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Your Money > Travel Finances Articles > Keep car repair...
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By Sarah Modlock
Several interesting things happened in the world of wheels recently. Some of them didn't even involve Formula One. The first was that London Mayor Boris Johnson announced that he wanted to change the law so that cyclists in London could cycle legally through red traffic lights to turn left. Currently (if the cyclist is caught) this is punishable with a £30 fine. The idea is that cyclists could turn ahead of other vehicles, particularly lorries, which are responsible for a large proportion of cyclists' deaths. There was also a controversial proposal from cycling groups that motorists should become legally responsible (and automatically liable for insurance and compensation) for all crashes involving cyclists or pedestrians, regardless of whether they are at fault. In other words: two wheels good; four wheels bad.
Costs increasing but so are complaints The third item that caught my eye was that the cost of car repairs is rising, despite the recession. UK garages have increased the average price they charge to repair vehicles in the past year, according to a survey by insurer Warranty Direct. The average price per hour of a mechanic's time rose from £75.17 to £75.85. Although there was an almost 5% fall in labour rates charged by franchised dealers, cheaper independent workshops raised prices by 0.8%. Average rates varied from £94.44 an hour in London, to £61.65 in Cornwall. The overall UK average franchised garage charged £90.16 an hour, while the typical price for an independent firm was £56.10. Motorists should shop around to "avoid being stung badly", said Duncan McClure of Warranty Direct. He added that the prices charged by franchised dealers had become "unsustainable" and so had begun to fall. "The way some workshops were increasing their charges year after year couldn't continue." It's curious then that car repairs and servicing by independent garages feature high on the list of complaints received from the public at government body Consumer Direct so far this year. It seems that we are paying more but getting less satisfaction with their work. Of the 414,000 complaints received, most were about secondhand cars from independent dealers (take note if you're in the market for a secondhand motor), mobile phone service agreements, televisions, mobile phone hardware and then independent car repairs and servicing. The reason so many complaints end up with Consumer Direct is that there isn't really anywhere else for them to go. Six years ago the government urged Britian's 25,000 garages to sign up to a code of conduct designed to clamp down on malpractice. There is a voluntary registration scheme for vehicle mechanics but the key word here is voluntary. Despite this, in many cases you do have a leg to stand on: the Supply of Goods and Services Act does the same for services and the Sale of Goods act does for products. In short, the service provided (in this case the repair or car service) must be provided with reasonable skill and care. You have rights to have the bad service put right. Either the offending persons must do it, or they must pay for someone else to do it. England, Wales and Northern Ireland are all covered, but common law in Scotland gives similar rights to the consumer. What about a warranty? Once you take into account the rising costs of repairs, insurance and petrol, you may want to consider a warranty plan. The first thing to check is whether you have existing cover and make a note of when it expires. It's one of life's great mysteries that something goes wrong with your car the day after the warranty expires. Leeds motorist Tim Downs was left with a bill for nearly £1,000 after his car suffered an engine sensor malfunction. Says Tim: "I bought a Honda because of their reputation for reliability, so when the warranty expired around six months ago, I didn't feel the need to renew as I was confident there wouldn't be any problems. "Recently, there was a fault with the engine which resulted in me having to pay out a large amount of money in labour and repair costs. This could easily have been saved if only I'd taken out a warranty." Tesco Personal Finance which runs a Car Warranty Plan finds the most common faults it pays out for are everyday problems such as alternator and central door locking failures. Allan Burns, head of insurance at Tesco Personal Finance, said: "September is always a busy month for motorists as many drivers buy a new car. However this also means that the warranty on some cars expires which can leave drivers potentially facing huge repair costs. We find that drivers don't tend to budget for these alongside their other motoring costs so they can certainly come as a surprise." Before you buy a warranty plan, or extend the one you have, make sure you know exactly what you're getting: what is covered and what is not, how many claims can be made, where your car will be repaired and how bills will be settled. For instance, the Tesco Car Warranty Plans cost from £99 a year and can be taken out for almost any car up to 10 years old with less than 100,000 miles on the clock, even if it has been out of warranty for years, as long as it has been serviced in accordance with manufacturers' guidelines. Protection starts from day one and, after that, there are no limits on the mileage a car can do or number of claims a driver can make. Customers can choose where to have cars repaired, including main dealers, and Tesco then settles the bills directly for them. The plans also apply throughout the EU at no extra cost. 10 ways to keep car repair costs down 1. Many local councils run MOT centres for their own vehicles which are also open to the public. You still have to pay the test fee, but as the garages don't usually do repairs there is no incentive for them to fail you. Be aware that if your car needs major repairs they will have to be done somewhere else. 2. Choose garages wisely - ask for recommendations from friends, family, neighbours and other people you trust. Look for an garage before you need one to avoid being rushed. 3. Ignoring small problems can be dangerous as well as being a false economy. Regular checks and servicing will decrease the likelihood of potential breakdowns and all the expense and inconvenience that goes with it. There are many simple, regular checks that even the least mechanically-minded can carry out. Believe me, if I can do it, you can do it. A good example of this is checking tyre pressures once a month and before long journeys or carrying heavier loads than usual. Under-inflated tyres increase fuel consumption and are dangerous. Make regular checks on your coolant and oil to avoid nasty surprises. 4. Control your driving technique - avoid rapid acceleration and heavy braking as this has the biggest influence on fuel consumption and wear and tear. Short journeys are also expensive. If your trip is under 10 minutes then your fuel consumption will be high and you will almost certainly be causing a wear and moisture problem in your engine and exhaust. 5. Buying a second hand car can be fraught with problems. For peace of mind, you can make sure the car you are buying is not stolen, repaired from a 'write off' or has finance outstanding from a previous owner. The AA and RAC both run checking services and you can also get full inspections which cost from £142.00 and £134.95 respectively, for non-members. 6. Keep your car serviced on time. If you don't it could invalidate your warranty if you have one. Keeping a good service record is also crucial when you come to sell the car. 7. Shop around for breakdown cover deals – some insurers provide it as part of the deal and it is always nearly included when you buy a new car. 8. Get your car professionally inspected before its warranty expires - this will highlight any faults. And get them repaired for free. 9. Before taking your car in for an MOT, familiarise yourself with elements of the MOT test. Many people do not realise that their car can fail on minor problems such as blown bulbs, empty windscreen washers and wobbly mirrors – all of which can be remedied quickly and easily by you before the test. 10. Log on to the RAC and AA websites – even if you are not a member. They are both packed with great information on buying and driving cars, safety, maintenance and and ways to save money. Useful links: |
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