Suspension component failures are the mechanical ‘three-year glitch’ most likely to cause a car to fail its first MOT, according to an insurance company.
Warranty Direct analysed thousands of three and four-year old cars and found that the average repair cost for cars typically leaving their manufacturer warranty period is £338.
The safety-critical ABS braking system is the second most likely part to cause extra expense at the first MOT, costing £667 to fix according to the firm. The turbocharger – fitted to nearly all diesel and many petrol cars – is the most costly repair item on the list, coming in at more than £750. While this is not a tested item, if the owner neglects having it repaired then the car may not pass the emissions test.
A spokesman from the firm said: “It’s not only complex systems that suffer premature failure – parts of the exhaust can break or wear out when a car is still comparatively young.”