Out-of-warranty? Cars with most claims…

Land Rovers, Jaguars and Vauxhalls are the brands with the most claims after manufacturer warranties have expired.

Axle and suspension faults are the most common claims on four-year-old vehicles, according to the latest research from Warranty Direct.

Cars of this age were picked because the majority of manufacturers offer three-year warranties for new vehicles, so this data could be useful for owners of cars about to lose their manufacturer warranty, or buyers of used cars.

Land Rover had the largest number of authorised claims for vehicles with the Defender model accounting for nearly a third (30%) of all Land Rover claims. This was closely followed by the Discovery (28%), Range Rover (26%) and finally the Freelander (16%).

Jaguar, Vauxhall and Renault led other manufacturers with the highest proportion of authorised claims.

The vehicle brand with the most expensive authorised claims for vehicles of four years of age was Bentley with costs averaging £1,358 per claim. Land Rovers followed closely behind with an average of £1,324 per claim and Nissans were in third place with a £1,284 average.

The most common authorised claims across all makes were axle and suspension repairs, the likelihood of which often increased outside of manufacturer warranty due to wear and tear from increased mileage. These made up 21% of claims across all makes.

	Most common authorised claim post-manufacturer warranty (4 years old)	% of overall authorised claims across all makes of vehicle
1	Axle and Suspension	21%
2	Electrical	20%
3	Catalytic convertor and Emissions	10%
4	Cooling Systems	8%

Electrical issues were the second most common concern, making up 20% of the figures. Newer cars often come with more advanced electronics, such as parking sensors, video cameras and evolving computer technology. While these electrical improvements can enhance automotive performance and safety, they can fail more frequently due to the complex nature of parts.

Catalytic convertors and emissions claims came in third place (10%), followed by temperamental cooling systems (8%).

	Most expensive parts per authorised claim post-manufacturer warranty (4 years old)	Average materials cost for these claims on 4-year-old vehicles
1	Gearboxes	£974
2	Engines	£847
3	Steering	£303

Gearbox parts topped the list of the most expensive authorised claim post-manufacturer warranty, due to labour costs, electronic complexity and many problems requiring expensive diagnostic equipment. This was closely followed by engine costs and steering systems.

“Our latest information on the most common costs and claims for vehicles post-manufacturer warranty should offer valuable insight for consumers whose vehicles are approaching the four-year mark,” said Simon Ackers of Warranty Direct.