Drivers face being slapped with extra £100 to fix cars as garages must use more expensive parts

BRITISH drivers face paying an extra £100 a year to repair their cars under proposed new rules for garages.

The extra costs will come thanks to EU laws that aim to stop independent garages from using cheaper non-branded parts. 

This means that garages will have to use more expensive parts – which will then be passed on to the customer.

Under the Brexit deal, the UK will automatically follow these rules unless the Government steps in, say spare parts distributor Euro Car Parts.

The company’s chief executive Andy Hamilton told the Telegraph it would mean garages could only use branded parts which are more expensive and not necessarily better. 

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) regulator is talking to the Government about what to do.

But Mr Hamilton said: "We urgently need to understand what the CMA’s plans are, otherwise British drivers risk being driven into a monopoly that will cost them nearly £100 a year and much more in future."

Euro Car Parts estimates this could add an extra £2.4billion to drivers' yearly repair bills.

The changes would take place from 2023 unless the Government steps in. 

The UK has about 30,000 independent garages which employ 350,000 people.

Meanwhile, in better news for drivers, millions can save cash and time when visiting Europe as the car insurance “green card” is set to be ditched. 

Previously the cards were needed to prove their car is insured in the European Union (EU) ever since January 1 2021.

Costing £25, they were needed to drive to Europe in your car.

But now the European Commission has backed down on the need for the cards.

It wanted to help the situation of EU member Ireland which has large numbers of drivers crossing borders with Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales for family and business reasons. 

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