Out of control car repair costs mean you could lose your no claims bonus for a cracked windscreen
Calls for industry to cap costs as owners risk being priced out of the market with expensive repairs on latest technology
THE average repair bill has spiralled in the last three years with simple jobs now costing thousands.
Advanced technology means drivers now have to shell out an average of £1,678 for work on their new cars.
And over the last three years, these repair costs have spiralled by 32 per cent with new tech, new materials and poorly trained mechanics to blame.
Experts have now predicted making insurance claims for stone chips and windscreen damage could lose you your no claims bonus in the future.
Windscreen replacement - often exempt on policies - can now cost up to £700 thanks to advanced driver assistance systems that are mounted and calibrated through the glass.
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For example, a new windscreen on a Ford Focus fitted with autonomous emergency braking increased by more than double and for a VW Golf it’s up by 78 per cent.
It’s estimated more than two million cars currently on UK roads are fitted with this life-saving technology.
Peter Shaw, CEO of Thatcham Research, said: “Vehicle manufacturers must bring these costs under control.
“The cost for windscreen mounted ADAS calibration spans from £0 to £700 – across car manufacturers and often across similar sensors and technology.
“This is unacceptable. Unless urgently addressed, these costs will challenge the current model of a no-claims bonus being unaffected by a windscreen repair or replacement.”
Similarly, paintwork repairs can run into hundreds of pounds due to textured paint and crystal finishes as well as new materials in the bodywork.
And LED and matrix headlights mean changing a lightbulb is no longer a quick fix either.
Thomas Hudd, operations manager at the Thatcham Research Repair Technology Centre said: “The rising use of a mix of new materials in modern cars is leading to more intrusive repairs.
“This means that where we were once able to partially replace a panel, we now need to replace it in its entirety.
“This is especially true of aluminium panels, which are challenging the repair industry as it is stiffer and harder to reshape than steel.”