Cost-of-living pressures have forced almost a quarter of drivers (23%) to either put off getting their vehicles serviced or do it themselves with or without the help of a friend or family member, a new survey has found.
The survey, carried out by the RAC, sampled the views of 2,000 drivers.
It found that while 10% have postponed their next car service by up to a year to save money, 5% have gone further and delayed getting their vehicles checked for more than a year – and are only relying on the annual MOT to ensure their car is roadworthy.
An additional 10% have decided to either start servicing their cars themselves, or have called on the assistance of someone they know to do it.
Some 9% of drivers say they have opted for cheaper servicing – for instance by swapping a full or major service for a minor one – while a similar proportion (8%) have switched from using their normal garage to a cheaper one in a bid to save cash.
The RAC says a poorly maintained car poses all sorts of risks for drivers – from a breakdown at an inopportune moment to much bigger garage repair bills when car parts start failing.
Rod Dennis, RAC Breakdown spokesman, said: “Not keeping on top of servicing a vehicle is almost always a false economy, as the probability of suffering a breakdown emergency and having to fork out even more for expensive repairs down the line go up massively.
“So, while drivers might feel the best thing to do is to put off servicing or opt for a cheaper service even if their car is due a full one, we advise strongly against it as repair costs are likely to snowball when things start to go wrong.”
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