Unexpected repair bills of more than £772 are enough for drivers to begin searching for a new vehicle, according to a newly released report.
The study, unveiled by CarGurus, shows that drivers are willing to tolerate fewer than three faults, and spend an average of £772 over the next 12 months on any unexpected repair bills. In addition, they are only willing to wait a maximum of 10 days for unplanned repair works to be carried out.
Should the threshold be reached, rather than paying their unexpected repair bills, drivers would look to spend an average of £14,320 on a newer car. This is 1,752% more than they would spend to fix those issues to keep their current vehicle on the road.
This data comes as the UK car parc saw the average age of a vehicle increase to nine years in 2023, up one full year compared to 2019, and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. This suggests that not only are drivers maintaining their vehicles and holding on to them for longer, but the used-car market is picking up, with more drivers seeking an older model rather than buying new.
Breaking point
Reliability (57%) and costs (45%) are the top reasons for drivers to say they would want to replace their old car, reinforcing the ‘breaking point’ factors alongside unexpected repair bills. Other reasons include safety concerns (20%), being able to afford a better car (20%), and the size being unsuitable (12%).
Survey data showed that 50% of UK car owners have made unexpected trips to the garage in the past 12 months. Outside of scheduled servicing and MOTs, drivers spend an average of £269 per year on unplanned repairs according to the CarGurus survey.
This is on top of £427 spent on average per year on planned maintenance such as servicing and M.O.T.s.
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 unexpected repair bills, and 90% rely upon a garage to carry out repairs for them.
“There is always the potential for the occasional unexpected car expense, yet as drivers are holding onto their cars for longer, our study shows that the tolerance of unforeseen issues is very low,” commented Chris Knapman, Editorial Director at CarGurus UK. “For those who have reached breaking point, upgrading to a car with a long manufacturer-backed warranty can make a lot of sense, and is perfectly possible within the average budget of £14,320 that owners are willing to spend.
Editor’s comment: realistic figure for unexpected repair bills?
The figure of £772 for unexpected repair bills before drivers throw in the towel seems quite low to me.
We know average repair bills are increasing, and with the rising costs that businesses are facing, plus higher parts prices due to cost increases as well, repair bills can be pushed quite high. I myself have paid over £1,500 in unexpected repairs, and that never made me think of getting another car.
We also have to ask what constitutes an unexpected repair. Tyres and brakes will wear, something drivers (should) know. So, is their replacement expected? They do not know when they will need replacing after all.
I would love to know what you think of this story. Is £772 for a threshold of unexpected repair bills too low? Have you seen customers spend thousands without worry? Drop me an email – phil@autorepairfocus.com – or reach out on Instagram and Facebook, just search for Auto Repair Focus.
