WRECKING an Audi TT by using it to tow a boat and having a VW Golf infested with maggots after a fishing holiday are among the worst forms of car abuse uncovered by online car search service Fish4cars.co.uk.
The shocking results of the poll of UK motor dealers reveals how 'interior decimators' and 'jackson pillocks' are knocking thousands of pounds off the value of their cars by bad driving and carelessness.
Fish4cars asked garages about the common types of car abuse that they encounter and how much money the average car owner loses if she or he indulges in it on a regular basis.
Based on the results, the nation's car abusers can be divided into categories:
Interior Decimators: You can step into the car of an Interior Decimator and wrongly assume it has just staged the Glastonbury festival. Strewn with rubbish, marks, stains and unpleasant odours, it has more potential value as a modern art masterpiece.
Dogs may have scratched or chewed the interior to pieces.
According to garage owners, a poorly maintained interior will take on average a quarter (27 per cent) off the price of your car when it comes to sell.
For a 1998 BMW worth £10,995 that would knock over £2,500 off the price.
Chassis scratchers: It should be easy to spot a tyre that needs air, but Chassis scratchers are oblivious to the harm they are doing to their cars.
Not only do badly inflated and uneven tyres affect the running of a car, it also reduces fuel efficiency. Garage owners thought a car would lose 10 per cent in value from the under-carriage damage.
Oh yes, and motorists with a defective tyre risk three penalty points and a fine of up to £2,500!
Diesel dopes: Using petrol instead of diesel (or the other way around).
It's hard to believe a motorist could forget the type of fuel their car consumes but diesel dopes can ruin their engine by such an act. Garage owners estimated it would take an average of one-third (31 per cent) off the value of a car due to engine damage.
Winter rev heads: Most of us do it, but revving a car when it is cold is a slow killer.
The car internals use oil to keep lubricated but hot oil needs to be transferred on the internals.
Cold oil is no good, as the metals will wear, as they are being effectively ground against each other. So the parts will wear more quickly under higher pressure (i.e. increased revs).
Doing this over time could ultimately mean needing a new engine, wiping £2,308 (21 per cent) off a £10,995 car.
Weekend breakers: The lure of a bit of off-road driving or putting the commuter car through its paces on rough surfaces can give it a hangover that lasts longer than the weekend.
Garage owners quizzed by Fish4cars said the resulting damage to the bodywork and suspension would knock a quarter (24 per cent) off the value of a car or £2,638 on a car worth £10,995.
Jackson Pillocks: Ever seen a work of art and thought, 'I could've done that!'? These are the people who think the same about a paint job for their car but don't think about the detail. Using the wrong type and colour of spray paint can cause a car to decrease in value by 20 per cent, or £2,199 on a £10,995 BMW.
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