Study highlights five most delayed areas of car maintenance by customers

A survey of independent garages and franchise dealer workshops across the UK by The Motor Ombudsman, has revealed the five most deferred aspects of vehicle maintenance by car owners, and where potentially expensive bills can be avoided.

Over half of the vehicle repairers (56 per cent) polled stated that they had seen consumers readily putting off essential repairs in the past year.

According to nearly eight in 10 respondents (79 per cent), the study by the Ombudsman for the UK’s automotive sector showed that not having the engine timing belt replaced at the required manufacturer-recommended intervals (typically at every 60,000 to 100,000 miles) is subject to the most delay by consumers.

Costing £600 on average to change, the cambelt is a component which is vital for ensuring the smooth running of an engine. Avoiding making the swap in line with the prescribed schedule can result in significant engine damage, or even cause complete failure.

Engine replacements can carry an average bill of £5,400 according to those surveyed, a cost nine-times greater than the original scope of work for changing the belt.

Cited by 72 per cent of survey participants, the second most common aspect of vehicle maintenance likely to be postponed by owners is not having the engine oil and filter changed (a cost of around £150) if required between annual services, for example, due to higher-than-average mileage, where this vital fluid is replaced.

Driving with oil beyond its recommended lifespan can see it thickening and collecting dirt and grime, leading to reduced engine efficiency, overheating, or a complete seizure, ultimately rendering a vehicle unusable.

Furthermore, over half of the repairers surveyed (58 per cent) explained that tyre replacements are also shunned to cut corners when it comes to household budgets. However, this can carry costly safety and financial consequences. This is namely, that driving on rubber which has worn below the legal minimum tread depth limit of 1.6 mm, affects performance and grip.

Mirroring the impact of not having oil changed, leaving an engine to seep oil, and not having adequate lubrication, can result in damage to components and eventual starvation, causing a complete engine breakdown, and leading to its full replacement. Furthermore, in the extreme case, oil may also catch fire if it leaks onto a hot exhaust.

According to the latest Motor Ombudsman study, 49 per cent of vehicle repairers have reported customers delaying fixing a leak, which costs around £355 to rectify – a small price to pay relative to the potential bill if this is left to fester.

Rounding off the top five most delayed aspect of owners caring for their car, as stated by just over a third (39 per cent) of repairers in the UK, is not changing brake pads (costing an average of £266 for a set of two per wheel) when they have been identified as worn – with squealing or grinding noises often being the tell-tale signs.

Not taking a car into a garage for spent pads to be removed may not just escalate into needing to have more of the braking system, such as discs and calipers, replaced later down the line, but is also a danger to life, as stopping distances can be greatly reduced, especially in adverse weather conditions.