Overview
- A OnePoll survey of 2,000 motorists found 61% had journeys derailed by car issues, leading one in 20 to miss family weddings and others to cancel holidays or skip medical appointments.
- Flat tyres or punctures (52%), battery failures (39%), and engine warning lights (28%) topped the list of faults blamed for the disruptions.
- Drivers said they rely most on their cars during summer, a period that saw over 10% report engine overheating and 9% experience complete tyre blowouts.
- Twenty percent of respondents attributed breakdowns to ageing vehicles and 18% cited a lack of maintenance knowledge, with a quarter declining invitations because they didn’t trust their car.
- The AA’s Vixa has rolled out its Garage Bangers campaign featuring Lisa Maffia and a nostalgia-fuelled track of real engine sounds to promote its car-health assistant and pre-trip checks.