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5 reasons for vehicle breakdown
Five common breakdown problems
Worried about your vehicle breaking down? Avoid these common problems, and you should be driving smoothly.
Some car breakdown problems might be unavoidable, but for many, it’s possible to take precautions. If the worst does happen, make sure you have Green Flag’s Breakdown Cover so your problem will be sorted quickly and efficiently.
Here are the most common reasons for vehicle breakdown.
Flat battery
This is the number one reason Green Flag gets called out. If it was caused by accidentally leaving your lights or radio on, you may be able to jumpstart your battery so make sure you carry some jump leads with you. Also check your battery every month – every week in winter.
Flat tyres
Wear and tear is the main culprit behind flat tyres and blowouts. When you fill up with petrol, get into the habit of checking your tyre pressure and tread at the same time, and look to see if there is anything, such as a nail or piece of glass, which is sticking in the tread but hasn’t punctured the tyre yet. Always carry a spare tyre with you in case of a flat.
Locked out
Yes, it happens to the best of us! For lost keys, you may need to call a vehicle locksmith, but if keys are locked in the vehicle, Green Flag can help you gain access to retrieve them. Green Flag Breakdown Recovery can also help you deal with faulty remote alarms or immobilisers, which can sometimes be caused by a dead alarm battery, so try to carry a spare one with you.
Running on empty
One of the more embarrassing reasons for breaking down is running out of fuel. Thankfully this is one that you can help prevent by keeping your tank topped up. Try not to let the fuel gauge get below a quarter tank. That way, if you can’t get petrol for a while, it won’t become a major problem.
Electrical and mechanical factors
As vehicles get increasingly complex switches and controls, electrical faults are causing more and more problems, along with faulty starter motors and spark plug failures. If you start to get an intermittent fault or starting your car becomes a problem, the best thing is to get your vehicle looked at immediately.
You can also look to Green Flag for advice on what to do if your car breaks down and staying safe in a breakdown.
