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Avoid Christmas chaos with two-minute car check or risk ‘massive engine damage’ this winter

Motorists can expect to fork out an eye-watering £156, on average, for breakdown repairs this Xmas

DRIVERS have been urged to make sure their cars are in fine working order this Christmas - and it takes just minutes.

AA stats have revealed one-third of all UK car breakdowns occur during the festive season.

Road-side chaos can be avoided the festive period with a simple two-minute check
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Road-side chaos can be avoided the festive period with a simple two-minute checkCredit: Getty

This winter, with many Brits feeling the squeeze thanks to the cost of living crisis, expensive car repairs are surely at the bottom of everyone's Christmas list.

Motorists can expect to fork out an eye-watering £156, on average, for breakdown repairs this Xmas, so it's important to check your car before your journey.

Vehicle experts at say drivers must top up their oil before setting off - with one in three cars checked by UK mechanics suffering from 'dangerously low levels of oil'.

"This could cause massive engine damage or a breakdown in the middle of your journey," experts said.

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"A two-minute check is easy to do and doesn't require professional help.

"Just pull out your car's dipstick and - if it's below the line indicator - top up your oil."

This comes after another motoring expert revealed the exact date to travel this Christmas to save big on fuel.

December 18 has been identified as the best date for Brits to set out, with journey time slashed for residents of Bristol, Manchester, Cardiff, Leeds and London.

This is largely due to a quirk of the calendar meaning that the big day falls on a weekend this year.

Elsewhere, drivers have been shown an easy hack to remove ice from a car's windscreen, urging drivers to sprinkle a common household item over their windshield.

In other news, a ‘landmark’ Ferrari previously owned by rock legend Eric Clapton is set to hit £550k at an auction.

The classic 1970 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 'Daytona' Berlinetta, which was also formerly owned by Lord Hesketh, is up for sale at Bonhams Cars.

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