Common Christmas Car Faults
Driving long distances over the Christmas period is something that many of us can’t escape, checking your car is ready to cover the miles can help to ensure the drive goes as smooth as possible and remains stress free.
Not only will these tips help avoid any delays to festive plans, but It’s also important to check your car is winter ready to reduce the risk of picking up any fines.
Car finance experts Zuto have created a list of the most common faults to look out for in your car before making any long-distance trips:
Batteries, fuel, and tyres
Flat or faulty batteries are an extremely common problem for car owners. Constantly using your car for short journeys means voltage may be lost as the battery is not regularly re-charged, try and make a few longer journeys in the weeks coming up to setting off to ensure your battery is fully charged.
Putting the wrong fuel into your car or failing to fill up the tank before a journey is also a very common mistake, make sure you know which fuel you need and fill up your tank before setting off. Always put more than you think you’ll need in, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Underinflated or punctured tyres are also a common issue for drivers, check your tyre pressure before setting off and inflate them if they’re too low. In addition, check the wear and tear on your tyres, as having bald tyres can cost you up to £2,500 in fines for each tyre1.
Keys and electrical components
Broken or lost keys, although these may seem like simple problems, they can be quite costly. Always double check you’ve got your key ahead of time and keep it in a safe place when you arrive at your destination, the average car key replacement in the UK costs around £2522.
Electronics can often be difficult to fix yourself and this means repairs should be handled by professionals, if you discover a fault on the day you’re meant to be setting off it will heavily delay your time of departure and could cost you on average around £300 to get fixed3.
How to protect your car
All cars are made of perishable parts, and this means problems are likely to occur at some point.
To reduce the chances of this happening, the best advice is to keep your car well maintained. This is vital as not all accidents are caused by faults with the vehicle.
Lucy Sherliker, Head of Customer at Zuto says: “These tips will not only keep your car in good condition but also help ensure your festive journeys are stress free.
“Bad weather conditions and busy roads are normal at this time of year so be sure to plan extra time to ensure you get to your destination in plenty of time
“These tips can also help you avoid some hefty fines, which is more important than ever around the costly holiday season!”
If you like to read more about these common faults and how to protect your car, please visit https://www.zuto.com/blog/most-common-car-faults/