AutoVHC data has found that over 40% of UK motorists left car dealerships' workshops without having ‘red work’ maintenance completed during June 2018.

The autoVHC data shows that although the number of cars visiting dealerships remained consistent when compared to the previous year, the amount of ‘red work’ flagged on average by dealerships increased by 30%.

Less than half of vehicles flagged as needing urgent required work during services were actually repaired in June 2018, with 40% of motorists who had MOT-failing ‘red work’, leaving dealerships with no repairs made.

AutoVHC’s business unit director, Chris Saunders, said: “It’s obviously incredibly worrying to see the amount of dangerous vehicles that are currently on Britain’s roads.

"As a motorist vehicle health should always be a top priority, particularly if an eVHC flags a fault in the ‘red work’ category."

Less urgent but still important ‘amber work’ had an even poorer rate of repair, with just 15% of vehicles leaving a garage with their problems rectified.

Although these issues may not result in an MOT fail, they still require attention, and can become dangerous in extreme conditions.

“Vehicles can be incredibly sensitive, and something as trivial as a pothole can result in a major fault on a car, it’s therefore important that motorists ensure their vehicle has regular services and  health checks in addition to MOTs,” said Saunders.