ISN Garage Assist Blog

A petition to stop the Government’s long-rumoured plans to extend the MOT grace period for newer vehicles has been launched and is rapidly gaining momentum.Currently, new vehicles don’t have to be tested until they’re three years old. But, under the new proposals, this time period would increase to four years - a move that many in the industry are concerned about.The Government is considering the change to try and save motorists money amid the current cost of living crisis. But, industry experts say it could end up costing them more in the long run - and could make Britain’s roads a...

There’s plenty to consider when buying a car, new or used. Reliability is an important factor, but every car is going to go wrong at some point - it’s inevitable. At least one or two of the thousands of mechanical and electrical components in a modern car are bound to let you down at some point.An important question to ask, then, is how expensive are these faults likely to be? Are there car manufacturers to avoid if you want to keep repair costs down?The answer is yes. According to analysis from Warrantywise, some of Britain’s favourite car manufacturers charge significantly less...

The writing has been on the wall for diesel cars for a few years now - since the infamous dieselgate scandal swept the industry - but sales on the second-hand market have remained strong. Until now, that is. For the first time, online used car remarketing platform Autorola has reported a decline in demand for second-hand diesel vehicles. Over the course of 2022, diesel sales fell by a not-insignificant 15.1%. Gone are the days of diesel domination: last year, just one in four vehicles sold through the platform was so-powered. Jumping shipSo, what are motorists buying instead? According to Autorola’s stats,...

Promising signs have emerged from the UK’s new car market, which experienced its first consecutive month of year-on-year growth in November.According to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), sales grew by an impressive 23.5%, with 142,889 vehicles finding homes during the penultimate month of 2022.As is becoming the norm, a significant proportion of these vehicles were electric. 39,558, to be exact, a rise of 34.2%. That means EVs now represent one-fifth of all new cars sold for the first time - a significant milestone on the road to 2030.After many months of slow sales, brought on partly...

Although most workshops have two or four-post lifts nowadays (or a combination of the two), these tried-and-tested designs aren’t the only options on the market. Scissor lifts have been around for a long time, but in recent years they’ve become increasingly popular. Ideally suited to bodywork specialists - including those in the dent removal or detailing trades - scissor lifts have an awful lot to offer. And, depending on the kind of work you do, they may be more suitable than a two or four-post lift. In this quick guide, we’re going to look at three key reasons for the popularity...

What do you think is the UK’s fastest-growing car brand? Perhaps it’s Kia - they’ve transformed from an undesirable budget brand into one of the world’s most innovative car manufacturers. The same goes for sister company Hyundai. Or perhaps it’s Tesla - you see so many on the roads nowadays. Actually, it’s none of those. According to new figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the UK’s fastest-growing car brand is… MG. That’s right, MG Motor UK took this year’s ‘most improved’ crown in sales terms. It’s the second year of success in a row for the...

One of the main selling points of an electric vehicle traditionally has been lower running costs. According to a new report from the RAC, though, this may no longer be the case.Charging costs have risen 42% on average since May, the organisation says, putting prices virtually on a par with those experienced by petrol car owners at the pumps.Electric family cars now cost £32.41 on average to rapid charge to 80% capacity, the RAC says - that’s an increase of £9.60 since May and £13.59 since last year.Drivers exclusively using rapid charging points can expect to pay 18p per mile to...

Have you been told your car needs a wheel alignment or are you thinking of getting it done for a performance benefit? Wheel alignment really is a crucial factor that has a significant impact on your car’s handling, performance, braking capability and tyre wear - not to mention fuel consumption! Accurate alignment settings can make or break a car. They can drastically improve the feedback given to the driver through the steering wheel, making a vehicle safer and more enjoyable to drive… and wheel alignment doesn’t cost the Earth, either. In fact, we’d argue there are fewer more beneficial services to...

Britain’s Millionth Electric Car Hits the Road The last couple of years haven’t exactly been ones to remember for car makers. With supply issues to contend with and an uncertain economic climate d, sales haven’t yet reached pre-pandemic levels.Things are beginning to look. According to the SMMT’s latest new car registration figures, 4.6% more new vehicles hit the roads this September compared with the same month last year.However, compare last month’s figure against 2019’s and the difference remain stark: 34.4% more vehicles were registered in September of that year.Bumper year for EVsSeptember did bring one significant bit of good news for...

Every car over three years old needs an MOT to be road legal. Light commercial vehicles and motorcycles need them too, so demand for testing is always high, year-round, no matter which type of vehicle your workshop specialises in. If you don’t currently offer MOT testing in-house and would like to, your first question may well be the one posed in the title of this article: what equipment do I need? Let’s take a closer look at each piece of equipment used in an MOT test. MOT testing equipmentTypically, garages looking to branch out into MOT testing will choose a complete...

Looking into adding an MOT bay to your workshop? If you’re not sure which type of bay you need, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’re going to take a closer look at each of the different types and what sets them apart from one another, allowing you to make an informed decision on which one’s best suited to you. Class 1 and 2If you predominantly work on motorcycles, this is the type of bay you’ll need. Class 1 and 2 vehicles include: MotorcyclesScootersMopedsSidecars Class 1 and 2 bays consist of roller brake testers, headlamp testers and, optionally,...

Supply chain management and consultancy firm, Fleet Assist, has concluded that battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are 22% cheaper to service (on average) than equivalent fossil fuel vehicles. The company reached the conclusion by analysing all of its data for 2022 thus far - all 850,000 vehicles and 5,200 garages worth. According to the organisation, the price differential largely comes down to reduced labour costs; there are simply fewer components requiring regular servicing on an EV when compared to an ICE vehicle.Parts costs can be lower, too. On average, the parts spend for an EV service is 28% less than for an...

52% of motorists know their car is faulty, study finds According to a new study, the majority of British motorists know their car has a fault that needs fixing.The research, carried out by online mechanic quoting and booking platform ClickMechanic, found that 52% of motorists were aware of at least one fault with their vehicle.Meanwhile, 62% of participants reported surprise breakdowns to be the most stressful part of car ownership.In the context of Britain’s ongoing cost of living crisis, these figures certainly make sense. With bills on the increase and fuel prices remaining high, it’s no surprise that many people simply...

Autonomous cars have been the stuff of science fiction for decades, but they’re now fast-becoming a reality. Although fully autonomous cars aren’t available to buy just yet, manufacturers like Tesla continue to push the envelope with self-driving systems that can cope with a variety of situations.Wondering how these systems work? That’s exactly what we’re going to investigate in this article. Hardware and software Autonomous vehicles rely on advanced hardware and software systems, each of which have to talk to one another multiple times a second to keep the car on the road. It all starts on the outside of the car,...

Rising fuel costs push more motorists towards EVs If you’ve been near a forecourt at all this year, you’ll be painfully aware of just how high fuel prices currently are.A 5p fuel duty cut, announced back in March, was soon swallowed up in the wake of rising costs - so much so that it was barely noticed - and the latest reports suggest that the prices we’re paying at the pumps aren’t falling in-line with the wholesale cost.This all points towards high fuel prices lasting for many months to come and, according to used car site ChooseMyCar.com, motorists are beginning to...

UK Commercial Vehicle Production Up, Bucking Overall Trend The UK’s new commercial vehicle sector has experienced its best May (and year to-date) performance for a decade, bucking an overall trend of declining new vehicle production.According to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), production was up 26.5% in May. 7,900 vehicles emerged from factories across Britain that month, the highest number since 2012.Exports in particular performed strongly, the figures showing a 91.6% increase on last year’s data. The majority of commercial vehicles built here now end up overseas - 67.9% to be precise. 91.8% of those...

A new study from Centrica Business Solutions has revealed that UK businesses are expected to invest in 163,000 electric vehicles (EVs) during the course of 2022 – a 35% increase on last year. The study found that businesses invested £11.6bn in EVs and associated infrastructure (like charging points) last year. This year, that number is set to rise 15% to £13.6bn. Only the beginningAll indications are that this is only the start of an electric revolution, as businesses increasingly wave goodbye to petrol and diesel power in favour of the clean, green, zero-emission alternative. According to this study, 62% of businesses...

Ever wondered which cars end up on the scrapheap the most? Well, thanks to data from Scrap Car Comparison, we now know which makes and models are scrapped most often - and it turns out that the UK’s best-selling cars aren’t at the top of the list.Every year, the company issues thousands of quotes to motorists looking to scrap their vehicle, helping them get the best possible price for it. They then analyse this data and compile it every 12 months, giving us an interesting snapshot of what’s lurking in our nation’s scrap yards.According to the data, Ford is the dominant...

Biennial MOTs Could Become a Reality in Britain Britain’s Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, has suggested that MOT testing could switch from an annual requirement to a biennial one in a bid to address the current cost of living crisis. The measure, which was suggested during a recent Cabinet meeting, would mean that motorists would only be required to get their cars tested every year - not every year as is currently the case.Unsurprisingly, the idea has received widespread criticism from experts in the motor industry on safety grounds. Although the measure would help keep costs down for motorists, many believe that...

The DVSA intends to double down on MOT fraud, its latest business plan report has confirmed. With over 1,300 confirmed cases of MOT fraud recorded last year, the organisation is well aware of the issue - and says it plans to use ‘intelligence-based targeting’ to track the movements of vehicles. By employing this technology, the DVSA hopes to catch out garages issuing MOT tests to vehicles that haven’t even visited the garage. “We will increase our capability and capacity to investigate serious fraud and criminal activity by using advanced technology surveillance equipment and associated data processes for MOT surveillance, under the...