Poor car maintenance ‘can lead to expensive repairs’

- 29th September 2009

Motorists should consider regular car servicing or maintenance checks if they want to avoid expensive repairs in the long run, according to an expert.

Kurt Pursche, a brakes system specialist of US car manufacturing giant General Motors (GM), has claimed that failing to keep on top of repairs could come back to haunt drivers months later.

Using the example of brakes, he explained that failing to properly replace “a weak link in system” just makes other equipment work harder.

He said: “The least expensive component of the braking system is the brake pad, but if you skimp on the pad, it will cause the entire system as a whole to work harder, which could lead to more expensive repairs down the road.”

Recent research by insurance firm Warranty Direct found that garage labour rates have fallen 4.8 per cent in the past 12 months, but warned there are significant regional differences between fees being charged by car servicing firms.