Breaking point: Unexpected bill of RM4,300 enough to make Brits want to replace car

LONDON: An unexpected car repair bill of £772 (RM4,322) is the “breaking point” for UK drivers to part ways with their current vehicle, according to a newly released report.

CarGurus - an automotive marketplace in the UK to shop, buy, and sell used vehicles - commissioned a survey of 1,000 drivers who own cars without a warranty. It revealed the unexpected problems that would be enough to make Brits consider buying a replacement car, rather than repair their current vehicle.

Drivers are willing to tolerate fewer than three faults and spend an average of £772 over the next 12 months on unexpected repairs. In addition, on average, they’re only willing to wait a maximum of 10 days for an unplanned repair to be carried out.

Should the “breaking point” be reached, owners would spend an average of £14,320 on a new car - £13,548 (1,752%) more than they would spend to fix unexpected issues to keep their current car in good order. This data comes during a time when the average age of vehicles on U.K. roads is now up to nine years, a full year increase compared to 2019.

Reliability (57%) and costs (45%) are the top reasons today's drivers say they would want to replace their old car, reinforcing the "breaking point" factors. Other reasons include safety concerns (20%), being able to afford a better car (20%), and the size being unsuitable (12%).

Survey data showed 40% of respondents said they are putting off repairs because of the cost, and cars are being driven with issues such as dashboard warning lights, smoking exhausts, rattling engines, worn tyres, and rust.

Nearly three-quarters (72%) of drivers surveyed said they are stressed by the prospect of unplanned car repairs and 90% rely upon a workshop to carry out repairs for them.

The CarGurus study also outlined car brands that British drivers perceive to be the most reliable and therefore the least likely to reach a “breaking point”. They are Toyota, Volkswagen, Ford, Honda, Volvo, BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Nissan and Hyundai.