One in four (25%) of UK drivers admit to skipping their annual vehicle service due to cost.
And 18% say they’re likely to do so again in the next 12 months, according to new research by Volkswagen Financial Services (VWFS) UK.
The findings come from an independent survey of 2,000 UK drivers, who were asked about their attitude towards vehicle servicing, key pain points, and their knowledge of vehicle dashboard warning symbols.
The research also found that younger drivers, aged between 24 and 34, are more likely (38%) to skip getting their car serviced due to cost pressures.
This is compared to just 14% of those aged 65 and over. And with the cost-of-living hitting the younger generation harder, almost half (45%) of all younger drivers feel they’re also likely to miss their car service in the next 12 months, further compromising the performance of their cars, as well as potentially creating safety issues for themselves and other road users. Comparatively, just 10% of those aged 55 to 64 said the same.
There was general understanding across all age ranges that ‘yellow warning lights’ on the car dashboard flag up potential problems that need checking as soon as possible.
James Taylor, Head of Product at VWFS UK comments “Regular car servicing and maintenance is essential to optimise driving performance, keep vehicles safe both for the driver and other road users and cut future car-related costs overall.
