Over a third of young drivers putting off car repairs in attempt to save money, according to RAC

More than a third of drivers aged 17 to 24 are putting off necessary repairs to their vehicles in an attempt to cut their outgoings as the cost-of-living crisis bites, according to research by the  RAC .

Nearly a fifth of young people (16%) say they are delaying getting major repairs made – which might include work such as replacing a handbrake or cracked windscreen – while a huge 28% are putting off minor repairs, which could be fixing minor oil leaks or replacing brake discs.

Research from the 2022 RAC Report on Motoring has found young drivers are more than twice as likely (37%) as average (14%) to say they have deliberately delayed getting any repair work completed, with those who drive cars over 10 years of age (19%) and who live in town or city centre areas (25%) also significantly more likely to put work off.

Drivers of all ages are more inclined to skip repairs in a bid to save money than they are to either reduce how often they get their vehicles serviced or switch to a cheaper insurer.

Just one-in-10 of all drivers (9%) say they are servicing their vehicles less frequently and 13% say they have got a cheaper insurance policy, compared to 14% who have put off getting repairs done.

The RAC’s research found that a greater proportion of drivers in East Anglia and London are cutting back on motoring costs to save money compared to those in other areas of the UK. At the opposite end of the spectrum, those in Scotland, Yorkshire and the South East of England are less inclined to be trying to make savings.

Drivers are least keen to reduce their level of breakdown cover in the face of rising prices, with just 3% saying they have done this. Again, younger drivers aged 17-24 are more likely to say they have cut costs here than other age groups, with 6% admitting to reducing their breakdown cover levels.

RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said:

“Without question, putting off vehicle repairs or skipping routine servicing are both false economies, but these figures show in all-too-stark terms just how many drivers, especially younger ones, feel they have to do this to lower their spending in the face of rising prices.

“The fact over a third of young drivers are deliberately delaying getting their vehicles fixed to cut costs is actually a harbinger of future unwelcome – and possibly far larger – garage bills.”

“What’s more, not getting work to a car done means the chances of it letting a driver down shoots up, making it potentially less safe.”

“And as the average age of cars on our roads is getting older due to fewer people trading up to new cars, it looks as though many of them will also be in a poorer overall state of repair which is bad news for everyone using the roads.”

Rod Dennis said: “Given this, we sincerely hope the Government permanently shelves its unpopular idea to change the compulsory MOT from once a year to every two years.”

“After all, the MOT is the backstop when it comes to ensuring all vehicles using the roads are roadworthy.”