Motorists fear being overcharged by garages and avoided much needed servicing as a result, says the new Motor Ombudsman.
The new Motor Ombudsman has launched with a warning that nearly half of the nation’s drivers (43%) put their safety at risk along with the safety of other road users by avoiding taking their car to a garage despite suspecting a fault.
1,000 drivers said the major barriers to seeking professional garage advice are “not being able to explain what’s wrong with their car” (35%) and “feeling intimidated by the garage” (32%). Also, 38% of motorists have skipped having their car serviced, with the biggest concern a fear of overcharging (36%).
Furthermore, 57% of drivers who have experienced an unresolved dispute with their garage did not know where to turn to for help resolving the issue. This is where The Motor Ombudsman steps in – the first ombudsman specifically for the automotive sector built on a track record of successfully resolving more than 99% of disputes for nearly a decade under the Motor Codes name.
It is responsible for providing an impartial service between consumers and its 7,500 accredited businesses to resolve motoring-related disagreements outside of the courtroom.
There are about 23,000 service and repair garages in Britain and a quarter are independent operations, usually family businesses.