Up to 75 per cent of second hand cars in the UK are not in a suitable condition for the road, new research by the RAC has revealed.
The roadside assistance and insurance provider found that 225 of the 300 used cars inspected would fail their MOTs due to a number of faults and added that one in three vehicles has problems that are potentially dangerous or illegal.
Nicola Johnson, RAC Inspection’s manager, said: "The level of issues we have found with used cars is concerning, with half of the vehicles we checked having more than 10 faults."
"Even if they weren’t a risk to motorists’ safety, over 80 per cent of those with faults would cost the new owner more than £200 to fix."
"Individuals looking for a used car bargain are entering a minefield and not everyone has either the right level of knowledge to know what to look for," she added.
The RAC research revealed that the most common problems were related to worn or damaged tyres, faulty steering and/or suspension (44 per cent), fluid leaks (42 per cent) and corroded or worn brake discs (39 per cent). Other problems included damaged exteriors and cracked windows .
