From annual servicing to standard procedures such as oil changes and brake disc replacements, there are plenty of things that can go wrong. But spare a thought for these poor motorists, who have had to shell out thousands for repairs over the past few years. They’ve spent so much, in fact, that lumped together the repair bill could have paid for a brand new swanky Audi A5 Sportback.
The research, put together by leading motoring association MotorEasy from their own vast source of data for repairs and reliability, shows one Mercedes SL owner had to cough up a staggering £14,500 on an engine repair. That’s comfortably the cost of a new budget hatchback and a whole host of desirable second-hand motors. Just behind the Mercedes was another owner of a German car, who was hit with an invoice of almost £14,000 for an engine repair on a BMW i8.
Duncan McClure Fisher, founder and CEO of MotorEasy, said: “While most drivers fear the worst when they take their car into a garage, as long as they have budgeted sensibly they should not be in for too many nasty surprises. “But with anything mechanical there is always the potential for something to go seriously wrong – and that is accompanied by an eye-watering bill.”
Other high repair costs unearthed by the MotorEasy research include £1,300 for a new braking system in a Porsche Boxster and more than £3,500 to repair an electrical system in the usually reliable Volvo S8. Meanwhile, the owner of a Lotus Evora sports car – which cost around £90,000 to buy new – had the further expense of £9,242.22 to fix the gearbox. Another unlucky motorist was also forced to find just over £2,000 to solve a suspension problem to get their Audi A8 back on the road.
Mr McClure Fisher added: “Many people push themselves to the limit financially to secure the car they believe will give them increased social status – but these repair bills show the danger of stretching the budget too far.They also highlight the importance of having a suitable warranty, GAP insurance and repair cover to make sure you don’t end up in the unfortunate position of having to get rid of your vehicle because you can’t afford the cost of fixing it.”
Previous research by MotorEasy, released earlier this year, crowned the wallet-friendly Toyota Yaris as the most reliably popular car on UK roads due to a combination of its lower repairs costs and lack of garage visits. The motoring association also revealed their data highlighted the Honda Civic as the most dependable family car hitting the tarmac.
MotorEasy: Highest repair costs
Engine
Mercedes SL – £14,418.31
Braking system
Porsche Boxter – £1,298.15
Electrical system
Volvo S8 – £3,540
Fuel system
JEEP Grand Cherokee – £2,939.42
Gearbox
Lotus Evora – £9,242.22
Suspension
Audi A8 – £2,009.40
Total = £33,447.50
