Garage anxiety? A maintained lease could take the worry out of unexpected bills

Taking your car to the garage should be a fairly routine part of motoring, but new research suggests it is anything but for a large number of UK drivers. More than two-thirds admit to feeling anxious about garage visits, with unexpected bills by far their biggest concern.

The survey of 2,000 UK motorists found that 68% experience garage anxiety at least some of the time, while almost a third say they feel it often.

Cost is the biggest reason. Among drivers who feel anxious about visiting a garage, 80% worry about being landed with unforeseen repair bills, while 49% are concerned they could be overcharged.

There is also the problem of knowing exactly what you're paying for. More than a third of those surveyed said they don't know enough about cars to feel confident discussing repairs, potentially making that phone call from a garage recommending additional work an uncomfortable experience.

For lease customers, however, there is another option worth considering. Adding a maintenance package to your lease can replace many of those potentially unpredictable motoring expenses with a fixed monthly cost.

What does lease maintenance cover?

A fully maintained lease is designed to cover many of the routine costs associated with keeping a vehicle on the road during the contract. Exactly what is included varies between finance providers, but typical packages cover manufacturer-scheduled servicing alongside mechanical and electrical repairs resulting from fair wear and tear.

They can also include items such as batteries, bulbs and wiper blades, as well as MOT tests where required during the lease. Tyre replacement is another potentially valuable inclusion, particularly for drivers covering higher annual mileages.

Some packages also provide mobile tyre fitting, collection and delivery for servicing or repairs and access to a courtesy car, although customers should always check the precise terms of the maintenance package offered with their lease with our specialist Gateway2Lease advisers.

Making monthly motoring costs more predictable

The key attraction isn't that maintenance makes servicing and repairs disappear. It's that many of their associated costs are incorporated into the lease agreement.

Instead of budgeting separately for scheduled servicing, replacement tyres and qualifying maintenance work as and when they're needed, drivers pay an agreed amount as part of their regular monthly expenditure. That can make budgeting considerably easier and reduce the risk of an expensive maintenance bill arriving at an inconvenient time.

There are exclusions, of course. Accident damage, driver-induced faults, damaged windscreens and glass, vandalism and missing or broken items wouldn't normally be covered, for example.

Could maintenance help cure garage anxiety?

The survey wasn't specifically about car leasing, but its findings highlight exactly why a maintained lease can appeal to drivers who value predictable motoring costs.

If your biggest concern about visiting a garage is not knowing what the final bill might be, incorporating eligible servicing, maintenance and tyre costs into a fixed monthly payment can remove much of that uncertainty.

You'll still need to look after the vehicle, book servicing when required and deal with the occasional trip to the garage. But for lease customers who prioritise peace of mind and straightforward monthly budgeting, adding maintenance at the beginning of the contract could make those visits considerably less stressful.