More motorists are attempting basic car maintenance during the credit crunch, according to a survey.

An AutoTrader survey of 2,000 motorists found that 70% were willing to try to replace brake pads or discs and replace broken lights.

The  research showed that 45% of the motorists had some form of repair that needed doing to their vehicle and of these, 20% were ‘quite major’ and 5% were ‘very major’.

To help avoid being hit with a repair bill of their vehicles, 10% of motorists were delaying putting their car through an MOT until after its due date and a further 7% were delaying getting road tax to try and save money.

However, Emma Holyer, spokeswoman for Britannia Rescue said: “We are increasingly being called out by people who have broken down because they have tried to repair their car themselves.

"We’d advise people to stick to the knowledge level they are comfortable with and not try to attempt jobs they aren’t sure about – particularly jobs like replacing worn out brake pads or suspension problems, as these will heavily impact on the safety of the vehicle."