Ageing cars blamed on rise in breakdowns

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Britain’s ageing cars have been blamed for an increase in breakdowns.

The claim was made by breakdown rescue service Green Flag, which urged motorists to maintain their vehicles properly to reduce the chance of becoming stranded on the side of the road.

Its analysis of Government data found the average age of cars on Britain’s roads has risen by 42% over the past 20 years, from 6.6 years in 2003 to 9.4 years in 2023.

This has been attributed to an improvement in the quality of vehicles, a jump in the cost of motoring and delays in the production of new models.

Meanwhile, National Highways figures show the number of breakdowns recorded on motorways and major A roads in England has increased from around 229,600 in 2019 to 274,600 last year.

The Government-owned company’s figures also show the level of breakdowns between June and August in 2023 was 9% higher than the average for the entire year.

Green Flag’s own call-out statistics show older cars are more likely to suffer a breakdown than newer models.

One in five cars that are nine-years-old will malfunction in a year compared with one in seven that are six-years-old.

Green Flag managing director Katie Lomas said: “Generally cars are lasting longer, which is a good thing.

“However, cars do tend to have more breakdowns as they age and this is reflected both in our own call out rates and the rising number of breakdowns recorded by National Highways.

“With breakdowns on the rise, drivers should keep up regular maintenance to help reduce the risk of issues, however old their vehicle may be.

Car maintenance tasks that can be done at home include checking oil, coolant and tyre treads and pressures.