More than half of drivers (56%) say they’ve been left struggling
to understand the language used by garages when describing faults
with cars and what needs to be done to fix them, new RAC
Breakdown research shows.*
From odd terms like ‘big end’ (part of an engine) to acronyms
such as AGM (a type of battery, not a meeting), DPF (a filter
which helps clean up diesel exhausts) and TPMS (a system that
monitors tyre pressure), the world of garage servicing and
repairs has more than its fair share of words that have the
potential to baffle – which might explain why half of drivers
surveyed (50%) feel they’d been overcharged or ripped off by a
garage, with more than one-in-10 (15%) saying a garage carried
out work they hadn’t agreed to.
A quarter of drivers (26%) meanwhile felt the cost of repairs
they ended up paying turned out to be far higher than they were
quoted, while nearly a fifth (18%) said the garage could not
repair their vehicle for them at all. Nearly half (46%) said they
would be uneasy dealing with garages they didn’t know.
To make things simpler for drivers who need to use a garage after
their car breaks down, the RAC has introduced dedicated garage
support across its range of new breakdown assistance policies.**
Drivers opting for the entry-level Standard package receive a
fault report to help a garage understand what’s wrong, while
those opting for Advanced or Ultimate cover levels are given help
finding and booking a garage, provided with repair estimates
up-front, along with an explanation of the likely work needed,
free of any ‘garage lingo’.
The RAC has also developed a guide to
garage speak that explains some often-used garage terms in
simpler language. (see attached graph)
RAC consumer roadside managing director Andy Baker said: “These
figures show there’s a sizeable gulf between what garages say,
and what the average driver actually understands. At best, this
can be frustrating for drivers who need their vehicles repaired,
but at worst it could mean they get a raw deal – with baffling
language making it much more likely they approve any work, at any
price they’re quoted.
“And at the end of the day, getting the right repairs at a fair
price shouldn’t come down to how well drivers understand industry
terms and acronyms. In a bid to overcome this language barrier
we’ve included help in dealing with garages in all our new
breakdown policies. This ranges from a patrol report that tells a
garage what’s likely to be wrong with a car, right up to our
teams checking garage availability, getting a repair estimate and
then talking through what needs to be done to get a car going
again – minus the industry jargon – and even arranging priority
access to an RAC Approved Garage.”
Support in dealing with garages is just one feature of the new
cover levels from the RAC, all of which provide a ‘complete
breakdown service as standard’ to customers for the first time,
including ‘rescue anywhere’ and alternative transport provided as
standard:
- With Standard, drivers get a 10-mile tow to
the nearest garage if a vehicle can’t be repaired at the
roadside, plus a suspected fault diagnosis report to help the
garage understand what’s wrong. This is in addition to ‘rescue
anywhere’ cover (at home or elsewhere in the UK), up to three
call-outs a year and a 20-mile taxi ride for all passengers from
the garage
- With Advanced, as well as a tow to anywhere
in the UK if a vehicle can’t be fixed at the roadside, drivers
benefit from priority access to RAC Approved Garages – the patrol
will contact up to three garages to see which can book the car in
the soonest. The patrol will also get a repair estimate from the
customer’s chosen garage, and a full explanation of what’s likely
to be wrong in simple language will be given to the driver.
Repairs will be covered by a 12-month warranty. This is on top of
‘rescue anywhere’ cover alongside unlimited call-outs, and
customers will be kept mobile with taxis, hire car, hotel and/or
public transport for up to two days to the value of £150
- With Ultimate, drivers enjoy all the
benefits of Advanced plus a garage concierge service if the
vehicle can’t be fixed during the call-out, enabling customers to
get a taxi from the scene while the vehicle is booked in and
taken separately to the garage. They will also be kept moving
with taxis, hire car, hotel and/or public transport for up to
seven days to the value of £500.
Ends
Notes to Editors
Every RAC Approved Garage works to both a COVID-19 code of
conduct and customer charter approved by the Chartered Trading
Standards Institute.
* 2,300 respondents who are members of the RAC Driver Opinion
Panel were surveyed in August 2020
** For new UK breakdown cover only. Excludes Arrival, Business
Breakdown, European Cover and RAC Essentials, and cover provided
via corporate and insurance partners
