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Fear of unexpected repair bills put nearly 4m off getting car serviced

Recent survey finds many dodge servicing to avoid repair bills

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Millions of drivers are putting off regular car servicing through a fear of unexpected repair bills, a new survey has discovered.

A survey of 2,000 drivers found that a quarter of all drivers – equivalent to 3.8 million people throughout the UK – say that the expense of having unexpected repair work on a service puts them off regular maintenance.

The survey, conducted by RAC MOT Assist, discovered that it was drivers in London, the West Midlands and Northern Ireland who are the most concerned about hidden problems arising during a service.

RAC MOT Assist product manager Lauren French said: “Clearly, taking a car in for a service or MOT can be a nerve-wracking experience with many drivers concerned about what might be uncovered, and the unpleasant financial consequences that can result.

“But it’s even more alarming that this experience is enough to put some people off getting their car serviced in the future. Just how many people are driving vehicles on the UK’s roads that they know have problems?

“The best advice to any driver is to keep on top of servicing and maintenance work – the quicker problems are identified, often the cheaper they are to remedy. But at the same time, we know that running a car can feel burdensome, and that some drivers don’t feel confident finding an affordable but reliable garage, or trusting one with looking after their car.”

The study also found that when it comes to a vehicle’s MOT, drivers are parting company with hundreds of pounds in order to pass. Despite the cost of a test never exceeding £65, more than half of drivers have paid in excess of £500 to get their cars through an MOT. In fact, five per cent of respondents have paid £1,000 or more to ensure their vehicle passes the annual test.

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