Warranty Direct says ‘One Third of UK Cars Suffer Spring Failure Each Year’

Warranty Direct’s claims statistics show that one third of all cars under its warranties suffer spring or suspension failure every year.

Of these, the Audi RS6 and Mercedes R-Class are more likely to suffer suspension damage than any other cars in the UK, according to a new study by Warranty Direct.

Fiat’s six-seater Multipla and the Jaguar XK are the next most vulnerable, with 29 and 28.5 percent of Warranty Direct customers claiming for damage to axle and suspension components on their cars annually.

Deteriorating, potholed roads in winter and the proliferation of speed bumps increase the likelihood of suspension damage yet further, meaning that repairs cost an average of £247 to fix.

Warranty Direct’s database of 50,000 live policies shows that the most vulnerable vehicles are up to 30 times more likely to claim for suspension damage than the most robust cars.

At the other end of the ‘risk scale’, the Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107 (the same basic car) are seemingly impervious to the UK’s pothole-ridden roads. The Japanese Honda S2000 sports car is also one of the most pothole-resistant vehicles.

Volkswagen Beetles built 2012-2013 and Volkswagen Jettas built 2011-2013 are currently subject to a 1.1 million car worldwide recall to check for hidden rear suspension arm damage.

Warranty Direct managing director, David Gerrans, said: “It is almost unbelievable how much variation there is from one model to another when it comes to suspension damage, though this recall is yet to be announced in Europe.

“Any vehicle driven on damaged, poor surfaces regularly or used for commuting on routes littered with speed bumps will eventually come to grief. London is particularly bad for the latter.

“The roads are as bad as ever but some cars are affected terribly, with components like bushes, track rod ends, drop links, springs and dampers all susceptible. Instead of cheap runabouts, luxury vehicles and stiffly sprung sports cars are most prone to breakdowns – with the exception of the Honda S2000.”

Vehicles made by Honda, Isuzu and Toyota have the most robust suspension systems; less than three per cent of cars made by these manufacturers suffer failures annually.

Bentley, on the other hand, performs worst; 28 per cent of its cars will suffer suspension damage in a typical year.

Warranty Direct (www.warrantydirect.co.uk) is the UK’s leading direct-to-consumer insurer for car, van and bike mechanical and electrical failures.