Wiring looms top list of most repaired car parts
AA Accident Assist has revealed that wiring looms are the most frequently repaired part of a car following a crash.
Based on more than 14,500 repairs carried out last year, it found that wiring looms needed repairing in 99% of cases.
Wires are used to connect, power and run systems such as parking sensors, rear-facing cameras and adaptive cruise control. As well as the physical repair, such technology also has to be recalibrated to ensure it is safe to use.
Meanwhile, 58% of repairs needed new bumper units (58%), while 32% required new front bumpers (32%). Other bodywork parts such as front doors (seven per cent) and lighting units (three per cent) also made the top 10 list of most fixed items.
The top 10 list of repaired parts following a collision was:
- Wiring looms – 99%
- Bumper units – 58%
- Rear bumper crash beams and fixings – 57%
- Front bumper crash beams and fixings – 32%
- Door locks, trims and seals – 12%
- Roof – 12%
- Hinges for bonnets and doors – 7%
- Front doors – 7%
- Rear doors – 5%
- Lighting units – 3%
Tim Rankin, managing director of AA Accident Assist, said: “Fixing a car is more advanced than just replacing parts. With every evolution of vehicle technology comes more sophisticated and high-tech repairs.
“Wiring looms might seem innocuous, but the wires do more than just carry power around the car. The wires help run fundamental safety features around the car, such as images, speed data and radar technology. With more semi-autonomous driving assistance packages being placed on cars as standard, repairers are being tasked to fix and calibrate, as opposed to simply replace and fit.”
