With the average age of UK cars now at an all-time high of nearly 10 years old, new research from the RAC has found four-in-10 drivers (39%) have had their main vehicle off the road for a day or more due to unplanned repairs in the last 12 months.
While a third of these drivers (32%) were without their cars for no more than a day, this meant most (68%) had to endure two days or more without their wheels – with just over one-in-10 (13%) being vehicle-less for a week or more.
Almost nine-in-10 (86%) described the experience of being without a vehicle as ‘inconvenient’, of which nearly half (45%) said it was ‘very inconvenient’.
This is explained by new data for the RAC Report on Motoring 2025 shows 80% of drivers would find it difficult to adjust their lifestyle to being without a vehicle.
It may also be behind last year’s four-fold increase in bookings of RAC Mobile Mechanics who carry out garage-like repairs conveniently on customers’ drivers rather than at a workshop, keeping vehicle downtime to a minimum.
Drivers aged 44 and under found it hardest to cope with their vehicles being out of action, with 93% complaining about the inconvenience.
Among drivers based in rural areas, 51% say their main car being unavailable due to repair work was ‘very inconvenient’ compared to 39% of those who live in the suburbs or on the edges of towns.
The RAC Report on Motoring 2025 research also revealed the cost of simply keeping vehicles on the road has become the most significant financial challenge for UK drivers, with 25% saying the cost of servicing, maintenance and repairs – including replacing tyres – is their biggest concern related to running a vehicle.
This is ahead of insurance premiums (24%) and fuel prices (23%) – both of which remain at historically high levels.
Three-quarters (76%) of drivers say their maintenance and repair costs have increased in the last year, up by an enormous 40 percentage points compared to 2021. Only 2% say maintenance and repair costs have fallen since 2024.
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