Car maintenance
How well do UK drivers prepare for their MOTs?It's no surprise that basic car maintenance knowledge can help your car pass its MOT.
However, our study reveals that more than one in ten (14%) of car owners would not feel confident carrying out any maintenance tasks on their car. That's why we've put this guide to car maintenance together - so you can head into your MOT knowing the simple stuff has already been taken care of.To prepare is to pass
Over a third (36.3%) of MOTs in the 2015-2016 financial year were failed initially, according to information made available by the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). The DVSA goes on to say that almost 50% of MOT failures could be avoided by carrying out basic car maintenance.
However, our study (March 2017) reveals that 28% of owners would not carry out any car maintenance to pass their MOT.
The study also reveals that only half of UK drivers would check that their lights (54%) and indicators (49%) work properly before their MOT - yet faulty lighting and signalling was the main cause of MOT failures, at 18.9%, according to DVSA statistics.
Before your MOT
Knowledge and knowhow is key
Only 59% of car owners surveyed by us would be confident enough to check that their headlights are working, while only slightly more than a third (38%) would be confident changing a tyre.
Most car owners were taught car maintenance by their dads (35%), while 33% of those surveyed were self-taught.
Almost a quarter (24%) of adults said they think driving instructors should be teaching new drivers car maintenance, but only 7% of people polled said their driving instructor taught them.
If you aren't confident on your car maintenance skills, brush up on your skills as soon as possible - whether you are teaching yourself or turning to someone else for help.
Leading the way
Although car maintenance confidence in the UK is low, there are regional differences
Overall, The East Midlands (29%), Yorkshire & the Humber (31%), Wales (30%) and the North East (27%) all score highly when it comes to self-teaching car maintenance skills.
But it's Yorkshire & the Humber leading the way, as car owners from this region are the most likely to have carried out car maintenance, with only two-fifths (20%) never having done any car maintenance on their current car.