UK economic downturn set to hit car dealers' workshop business

A third of owners are considering extending their service interval in 2009 to save money, according to a survey of 3,000 motorists carried out by Warranty Direct.

The survey found more than half of Britain's motorists would struggle to pay if their car broke down and 53 percent of drivers admit that the tightening of belts means they can ill afford the average repair bill of £273.

Nearly three quarters (72 per cent) of the owners surveyed claim that they would be lost without their cars.

"This is worrying - some motorists are just burying their heads in the sand," said Warranty Direct's Duncan McClure Fisher.

"In the short term you might save a bit of cash by not servicing your car, but eventually it is going to need work doing on it and you're only increasing the likelihood that it's going to be a very expensive repair job on a ‘mobility-fatal' part."

Drivers in Northern Ireland and the north west, who say they are most dependant on their cars are also the least able to pay in the event of a breakdown, with 59 per cent of motorists in both areas unable to meet the average repair cost.
Car owners in more affluent areas like London, the South East and East Anglia, are the most likely to be able to pay, the survey found.

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