Kwik Fit research has been used to suggest that economic worries have led to an additional 1.6 million motorists servicing their own cars over the past year (this was a sample of 2000 remember).

Over a third (35%) of car owners, including a few women drivers perhaps, now say they carry out a service themselves. The lion share ie 69% of motorists, including a lot of foxy lady drivers we are sure, confessed that don’t feel confident in servicing their own car. This is probably a good thing I’d have thought.

But, according to Kwik Fit, as many as 2.5 million cars on our roads today have not been serviced last year (this was a research sample of 2000 motorists remember; not sure if it helps to extrapolate into millions here…) which is to do with the recession and motorists wanting to save money.

Spelling out the blindingly obvious here, we are told that as cars have become increasingly sophisticated, needing computerised engine management systems, the confidence of (mostly male I presume) motorists to ‘self-service’ their cars has fallen dramatically. Gosh.

And their research tells them that motorists driving cars that are over 11 years old are considerably more likely to [think they can] DIY a service (because they can get at the engine no doubt) than those driving cars under two years old. Needless to say, many women drivers still think, incorrectly as it happens, that they need to take their car to a main dealership to maintain its warranty.

If nothing more, this research confirms what FOXY knows already about many women drivers based on anecdotal evidence inside the Club; it also acts as an important reminder for all of us that

• cars that aren’t maintained regularly or serviced properly aren’t as safe as those that are

• unsafe cars are less reliable and more accident prone

• cars that cause accidents and are then be seen to be poorly maintained ie unsafe can invalidate insurance claims

• much worse, anyone who runs a poorly maintained/badly serviced car could kill a passenger, other driver or pedestrian – what price economy then?

• few motorists are good enough at DIY car maintenance
• many dodgy garages don’t service cars well enough (which is the REAL elephant in the room here, hence the resistance of so many women to dread going to garages)

• the industry needs to work harder to communicate servicing prices – this needn’t be expensive, in fact surely it’s better to charge less and see more motorists that might need genuine work done afterwards?

• that the MOT is but a safety snapshot on the day – it is never an alternative to regular maintenance and servicing

• that members of FOXY Lady Drivers Club can claim free quarterly car fitness checks from a network of female friendly garages across the UK.

FOXY Steph

PS: Thank you for reminding me that the garage industry needs to get its marketing act together for women drivers in particular.

Find out about free car fitness checks for women drivers who are members of FOXY Lady Drivers Club.



One way to attract foxy lady drivers is to offer to save them money without having to visit a garage. But you have to visit a garage to find out first!

Apparently women drivers aged 25 to 35 are the worst at keeping their cars in good condition according to a recent survey carried out by Bridgestone Tyres. This is particularly worrying because this age group is more likely than others to have children in their cars at some time.

I wonder if they surveyed female students as these are some of the motorists we find are looking to cut corners for financial reasons.

We are told that motorists in Nottingham are notorious for failing to maintain vehicles well yet Leeds leads the way in car maintenance.

In Nottingham, one in three drivers regularly fails to service their car while other “bad” regions include Birmingham, Bristol, Norwich and Sheffield.

Seven years ago our daughter was fleeced by a garage in Nottingham – this was the catalyst for my business, FOXY Lady Drivers Club.

None of this surprises me but I am disappointed that the retail motor industry has failed to get a stronger message across that a badly maintained (and serviced) car of any age is less safe, less green, less reliable and more expensive to run in the end.

I’d also want more motorists to understand that a professional eye is better than an amateur doing her (or his) best with car maintenance AND that a bad garage does not mean a good car service.

One area that I’d want to look at is the increasingly attractive sales promise that a new car needs fewer services… as the intervals in between lengthen. Yes this is good news for the fleet buyer but how are they checking that their car is being maintained in between? Lots of motorists/businesses think that an U3 year old car doesn’t need much maintenance in between servicing and few know how to choose one of the best local garages.

Maybe the new Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 will start to make these points, now that companies can be held liable in law if negligence can be proved or if an employer has failed to demonstrate a duty of care to their employees using their private cars for business use.

Imagine a situation where a female employee whose private car is insured for regular travelling to and from her work (in addition to the normal domestic, social and pleasure cover) and is involved in an accident as a result of her badly maintained car. How long will it be before the claiming solicitors look to the employer for settlement under this Act?

Makes sound sense for them to subscribe to FOXY’s corporate membership solution and get quarterly car checks, a friendly helpdesk and professional legal motor claims advice and fees I’d have said…

FOXY Steph