dunedin
Every business in this guide was found by searching for tow truck in Dunedin, then checked against its own website. Names, addresses and phone numbers are taken from the business’s own site rather than a directory feed, so what you see here is what they publish themselves. We also check that each one is actually based in or genuinely serving Dunedin, rather than a national operator running a local landing page. A business with no website of its own is not listed, because there is no primary source to verify it against.