BUSINESSES are being hit by bottom-line bashing repair costs.

Company car drivers are neglecting their cars. And hitting firms with unnecessary maintenance bills.

Among the top issues are misfuelling, windscreen damage, illegal tyres and vehicle downtime says Lex Autolease, which reviewed 21,000 company cars.

Lex Autolease added that with weather conditions likely to deteriorate in the months ahead, the average cost of a windscreen repair can be more than a misfuel: £435 against £341. If drivers reported window chips or cracks earlier, they could save their firm money with the average repair costing only £68.

Tyres, too, are proving a major business headache: almost one in three (29%) vehicles are running on illegal tyres that needed to be replaced immediately. This, combined with other general repair and maintenance jobs, means that the average company car is off the road for almost seven days during its rental period.

“Firms should encourage drivers to treat their company car like their own property. Some of our customers disclose their repair bills to drivers to demonstrate the importance of looking after their car to ensure it spends more time on the road than in the garage,” commented Steve Osborne, head of fleet management at Lex Autolease.

A similar story was uncovered by the Fleet Support Group (FSG) earlier this year.

FSG manages 55,000 company vehicles. It uses a nationwide network of specialist independent garages for service, maintenance and repair (SMR) work. Video cameras revealed how poorly some drivers were treating their company cars. FSG called it a ‘chamber of horrors’. Among the worst examples of driver neglect were:

• A tyre worn down to the exposed metal cords
• Filthy upholstery and cup holders
• A car overloaded with slabs
• A snapped road spring resulting in severe tyre damage

“Companies have a duty to manage work-related road safety and to demonstrate that they have taken all reasonable practicable steps to ensure the safety of their drivers and other users,” commented Geoffrey Bray, FSG chairman.

“In addition, companies are responsible for ensuring that their vehicles are fit for purpose. The range of vehicle damage that we uncover invariably results in companies taking swift action to stem the abuse.”

Further information

There’s more comment on car maintenance in the Editor’s Blog Maintenance bills mount up

. Businesses pay for unnecessary repairs