WINTER BREAKDOWN EXPENSE FOR USED CAR OWNERS

SOME VEHICLE components are nearly three times as likely to fail during the winter months as in the summer leading to potentially expensive repairs for the owners of older vehicles, according to Warranty Direct.

The specialist insurer and warranty provider analysed 50,000 live automotive policies and found that ignition coils are 283 per cent more likely to fail between December and February than between June and August.

Fuel injection pumps, thermostats and a number of electrical components are also more likely to suffer in the cold leading to an average winter repair bill of £408.60, the company has warned.

“This just goes to show that it pays to make the extra effort with car maintenance once the temperature turns chilly,” said Warranty Direct’s Duncan McClure Fisher.

“As well as potentially messing up people’s New Year plans, or leaving drivers stranded in freezing weather, the garage bills these failures can cause are not what anyone wants at a time when bank balances are already lean from Christmas spending.”

The ten most likely winter component failures and average repair bill according to Warranty Direct are:

:: Ignition coil - £159.18

:: Thermostat - £204.16

:: Fuel injection pump - £321.93

:: Central locking motor - £244.40

:: Torque converter - £1,139.71

:: Heater motor - £223.66

:: Wiper motor - £197.51

:: Auto clutch - £1,143.84

:: Alternator - £319.84

:: Starter motor - £265.97

By By Press Association