A beginner's guide to dealing with mechanics

Ever felt ripped off by your mechanic? Well it turns out, unsurprisingly that you're not alone.

In fact, according to the industry's own self-regulatory body, Motor Codes, over a third of car owners have been dissatisfied with the services they have received from a mechanic in the last five years.

The body also found that part of the problem was with car owners themselves: 32 per cent of car owners can't replace a headlamp bulb, 24 per cent don't know how to change a wiper blade and 14 per cent can't even top up windscreen wash.

Being able to recognise the signs of the most common and basic problems that may affect your car is a great start however, and can make the visit to the garage a little less stressful.

Sue Somerville, director of a Dorking-based independent garage, takes you through what to look for when carrying out basic checks on your car.