Keeping a car in good working order can sometimes feel like an endless expense, as soon as you tackle your car’s latest maintenance requirement; another comes and takes you by surprise.
Much as it may make for cold comfort at best, it is pretty much the same for the vast majority of car owners. Even the most reliable and advanced vehicles are far from impervious to damage, or the kind of everyday wear and tear that calls for routine maintenance.
On the plus side, the vast majority of these minor maintenance requirements are fairly quick, easy and cheap to tackle. But what most of them also have in common is their potential to cause far more serious issues if left unaddressed.
Not to mention, pave the way for a sizeable fine and penalty points on your licence, if you are deemed to be driving an unsafe vehicle.
In case you ever wondered, here is a brief rundown of the five most Googled car maintenance issues right now, according to the search engine’s latest statistics:
1. Low Tyre Pressure
According to Google, at least 36,000 people each year enter queries regarding safe and appropriate tyre. Truth is, the overwhelming majority of people do not know what the ideal tyre pressure for their vehicle is. Many of which may be blissfully unaware of the fact that overinflated or underinflated tyres present a major health and safety risk to everyone on the road.
If you are pulled over by the police and found to have improperly inflated tyres, it could cost you big. The current penalty is set at a maximum of £2500 and three penalty points…per tyre.
2. Low Tyre Tread
It is a similar case with tyre tread, which is something most people admit to rarely (if ever) checking. According to UK road safety legislation, tyre tread should never be allowed to fall below 1.6mm. Using the outer rim of a 20p coin can be a good way to ensure your tyres meet this minimum requirement, but it is far better to invest in a depth gauge.
A basic tyre tread depth gauge will set you back no more than around £5, and yet could save your life in a pinch. Once again, the maximum penalty payable if caught with unsafe tyres is £2500 and three penalty points for each offending tyre.
3. Broken Windscreen Wipers
Even if your windscreen wipers are not ‘broken’ in the conventional sense, they could still land you three points on your licence and a fine of £2500 if they perform inadequately. It is the responsibility of all motorists to ensure their wipers are in a good state of repair, enabling them to see clearly ahead in all weather conditions.
It costs next to nothing to replace wiper blades on a regular basis, and is something most drivers should be doing more often.
4. Low Oil
Low oil levels are usually indicative of an issue, which should be checked out at the earliest possible stage. A car that is serviced regularly should never encounter problems with low oil, as it will be changed and topped up as often as necessary.
Either way, breaking down due to your own negligence (i.e. avoiding issues like these) and causing an obstruction is considered an offence in the U, one that could land you up to nine penalty points on your licence and a huge fine, if not a criminal record if you end up causing an accident.
5. Windscreen Scratches
Fixing minor window scratches and cracks before they become problematic comes highly recommended; not just to avoid penalty points on your licence and a £2500 fine if caught driving with a damaged windscreen, but also for your own health and safety.
Hit the roads with a damaged windscreen and you have no idea when the whole thing might crack, shatter or completely obstruct your view. Plus, it is far cheaper to fix a windscreen than to replace it, and the job may be covered by your insurer.