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Seven out of ten Romanian drivers (70 percent) have fallen behind their car maintenance schedule due to the national lockdown, reveals a survey published on Monday by lubricant manufacturer Castrol.
Also, almost two thirds (62 percent) of Romanian drivers are concerned that their vehicle may be less reliable due to low mileage and skipped service work.
According to the survey, the reason most frequently cited by car owners for not taking their car to service was the impossibility to make an appointment (24 percent of all respondents), followed by the fear of catching Covid-19 during a visit (18 percent).
Young car owners expressed a significantly higher concern of getting the virus during a service visit, with 20 percent of the respondents aged between 25 and 34 years citing this as the reason for delaying their routine vehicle maintenance, compared to only 8 percent of those aged at least 65 years.
Overall, 70 percent of drivers deferred service works scheduled during the pandemic, and 62 percent said they were concerned that the vehicle may have become less reliable due to reduced mileage and skipped service.
"The findings highlight the need for car service workshops to make sure that they apply proper disinfection measures and that the manufacturer's recommended service intervals are being observed. Delaying the recommended service can increase the likelihood of sludge build-up in the engine, which can clog vital parts of the lubrication circuit, reducing engine power, efficiency and overall life. Even in normal use, a vehicle's engine oil can degrade at very high temperatures and over time this can cause sludge deposits. This process is enhanced by frequent short trips, low quality fuel, delayed or omitted oil change, as well as trips with repeated stops and starts, which are becoming increasingly common in crowded cities," Castrol experts explain.
Castrol, one of the world's leading lubricant manufacturers, is part of the BP Group and serves customers and consumers in the automotive, maritime, industrial and energy sectors.
