Average vehicle repair costs up eight per cent
Average vehicle repair costs have increased by eight per cent in the last year, with average labour rates up five per cent.
This is according to Warranty Solutions Group, which analysed data from more than 20,000 warranty repairs and found that repair costs are rising across all segments of the market.
It found that labour rates, parts inflation and increasingly complex vehicles are the main factors driving up prices.
The data also revealed noticeable price variations according to region, with repairs more expensive in London and the South East than the north and Midlands due to higher labour rates and operational costs.
Postcode lottery
Steph Newbery, group director at Warranty Solutions Group, said: “Labour rates, overheads and technician availability vary widely across the country. It really is becoming a postcode lottery. Two drivers with the same fault on the same vehicle can face repair bills that differ by several hundred pounds depending purely on where they live.”
She added: “What this data also shows very clearly is that rising repair costs are no longer confined to high end vehicles or rare failures. Everyday components such as alternators, sensors and cooling system parts are now contributing far more meaningfully to overall repair bills.
“Labour pressure, longer diagnostic times and greater system integration mean even relatively modest faults can escalate quickly.”
