Workshops warned of spring surge

Autodata has warned workshops against the potential of being overwhelmed with work this spring.

With EU and EFTA data showing new registrations have been at their highest across March, April and May in the last five years, annual servicing, vehicle worthiness tests and check-ups will fall on the anniversary of these spring months.

This data reinforces Autodata’s Most Serviced Vehicle report, which shows that March is the most popular month for vehicle servicing and repairs, as mechanics call upon technical specifications, camshaft drive systems, repair times, engine oil, service schedules and tyre pressures to allow them to fix a vehicle and get it back on the road.

A key component of this alignment is Covid-19, which forced several governments to allow motorists to delay legally required vehicle checks past their original due date. They are now likely to start to feed into workshops over the next few months.

Another factor is the significant growth of home deliveries. Autodata saw a 19% rise in requests for LCV service data last summer, as online delivery services expanded, all of which will now be reaching their anniversary and require workshop attention.

Chris Wright, managing director of Autodata, said: “Whilst there is still uncertainty on when lockdowns will be eased, it’s clear there could be pressure on workshops to handle any eventuality on any vehicle, rather than turn away work because they don’t have the technical help to fix a problem.

“The pandemic may well intensify the normal seasonal patterns for workshops, but with Autodata covering 90% of vehicles and providing easy to follow diagrams and technical procedures, our customers can rest assured that our data will help them get their customers back on the road quickly, relieving undue pressure in the workshop and maintaining great service levels.”