Battery failure most common breakdown cause but drivers more concerned about brakes, study suggests

Greatest concern to drivers about breaking down is cost of repairs

Battery failure most common breakdown cause but drivers more concerned about brakes, study suggests

Just three in ten drivers have never never suffered vehicle failure, new research reveals.

The study for Kwik Fit suggests that car problems will still be fresh in the mind of many drivers, as more than a quarter (26 per cent) of those who broke down in their current car did so in the last six months – some 3.8million drivers.

Londoners appear to have the most unreliable cars, with 66 per cent of drivers in the capital having broken down in their current car, almost twice the national average of 36 per cent.

The least likely to have broken down in their current car are drivers in the East of England and Wales (21 per cent of drivers in both regions).

Almost a third of drivers (31 per cent) experienced their most recent breakdown on a journey relating to work – either driving to or from work (22 per cent) or travelling as part of their job (nine per cent).

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Despite almost exactly the same proportion of male and female drivers having suffered car breakdowns (71 per cent and 70 per cent respectively), men are a lot more likely to be blasé about breaking down.

One in five (20 per cent) of men say they have no concerns about breaking down – compared to 13 per cent of women.

The greatest concern to drivers about breaking down is the cost of repairs, cited by 43 per cent of women and 35 per cent of men.

However, the research shows that it is male drivers who should be most concerned about a potential repair bill as on average they paid £304.90 for their most recent repair, nearly £20 more than the £285.40 paid by the average female driver.

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As well as being most likely to have suffered a breakdown in their current car, Londoners have paid the highest price for their most recent repair – on average facing a bill of £437.60.

This is £100 more than drivers in the second most costly region, the South East (average repair cost £335.10) and almost twice as much as drivers in Wales, the area with the lowest average cost at £221.90.

The study found that when it comes to trying to prevent breakdowns, many drivers are focusing on the wrong parts of their car.

The biggest cause of drivers’ most recent breakdowns was battery failure (17 per cent), yet only four per cent are most worried about their own battery failing.

Related: DVSA calls on public to help combat MOT fraud

Conversely, the component most car owners are concerned about are their brakes (15 per cent), yet brake failure was the cause of only three per cent of drivers’ most recent breakdowns.

Roger Griggs, communications director at Kwik Fit said: “It’s clearly vital that drivers keep their brakes in good condition, but this new research bears out what we have seen for many years – that one of the most common causes of motoring headaches is a battery problem.”

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