ABM Q4 - Flipbook - Page 92
Warranty Hub
Steph Newbery, group director at
Warranty Solutions Group (WSG),
talks wear, tear, downtime and warranties
V
ans are among the
hardest-working
vehicles on Britain’s
roads. They
carry tools, stock
and equipment,
complete deliveries
and provide the
transport on
which many customer-facing
services depend. When a van
is unavailable, the business
may lose productive time and
revenue as well as facing the
cost of the repair.
Warranty Solutions Group
(WSG) has analysed more
than 3,000 authorised light
commercial vehicle (LCV)
warranty claims dating back
to July 2021. The findings show
how emissions-control systems
and electronically managed
components are changing
the repair profile of Britain’s
working vans.
The average authorised LCV
warranty repair in the analysis
was £628.83. Average labour
contributed £127.72 per claim at
an average hourly rate of £60.47.
These figures give dealers and
operators a clearer view of the
financial exposure associated
with keeping modern vans on
the road.
EMISSIONS TECH:
RESHAPING VAN REPAIRS
NOx sensors were the most
common repair in WSG’s
analysis, accounting for 5.30%
of authorised claims at an
average value of £568.63.
Alternators followed at 5.14%,
with an average claim of
£473.61, while diesel injectors
represented 4.45% of claims
and averaged £661.01.
Turbochargers and diesel
particulate filters completed the
five most frequent repairs.
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AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS
Q3 2026
A turbo claim averaged
£802.40, while the average
DPF claim reached £1,377.92.
Batteries, AdBlue injectors,
starter motors, EGR valves
and drive shafts also
featured among the 10 most
common faults.
Four of the 10 leading repairs
were directly associated with
emissions-control technology:
NOx sensors, DPFs, AdBlue
injectors and EGR valves.
These components help
vans meet modern emissions
standards, but they also
create different maintenance
demands. Diagnosing and
repairing them may require
specialist knowledge, technical
information and equipment
that were not needed
for earlier generations of
commercial vehicles.
Operators need to understand
these requirements when
planning maintenance and
selecting vehicles. Dealers
also have an important role
in explaining the potential
repair exposure attached to
used vans, particularly when
they have moved beyond their
manufacturer warranty.
FREQUENCY VERSUS A
SINGLE LARGE BILL
Engine and gearbox failures
attract attention because of
the size of the invoice. However,
the greatest pressure on a fleet
does not always come from the
most expensive individual claim.
A repair costing between
£400 and £800 may appear
manageable in isolation. When
similar faults occur across
several vehicles, the cumulative
cost can absorb a significant
share of the budget.
Every workshop visit also
affects vehicle availability. A
van may need to be recovered,
diagnosed and held while parts
are sourced and the repair is
authorised. The operator may
then have to hire a replacement
vehicle, reorganise workloads or
delay customer commitments.
This is particularly significant
for small and medium-sized
businesses (SMEs). An operator
with two or three vans has less
capacity to absorb the loss of
one vehicle than a large fleet
with access to replacements.
Examining claims frequency
alongside average repair
value provides a more useful
assessment of commercial
vehicle risk. It shows which
components are placing the
most consistent demand
on budgets, workshops and
vehicle availability.
MAJOR FAILURES: SERIOUS
FINANCIAL EXPOSURE
Although frequent faults create
continuing pressure, major
component failures can still
produce repair bills of several
thousand pounds.
The highest individual repair
in WSG’s analysis was £6,050.75
for a Vauxhall Combo requiring
a reconditioned engine and
turbocharger. A Ford Transit
engine and turbocharger repair
reached £4,999.98, while a
Ford Ranger claim involving
the torque converter and work
to the turbo and gearbox cost
£4,023.04.
The 10 highest-value claims
included engine, gearbox,
turbocharger, catalytic
converter, injector, DPF and
NOx sensor work across several
makes and models.
Operators therefore need
different approaches for
the two types of exposure.
Previous maintenance and
