Electrical faults on company cars are becoming more common than mechanical problems, according to epyx.

The company says developments in vehicle technology are showing in the transactions which pass through its 1link system.

Epyx's 1link Service Network e-commerce platform is used by fleets with more than two million cars to buy service and maintenance from around 13,000 franchise dealers, independent garages and fast fits.

The platform has been widely adopted by the UK’s largest fleets, meaning the company is able to track repair trends.

Ken Trinder, head of business development at epyx said: “The reasons company cars need to be seen by service providers have been gradually changing for a while.

"Obviously, service intervals have lengthened in recent years, so there is less scheduled maintenance but we believe cars have generally also become much more mechanically reliable.”

Trinder said the reason a driver booked a vehicle in for repair had become more related to electrical systems.

He added: “Much of this is a reflection of the technology that has been added to vehicles in the last few years.

"Air conditioning has become a standard fitment on most cars in the last decade and has been swiftly followed by multiple airbags and sat nav systems.

 

 

“The company car driver of 1999 might have typically booked their car into a franchise dealer because a wheel bearing was squeaking.

"In 2009, they might be more likely to seek advice from a franchise dealer because the airbag warning light stays lit continually.”

The company's data showed electrical faults are usually less time critical than mechanical ones and therefore causing less disruption to a fleet.

Trinder said: “Today, if a driver has a failing iPod dock, that problem can wait until it is convenient for them to take the car in for repair.”