Motorists in the UK are more than twice as likely to suffer damage to their cars than their American counterparts because of poorly maintained roads, according to new research from independent insurer, Warranty Direct on nearly 500,000 vehicles.
The connection between axle, suspension and steering damage and potholed roads could be a key factor in up to a third of all mechanical failures in the UK - costing motorists more than £2.8bn a year in repairs. However, across the Atlantic, the comparable rate of failure falls to 1 in 8 for the same vehicles.
On average, suspension related problems account for 42% of faults sustained by Ford Focuses driven on British roads. This dramatically falls to 17% in the US. It is a similar story with the Audi A4 - 49% compared to 11%. 12.9% of cars will incur steering, axle or suspension damage that has deteriorated as a result of bad roads in America. That figure leaps to an average of 30.5% here. Off-road vehicles from Jeep recorded a 47% failure rate in the UK, compared to just 9% percent in the US.
The data comes as Government revenue from fuel duty continues to rise as the price of a gallon approaches £5. Although the Department of Transport spent an average of £10,000 per mile in 2006, the US treasury forked out one and a half times more.
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