Research by UK automotive repair company Green Flag warns that UK drivers are overspending on car repairs, with around £3.4bn overspent annually.
The research shows that a lack of knowledge among drivers about changes to the UK’s MOT vehicle safety test has led to drivers overspending on car repairs by an average of £90 per vehicle per year, and also caused drivers to lose confidence in their ability to negotiate a fair price for repairs.
Changes were introduced to the rules of the MOT test in May, and Green Flag’s research found that more than half of drivers surveyed (52%) reported they are now unaware what the test actually involves. This figure includes 39% of people who openly admitted that they were unsure about the requirements of the test, and an additional 13% who were unable to state the correct MOT requirements.
How is this lack of knowledge of the MOT test leading to overspending?
The challenge for drivers is that being unaware of the requirements of the test means they are unable to effectively estimate the cost of repairs, or to effectively negotiate when they are quoted a price that is higher than necessary, or are charged for unnecessary work. In fact, more than one third of drivers admitted feeling anxious about negotiating with a garage about carrying out work on their car because of this.
The research lists a number of the most popular unnecessary jobs for which drivers are overcharged, including:
- A change of brake fluid
- Draining and refilling of anti-freeze
- Cleaning of fuel/oil
- Changing brake pads and discs, when wear is within safety limits
- Replacing windscreen wiper blades
In order to avoid drivers overspending on car repairs, Green Flag has launched RoadServe, a service it provides as standard alongside its breakdown policies, which acts as a point of communication between drivers and mechanics, to help drivers ensure that only necessary work is carried out, at a fair price, by an approved garage.
