One-in-four drivers (27%) see getting their vehicles repaired or serviced as a hassle with the time taken to drop off and pick up at garages their biggest complaint, according to new research from RAC Mobile Mechanics.
Underlining just how time-poor so many of us are, the survey found drivers aged 17 to 34 and 35 to 44 are far more likely to view servicing and repairs as a major inconvenience – four-in-10 (38%) of drivers in these groups see it as a hassle, compared to just 15% of those aged 65 to 74.
Worst hit are those living in rural parts of the country such as Wales.
The top bugbear for those who regard repairs and servicing as a pain is the time getting to and from the garage (for 68% of these drivers) – rather than the time they’re without a car while it’s been worked on (for just 47% of these drivers). Not knowing how long a car will be at a garage is also a clear annoyance, cited by four-in-10 (42%) drivers.
The RAC’s research also shines a light on why drivers find getting to the garage so frustrating, especially if they don’t live in towns and cities. More than a third of all drivers who get their vehicle serviced or repaired (35%) have to travel five or more miles to a garage, a figure that rises to 48% for those who live in rural locations.
As many as 7% of respondents – or an estimated 2.4m drivers – face the unenviable task of travelling over 20 miles to get to a garage, rising to 10% for those in rural locations.
More than a fifth of drivers (22%) meanwhile depended on someone giving them a lift to and from the garage the last time around, with 10% using public transport and 4% having to pay for a taxi. These are all costs to motorists in terms of both time and money which most would probably rather do without.
Several drivers the RAC surveyed provided first-hand accounts of the hassle they encounter with routine servicing and repairs. Some described having to take two buses to and from a garage, while others complained about having to take annual leave, “Nowhere has a courtesy car I can use while mine is being serviced, so I have to take a day off work and wait at the garage while my car is serviced – which takes more than three hours. Not how I’d choose to spend a day off!”
The frustration of dealing with booked-up garages a long way from home might explain why a fifth of drivers (18%) who get their vehicles serviced don’t always do so on time – increasing the risk of them breaking down in the future. But it’s also a question of cost, with 45% of those who don’t get their cars looked at professionally saying it’s because they are short on cash.
The worry of a garage finding something else wrong with a vehicle when it’s in for a service could also be a factor: the likelihood of this happening to drivers is 28%, according to the RAC’s figures. As a result, a quarter (24%) of drivers who have found themselves in this situation say shelling out for unexpected costs actually puts them off servicing their car in the future.
