UK motorists count the cost amid big rise in cost of car parts, repairs and servicing

theguardian.com:

Motorists are reporting big hikes in the price of car parts, repairs and servicing – with some seeing increases of up to 90% – as garages and dealerships push up prices to deal with rising costs.

Readers told the Guardian they had seen sizeable increases in service costs, with some finding parts had become more expensive and harder to come by.

“We’re unquestionably seeing the cost of vehicle parts rise as a result of rising inflation and increased transportation costs,” the RAC’s head of technical, James Gibson, said.

“A huge number of car components are affected by the hike in global material prices, whether that’s steel that goes into a set of coil springs, or oil that goes into the engine, or the manufacture of tyres.”

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show the cost of running and maintaining personal transport including cars has increased by 15% compared with a year ago, abovethe overall inflation rate of 10.1%.

However, some readers said the cost servicing their car rocketed by much bigger margins: one said the price had jumped by 90% in two years (from £179 to £340), while another said the cost quoted by his dealership had gone up by 90% (from £268 to £510) in just a year.

The Motor Ombudsman has put rising costs down to a long list of challenges facing garages and dealerships. These include the significant jump in energy and fuel prices; a downturn in consumer spending on routine vehicle maintenance and repairs as households tighten their belts; staff recruitment and retention problems; and delays with getting hold of replacement parts.

Here, three drivers and a garage owner explain how they’ve been affected by the rises.

Given inflation is soaring, Vince Gallucci, 61, said he “would not have