21 million UK cars are driving around with faults as owners ignore problems

47 per cent of vehicle repairs could have been cheaper if the issue had been addressed sooner, research reveals

21 million UK cars are driving around with faults as owners ignore problems
Drivers that ignore vehicle faults could end up with costly repair bills. Image: Bigstock.

Some 21 million cars on the UK’s roads are being driven with a variety of faults and owners ignoring problems are racking up the bill, according to new research released by Green Flag.

Drivers spend an average of £574 per year on car repairs and 47 per cent of these repairs could have been cheaper if the issue had been addressed sooner, the research suggests.

A third of drivers say they’ve become de-sensitised to their car’s fault, no longer noticing the issue, while a fifth of drivers state that even though they still notice their car’s faults, they are no longer annoyed by them.

‘Dangerous’

Nick Reid, head of automotive technology at Green Flag, said: “Driving a faulty car is a huge issue.

“Not only is it dangerous for you, your passengers and other drivers on the road; not getting issues seen to only makes them worse, which means a bigger bill for you.

“This research indicates that many drivers have a ‘fault filter’ and are switching off to the problems before getting them seen to.”

Motorists revealed they wait an average of ten weeks before vehicle faults are seen to.

More than half of drivers say repairs are too expensive, 27 per cent say they don’t have the time and 23 per cent say they simply can’t be bothered.

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