More than 50% of vehicles on UK roads break down as soon as they have covered 70,000 miles, new research shows.
The analysis of 50,000 live policies, carried out by automotive specialist Warranty Direct, found that 50.7% of vehicles with 60k – 70k miles on the clock broke down.
The average cost to repair the faults on these vehicles was £420, although average expenses varied quite significantly between manufacturers. Chrysler owners paid the biggest garage bills while Fiat owners paid the smallest, with average repairs costing £516 and £247 respectively.
Most manufacturers provide three year warranties as standard cover on new cars, however all of these are subject to mileage limitations which will typically be – you guessed it – 60,000 miles. There are some exceptions, for example Kia offer a seven year warranty with up to 100,000 miles, but the overwhelming majority of vehicles will not be covered once they hit 60k.
Duncan McClure Fisher, managing director of Warranty Direct, said: “Even with the much-improved reliability of modern cars, mileage will take its toll on any vehicle and parts will naturally wear out.
“You shouldn’t expect a new car to break down in its first three years but there is a reason that manufacturers, for the most part, limit their warranties to 3 years/60,000 miles and our research highlights that reason."
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