CAN'T START, WON'T START

If you imagine a car not starting on a cold, damp morning you would probably think old British Leyland or a temperamental Italian classic.

But a new survey has revealed that after four years the most common problem for new cars is ignition problems.

Fuel and ignition systems, along with axle and suspension faults, have the highest rate of failure as the car emerges from the protection of a manufacturer’s three-year warranty, it is claimed.

Braking systems become a problem after six years,with the chance of failure rising from 1.3%in year four to a high of 3.2%, or as much as 1 in 10 for some manufacturers.

According to Warranty Direct, a vehicle’s cooling system is nearly twice as likely to need work in year eight compared to year four.