Recent statistics show that faulty batteries are the biggest causes of breakdowns on Australia’s roads.
In fact, up to half of all vehicle breakdowns are caused by batteries gone bad, making them a serious focus for motorists looking to keep their car on the road.
Top Australian automobile clubs such as the RACV, NRMA and RACQ have provided statistics on what their most common emergency callout reasons are, and the battery is a clear first on the list. The lowest recorded figures for battery callouts was 36% with NRMA and the highest was 46% by RAA (South Australia) and RACQ.
A faulty battery can be easily avoided through implementing a number of regular maintenance techniques. Keeping the terminals clean is the first priority. Both the positive and negative terminals should be checked and cleaned every month to treat build up of dirt and grime. Your battery should also be filled with distilled water to the appropriate level, there should be no cracks in the casing and your battery acid should be checked using a hydrometer.
The next biggest reason for motorists calling emergency breakdown services was locking keys in their car. Despite being a simple error to make, it still causes headaches around the country. Top marks were registered for South Australia in this category, with 13% of total callouts being as a result of keys locked in cars.
Engine faults were quite low on the list, which alludes to the rise in reliability of vehicles being driven today. Less than 10 per cent of call outs were contributed to faulty engines.
Interestingly, despite international emergency vehicle response companies registering an increase in callouts for electrical faults, which coincides with the prominence of electrical features on modern vehicles, the same has not been reflected in Australia. Electrical faults count for as little as 3 per cent of callouts in Victoria and only reach as high as 11 per cent in South Australia. UK company Warranty Direct stated 27 per cent of failures were a result of electrical faults.
Australian emergency response clubs don’t factor in the make of cars they service for faults, but their UK equivalents do, which gives us more of an idea of what type of car is likely to breakdown. The biggest offenders for electrical faults were as follows:
- Renault Megane (02-09) 34.66%
- Peugeot 607 (00-10) 31.28%
- BMW Z4 (03-09) 29.86%
- Renault Modus (04-11) 29.61%
- Audi A2 (00-06) 29.02%
- Land Rover Range Rover (02-11) 28.75%
- Land Rover Discovery (04-11) 26.94%
- Audi A3 (03-11) 26.58%
- Smart Roadster (03-11) 25.67%
- Audi A4 Convertible (05-09) 24.44%
Next time you’re about to head out on the roads, check your battery and everything else under the hood is in full working order. Proper car insurance and good car maintenance leads to better car performance, so avoid the emergency callouts and get the necessary additions to your vehicle.
Neither Buzz Insurance nor any of its employees makes any assurance, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the, completeness, accuracy, or usefulness of any product, information, or process mentioned in this piece. Any content, thoughts and opinions shared in this article are that of the authors. Buzz Insurance does not necessarily share or endorse those opinions
