Drivers are being hit by unexpected car repairs that are costing them hundreds of pounds a year.

Hard-hit motorists are having to pay £617 on average for repairs across all types of car, new data from the RAC has revealed.

As many as six-in-10 drivers say they have been stung with unexpected repair bills for their main vehicle.

This comes as little shock to a nation of motorists spending journeys swerving and slowing to avoid clusters of potholes on Britain's badly-cratered roads, which are falling into a greater state of disrepair, according to a major industry report published earlier this week. 

Worryingly, 37 per cent of drivers facing these repairs said they experienced financial difficulty in paying for them.

This comes after This is Money reported that cash-strapped Britons are finding it increasingly difficult to cover the cost of repairing their cars.

Fifty-six per cent of garages told the Motor Ombudsman that they’re expecting motorists to delay vital repairs this year in order to avoid expensive bills - up from 54 per cent in 2024.

The RAC has found that tyres top the list of unexpected motoring costs (64 per cent) - likely due to wear and tear – followed by brake repairs on 24 per cent.

Shockingly, a further fifth of drivers surveyed were seemingly victims of Britain’s pothole-ridden road surfaces as they had to fork out for new suspension parts including shock absorbers and springs.

For cars between three and 10 years old, this figure shot up to 30 per cent with unfortunate owners left to pick up the bills.

This week, the Asphalt Industry Alliance released its Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance report, which indicated that the estimated repair bill for local routes across England and Wales had risen to an eye-watering £17billion.

Kwik Fit in its own annual Pothole Impact Tracker report had revealed earlier in the week that Britain's motorists are having to fork out on record-high vehicle repair bills to fix damage to their cars caused after driving through craters.

The average repair bill for pothole-triggered car issues rose to £144 in 2024, up from £120 in 2022 and 2023. Overall, Britain's motorists were faced with an estimated £1.7billion bill to get their cars back on the road in 2024.

The next most common unexpected costs reported to the RAC was to have new exterior lights fitted (15 per cent).

This is followed by repairing bodywork damage, such as dents and scrapes (14 per cent), and replacing faulty or worn-out 12V batteries. 

Paul Coward, chief executive of the RAC’s service, maintenance and repair division, said: 'Unexpected car repairs are something every driver dreads. 

'This is even more the case for the estimated third of drivers who find it hard to cover these costs. 

'What’s more, we know from long-term RAC research that eight-in-10 people depend on their cars, so any time a vehicle is off the road it can cause huge problems.'

Are car repairs even more expensive in 2025? 

With the nation still very much in the grips of a cost-of-living squeeze and Labour hiking taxes, it's unsurprising that many motorists are telling us they simply aren’t able to afford high repair costs and unexpected bills.

Industry research has found that drivers are delaying maintenance and servicing in order to save money.

Last year, 53 per cent of businesses reported to the Motor Ombudsman customers not doing routine car maintenance such as servicing in order to cut costs.

Kwik Fit similarly found measures taken to save money included: 'delaying the purchase of a newer model, skimping on servicing or switching to cheaper replacement components'.

The RAC has previously found that it’s ‘unsurprisingly the youngest drivers’ who are the 'hardest hit': 26 per cent of those surveyed last year aged 17 to 24 told the RAC they'd deliberately put off paying for vehicle repairs due to the cost-of-living crisis.

And things are set to get even worse... 

Some 52 per cent of garages are expecting repair costs to rise again this year due to ongoing component shortages and inflation.

While the majority of garages will likely have to pass some costs onto customers, many are trying to absorb costs as much as possible.

In fact, 42 per cent of businesses told the Motor Ombudsman they are committed to absorbing these increased expenses to help protect consumers’ bank accounts.

Roger Griggs, communications director at Kwik Fit confirmed this to us, saying: ‘Like any other industry the car repair sector is affected by inflation, but we are supporting customers by absorbing increases where we can.’