ABM_1 - Flipbook - Page 76
WARRANTY HUB
Mark Bobbins, head of
commercial vehicle sales at
Warranty Solutions Group
(WSG), talks wear, tear,
downtime and warranties
F
rom family cars to
long-haul trucks, every
vehicle tells a story once
it’s out on the road.
When things go wrong,
the data behind those
failures reveals more
than just repair bills – it
highlights the pressures facing
drivers, dealers, and fleets
across the UK.
Drawing on live Warranty
Solutions Group (WSG) claims
data, this feature brings
together key insights across
light commercial vehicles (LCVs),
heavy goods vehicles (HGVs),
and cars – with motorcycles
to follow.
From the everyday faults that
quietly drain cashflow to the
catastrophic breakdowns that
stop businesses in their tracks,
the findings offer a unique view
of reliability, costs, and risks
across different vehicle types.
LCVs – The
workhorse
under pressure
Why vans matter
LCVs are the unsung heroes of
UK business. From plumbers and
electricians to national delivery
fleets, vans are the wheels
that keep goods and services
moving. But when they fail,
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AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS Q4 2025
the financial and operational
consequences can be brutal.
The high-cost failures
Warranty Solutions Group
data from 2024–2025 reveals
the scale of the challenge.
The average top 10 claim for
vans stands at £1,835, with the
highest single repair topping
£2,142 for a Vauxhall Vivaro
suffering turbocharger, AdBlue
and differential issues.
Engines, turbochargers, diesel
particulate filters (DPFs) and
AdBlue systems dominate the
most expensive claims list,
showing how emissions-related
technology is both complex
and costly.
The everyday issues
The most common recurring
claims also tell a clear story.
Diesel injectors and alternators
together account for more
than 12% of all LCV claims,
with average costs of £782 and
£509 respectively. Batteries
(5% of claims) and NOx sensors
(4%) appear frequently too,
highlighting the impact of stopstart driving and emissions
compliance on modern vans.
The takeaway
Perhaps most striking is the age
profile of these vehicles. Most
fall between four and nine years
old – long out of manufacturer
warranty but still essential daily
workhorses. For fleets and SMEs
alike, that’s precisely the period
when repair risks climb and
margins are most exposed.
Proactive maintenance and
extended warranty cover are no
longer optional extras – they’re
critical strategies to keep
vans, and businesses, reliably
on the road.
HGVs –
Big risks,
bigger bills
The constant faults
HGVs are built for endurance,
but even the toughest trucks are
not immune to costly failures.
The most common culprit is
the NOx sensor, responsible for
nearly 13% of all HGV claims. At
£704 per repair, the cost might
seem modest, but its sheer
frequency makes it one of the
most expensive cumulative
issues in the market.
Emissions technology features
heavily across the dataset, with
AdBlue pumps (£1,473) and EGR
valves (£2,145) representing
significant recurring pain points.
The catastrophic breakdowns
At the other end of the spectrum
are the catastrophic failures. A
Volvo FH460 tops the list with
a £12,137 claim, caused by
multiple component breakdowns
including turbocharger and oil
separator issues. DAF trucks
also feature prominently, with
