The increasing complexity of modern cars has led to a surge in expensive breakdowns, according to automotive specialist Warranty Direct.
According to the firm's reliability index, electrical faults in cars have risen by two thirds over the past five years. The average cost of repairing a failure caused by an electrical malfunction has also increased by nearly a third (32 per cent) over the same period.
The average cost of an electrical repair is now £300; however, Warranty Direct warns that the cost can be as high as £2,804.
Relays and alternators are the most likely components to break; however, newer systems like parking sensors are also amongst the faults reported.
Subaru is ranked as the most reliable car brand for electric systems, while Renault was ranked as the least reliable manufacturer, with 38 per cent of models suffering a fault each year.
Warranty Direct managing director, David Gerrans, said: "As automotive technology continues to advance, cars get more and more complex. Nowhere is that more so than in the field of computer technology and other electronics.
"But, while these advances can undoubtedly improve the performance and safety of cars, they also have a knock-on effect on how often they fail and how much it costs to repair them.
"Workshops now need advanced diagnostic tools to safely and effectively fix cars and, in some cases, it appears only franchised dealers can access some of the systems on newer cars, meaning that the customer is hit with a higher labour rate bill."
Click here to sign up for our monthly newsletter
| Popular news stories |
||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||
