Half of UK drivers (47%) worry about having to pay for unexpected car repairs when they get their vehicles serviced.
The survey of 2,000 drivers for RAC MOT Assist found that it is those drivers in London, the West Midlands and Northern Ireland who get most agitated, with a majority of respondents in these areas saying they get concerned about hidden problems coming to light.
But perhaps more worryingly, a quarter of all drivers (24%) who worry about unexpected problems with their cars – the equivalent of 3.8m people – say that this uncertainty actually puts them off getting their car maintained in the future, suggesting there may be millions of cars on the UK’s roads that are in a less-than-perfect condition.
The research also found that when it comes to a vehicle’s annual MOT of roadworthiness, drivers are regularly forking out hundreds of pounds to pass. While the cost of the test is never any more than £55, more than half of drivers (52%) have paid £300 or more to get their car through the MOT, with 5% of drivers – the equivalent of 1.7m people – having paid a staggering £1,000 or more to get their vehicle through the test.
Fortunately, for those faced with having to fork out money to get their cars to pass the mandatory MOT, the RAC has launched its ‘MOT Assist’ programme. Every driver who gets their vehicle serviced at one of the RAC’s 500 Approved Garages is covered for up to £750 worth of parts and labour costs needed to get their vehicle to pass its next MOT.