Older cars are popular, but a ’lack of knowledge’ is leading to breakdowns

Car breakdowns have surged, with people failing to keep up with correct servicing

Older cars are popular, but a ’lack of knowledge’ is leading to breakdowns
Image: Bigstock.

A perfect storm of circumstances has led to a surge in demand for older, high-mileage cars, but many motorists are neglecting to take adequate care of their vehicles.

This warning comes amid the cost of living crisis, shrinking bus networks and a lack of confidence in trains following a series of rail strikes.

The result is that in an environment where worker flexibility and the emergence of working from home as a sustained feature have emerged, commuting by car has become more popular.

Retailers have been quick to adapt their used stock mix to meet this demand, but when it comes to aftersales many are missing out as Richard Robinson, COO at aftermarket profit experts REALtime Communications observes;

“Franchised retailers can help themselves and their customers by matching their move into used car sales, including older used cars, by embracing similar agility and energy in their aftersales activity for such cars.

”With the RAC pointing to poorly serviced cars as a reason behind rising breakdowns and listing failing to service a car correctly as one of their ‘six ways you’re wiping the value off your car’ to consumers, the opportunity to help consumers is evident.”

Ignoring servicing was heavily linked last year to the efforts by a third of motorists to reduce their motoring costs. Add to this other research that suggested around 25 percent of drivers without a service plan would not be getting their car services to save money.

However, cost saving is only one of the reasons people have failed to undertake routine maintenance, and so is a lack of knowledge. In today’s ’plug and play’ environment, it is common for people to be unaware that having their car serviced and checked regularly can help reliability, economy and the car’s future value.

Richard added: “Franchised retailers can help themselves and their customers by matching their move into used car sales, including older used cars, by embracing similar agility and energy in their activity for such cars. With new EVs requiring less servicing, increasing activity into the older used parc can be an ideal way of transitioning their aftersales proposition.”

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