{"id":349,"date":"2020-03-17T10:26:00","date_gmt":"2020-03-17T10:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sterling-insurance.co.uk\/blog\/?p=349"},"modified":"2025-12-02T10:35:20","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T10:35:20","slug":"8-most-common-causes-of-breakdown-and-how-to-avoid-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sterling-insurance.co.uk/blog\/breakdown\/8-most-common-causes-of-breakdown-and-how-to-avoid-them\/","title":{"rendered":"8 most common causes of breakdown and how to avoid them"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Breaking down is a driver\u2019s worst nightmare, especially if it happens on a long journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The initial panic of how much is this going to cost sets in, but the cause of your breakdown could be a lot simpler than you think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A lot of breakdowns are relatively easy to fix and if you keep a close eye on the following tips, you could avoid the embarrassment of breaking down while having your in-laws or kids in the back seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-flat-or-faulty-batteries\">Flat or faulty batteries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps the most common cause of a breakdown is either a faulty or a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sterling-insurance.co.uk\/blog\/breakdown\/flat-car-battery\/\">flat battery<\/a>, especially <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sterling-insurance.co.uk\/blog\/breakdown\/winter-driving-tips\/\">during the winter<\/a>. This often occurs if you rarely go on long trips as your battery hasn\u2019t had long to charge. That\u2019s unless you charge it overnight around once a fortnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another reason batteries go flat is due to a poor electrical connection. Whilst your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sterling-insurance.co.uk\/blog\/campervan\/car-health-checks-to-take-during-lockdown\/\">car\u2019s battery <\/a>terminals are cleaned and checked for corrosion during its MOT, it can build up throughout the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tyre-and-wheel-damage\">Tyre and wheel damage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether your tyre bursts from debris in the road or being under inflated, ensuring your tyres don\u2019t let you down is a relatively easy task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your tyres are under-inflated, it can cause them to overheat. So make sure they remain at the correct pressure, which you can find in your vehicle\u2019s drivers manual handbook. If one tyre is continually losing air, it could be the sign of a slow puncture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having a spare tyre is always handy when driving, especially long distance. A puncture repair kit is also a great thing to keep in the car even if it\u2019s just a temporary fix. If you do hit a pothole or your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sterling-insurance.co.uk\/blog\/breakdown\/summer-car-breakdowns\/\">tyre pressure<\/a> is going down ensure that you don\u2019t drive on it for too long and get it to the nearest garage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-faulty-spark-plugs\">Faulty spark plugs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It could be as simple as a spark plug that\u2019s worn out or broken. If your car is<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sterling-insurance.co.uk\/blog\/campervan\/campervan-maintenance-tips\/\"> regularly serviced<\/a> this should not be a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Without functioning spark plugs your car will simply not start, or will sound weird if it does. They produce a spark of electricity that creates the ignition for the combustion that is needed to start the engine by putting the pistons in motion, so your car can produce a smooth burn of compressed air fuel mixture and allows your vehicle to stay powered up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sterling-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2020\/03\/ST039-Breakdown-Blog-Infographic--e1585149460232.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3487\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-issues-with-the-high-tension-leads\">Issues with the high tension leads<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>High-tension leads could be the reason why your car fails to start. These carry the voltage to the spark plugs \u2013 and an inconvenience if they go wrong when you\u2019re heading to work in the morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using WD-40 is suggested, but of course it is best if your local mechanic takes a look at the ignition system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-fault-with-the-alternator\">A fault with the alternator<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ever had a brand new battery, but the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sterling-insurance.co.uk\/blog\/breakdown\/car-wont-start\/\">car won\u2019t start<\/a>? It doesn\u2019t necessarily mean the battery is dodgy, it could be the alternator. The alternator keeps the battery charged by taking energy from the engine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the temperature of your engine heats up exponentially and the ignition light on your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sterling-insurance.co.uk\/blog\/breakdown\/dashboard-warning-lights\/\">dashboard lights<\/a> up, don\u2019t attempt to re-start your vehicle. This is a major problem and will need<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sterling-insurance.co.uk\/blog\/breakdown\/what-if-i-breakdown-pandemic\/\"> roadside assistance <\/a>as the water pump and\/or the alternator belt has broken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-burnt-out-clutch-cables\">Burnt out clutch cables<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The clutch is often overused by many drivers, for example, who don\u2019t put the car in neutral once you have pulled up at traffic lights. So it\u2019s no surprise that this is one of the most common ways your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sterling-insurance.co.uk\/blog\/breakdown\/what-to-do-car-breaks-down\/\">car can breakdown<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you notice any change to the feel of your clutch pedal, simply go to your local garage and get it checked. It\u2019s always best to err on the side of caution as a broken clutch pedal is very serious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-putting-the-wrong-fuel-in-your-car\">Putting the wrong fuel in your car<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It might seem simple, but putting the wrong fuel in your vehicle will obviously cause it to stop working. If you are one of the thousands of people in the UK to do this each year, simply remove the keys from the ignition and put the car in neutral, then it\u2019s time to call roadside assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sterling also offers<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sterling-insurance.co.uk\/extra-benefits\/\"> misfuelling assistance<\/a> just in case. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-loss-of-oil\">Loss of oil<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If your engine runs out of oil your engine will seize working as it needs the engine oil to lubricate parts of the engine from grinding together and damaging the engine completely. If damaged you may need to buy a replacement, so a routine check using the dipstick to check the oil level. In some cases, depending on how old the car is, by the time the low oil engine light appears on dashboard it may be too late to take it to your local garage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These tips should ensure your vehicle stays on the road for longer, but in the likelihood of being left stranded on the side of the road, Sterling offers<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sterling-insurance.co.uk\/breakdown-cover\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&nbsp;breakdown cover<\/a>&nbsp;to ease your troubles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The cost of not having breakdown cover can be huge due to the high towing costs and call out charge \u2013 but the coverage usually pays for itself the first time you need it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Breaking down is a driver\u2019s worst nightmare, especially if it happens on a long journey. The initial panic of how much is this going to cost sets in, but the cause of your breakdown could be a lot simpler than you think. A lot of breakdowns are relatively easy to fix and if you keep [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":350,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[68],"class_list":["post-349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breakdown","tag-breakdown-insurance"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.9 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>8 most common causes of breakdown and how to avoid them | Sterling Insurance Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sterling-insurance.co.uk/blog\/breakdown\/8-most-common-causes-of-breakdown-and-how-to-avoid-them\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"8 most common causes of breakdown and how to avoid them\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Breaking down is a driver\u2019s worst nightmare, especially if it happens on a long journey. 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A lot of breakdowns are relatively easy to fix and if you keep [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sterling-insurance.co.uk/blog\/breakdown\/8-most-common-causes-of-breakdown-and-how-to-avoid-them\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sterling Insurance Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-03-17T10:26:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-02T10:35:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sterling-insurance.co.uk/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Webp.net-resizeimage-51-2.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"534\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Genevieve Clark\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta 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