Cost of living crisis may see drivers skimp on vehicle upkeep

Cost of living

Three-quarters of motorists believe they are most likely or likely to delay or avoid having their car serviced within this year’s 12 months because of the price of living crisis.

According to a brand new study from BookMyGarage.com, investigating the ways that drivers are trying for ways to save money on vehicle bills, as rising costs for living continues to be a problem for the UK.

The findings of the survey also reveal that two-thirds of motorists are worried that their vehicle might require a repair within the next few years that they’re not able to afford due to increasing financial stress as the UK goes through recession.

One-in-10 drivers said they’ve even attempted repairs on their own vehicles in order for savings.

servicing your car during the cost of living crisis

The UK’s CPIH inflation rate at 9.6 per cent in the month of October 2022, prices of car parts has increased. The study found that about half of the respondents are planning to purchase less expensive replacement components (such as budget tyres , or other non-original components) to aid in saving money on repairs.

servicing your car during the cost of living crisis

The bar chart below provides an in-depth breakdown of common methods motorists are seeking ways for ways to save money on car’s maintenance costs.

servicing your car during the cost of living crisis

The impact of avoiding servicing can be severe

Karen Rotberg, Co-founder of BookMyGarage.com She said: “Not having your car checked out may appear to be an easy method to save money on your car costs, but the truth is that more issues are likely to arise in the future and may cost drivers more in the long run.

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“When the vehicle is in inspection, it’s checked to identify any problems that are often not noticed by the average driver. The issues can get worse over time , and in certain instances, result in a higher repair cost.

“Vehicle maintenance is a way to prevent problems and neglecting to do it could cause significant damage to the engine and a repair cost that is more expensive than the worth of the car. This could be risky as safety-critical issues may not be detected and the likelihood of a failure is higher.”

With nearly half (43 percent) of our survey respondents saying that they’re looking to reduce the cost of their car’s maintenance, we let customers to quickly compare rates from their local garages. Last month, on average motorists spent PS35.52 to have an MOT check scheduled through BookMyGarage.com and saved a total of 35% off the government-set maximum cost of PS54.85.

“We know the current economic conditions for drivers. Repairs are more costly and garage owners are witnessing their overheads increase. While we emphasize the necessity for a vehicle inspection but we recognize that some drivers consider that they have no other choice other than to avoid having the work completed.

If you’re having difficulty paying for the expense of having a service but want to put it off in order to spread the costs we’d recommend you instead take advantage of one of the 17 items on our Winter Health Check, which is free of charge.”

BookMyGarage.com offer a free 17-point Winter Health Check designed to provide motorists with confidence that their car is safe for driving, particularly during the riskier winter months. This is done by checking important safety-related components such as brakes, tyres and batteries and lights.

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