Damage limitation

Spring might be around the corner. But the severe winter weather might have done lasting damage to your van. And with local councils struggling to fix the thousands of potholes that the winter snow, salt and grit has caused, that damage is still being done.

Corrosion caused by salt and chemicals on the road, pothole damage plus extra wear and tear to moving parts mean that many vans are in need of urgent repair. The last thing you need is a breakdown - especially when it's something that could have been fixed by a simple routine service.

Windscreens are also vulnerable - cold temperatures can lead to cracks, and bumping through potholes can make those cracks bigger. Auto Windscreens is predicting a four-fold increase in vehicles that fail their MoT this year, pointing out that damage of more than 10mm in the driver's line of sight or 40mm in the rest of the swept area, spells MoT failure.

The good news is right now a lot of fast-fits and dealers are offering free or cheap winter checks - they're well worth taking advantage of - a cheap fix today could save you hundreds of pounds fixing your van down the line.

Mark Bursa - editor

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