Motorists 'in maintenance checks mayhem'

06.01.2022 - 19:23 / dailyrecord.co.uk

DRIVERS need to carry out essential checks on their cars far more often, according to a major survey.

Many UK motorists will only undertake crucial inspections, such as their car battery (56 per cent), engine oil (30 per cent), and cooling liquid system (49 per cent), once a year or less.

The survey of 2000 drivers, conducted by Euro Car Parts, has also shed light on the things Brits are most likely to avoid when it comes to car maintenance.

Although 42 per cent will seek to resolve issues within the first few days of noticing a problem, 58 per cent wait longer before addressing faults, with two per cent admitting to never getting worrying matters checked over.

The top five areas Brits are least likely to address are: Horn performance (38 per cent), battery performance (38 per cent), signs of rust (33 per cent), cooling liquid system (29 per cent) and engine oil levels (11 per cent).

Out of sight is out of mind, it would seem, when it comes to car upkeep, with elements that are under the bonnet being checked the least.

Horn performance and signs of rust may easily become an afterthought, but they’re all-important factors in keeping your car running.

More visual areas of maintenance are, unsurprisingly, the ones that Brits are more likely to check regularly, such as windscreen wash (31 per cent) and tyre pressure (33 per cent).

Car type also impacts how frequently it’s maintained, with 50 per cent of electric car owners sorting out their maintenance issues immediately, compared with only 25 per cent of diesel drivers and 29 per cent of petrol motorists who will get an issue checked as soon as it arises.

Ian Spence, of Central Automotive Repairs, has teamed up with Euro Car Parts to give some top tips on car upkeep. He said: