Cost of UK’s kerb-damaged alloy wheels 14 October 2021 More than a third of UK motorists could be driving cars with damaged alloy wheels, with over half of these caused by hitting a kerb, research from ŠKODA UK has shown. 14th October 2021, Milton Keynes - The problem, which is often caused when parallel parking, accounts for more than 13 million damaged alloy wheels in the UK – the single biggest cause of alloy wheel damage. Based on an average repair price for a single alloy wheel of £67.50* the total collective expense for UK motorists would come to more than £890m to fix all alloy wheels damaged by kerb impact. Thanks to features such as the intelligent Park Assist on the all-new fourth generation ŠKODA FABIA, parking will become safer with a lower risk of damaging cars. The system, which uses sensors to find a suitable parking space, steers itself into the space as the driver focuses on braking and accelerating, ensuring the car is parked a safe distance from the kerb, reducing the risk of damaged alloys. Motorists can’t blame fellow road users for the scuffs and scrapes on their wheels, as 83% of drivers said the damage had been caused by someone in their own household, according to ŠKODA’s data. As well as affecting the appearance of the car, the impact of a wheel on the kerb can lead to further issues such as tyre damage and even tracking problems with a car. Risk of impacts with kerbs during certain parking manoeuvres isn’t the only issue which can be minimised with Park Assist 3.0. The technology, which can also be used to guide the vehicle when perpendicular parking, will activate the automatic emergency braking if the system detects a risk of collision during parking, something 30% of drivers acknowledged had happened to them when parking their car. Despite the high number of damaged alloy wheels, a third of drivers claimed to be very confident when parking. Part of the problem could be down to their preferred type of parking manoeuvre, with almost half (45%) saying they would rather bay park compared to just 18% who see parallel parking as the better option. The fourth-generation FABIA opened for order in the UK this week (12 October 2021), with prices starting from £14,905 (OTR) and first UK deliveries expected early next year. ŠKODA’s study of alloy wheel damage was made up of 2,000 drivers nationwide. DISCOVER ALL-NEW FABIA Contact us See also FIND A RETAILER BOOK A TEST DRIVE CALCULATE FINANCE DOWNLOAD A BROCHURE BUILD YOUR OWN Discover our range All-new ENYAQ iV FABIA ESTATE All-new FABIA HATCH SCALA OCTAVIA HATCH OCTAVIA ESTATE SUPERB HATCH SUPERB ESTATE KAMIQ KAROQ New KODIAQ ELECTRIC AND HYBRID CALCULATE SAVINGS & RANGE CALCULATE CHARGING TIME BUILD YOUR OWN Explore the range ENYAQ iV ENYAQ iV Experience SUPERB iV OCTAVIA iV VISION iV Charging overview Charging at home Charging stations Octopus Energy offer Powerpass charging Understanding battery range Electric Car Battery Guide Plug-in hybrid technology Government grants Electric & plug-in FAQs Electric car jargon ENYAQ iV video guides USED CARS APPROVED USED ŠKODA FIND A RETAILER BUY A SERVICE PLAN Offers and benefits Our used car range Used CITIGO Used FABIA Used RAPID Used SCALA Used OCTAVIA Used SUPERB Used YETI Used KAMIQ Used KAROQ Used ROOMSTER Used KODIAQ DISCOVER ŠKODA VIRTUAL SHOWROOM FIND A RETAILER KEEP ME INFORMED CONTACT US Explore the range Virtual showroom Small & city cars Hatchbacks Saloons Family cars Estate cars Small and compact SUVs SUVs Seven-seater cars vRS & SportLine 4x4 cars Our history Awards ŠKODA UK Motorsport ŠKODA cycling Reviews Driver's Seat Initiative Coronavirus (Covid-19) information Careers Independent Repairers FINANCE AND OFFERS NEW CAR OFFERS CALCULATE FINANCE REQUEST A QUOTE FIND A RETAILER Finance options explained What is a Personal contract plan (P What is Contract hire? What is Hire purchase? What is Finance lease? What is Lease purchase? What is 0% finance? What is Lease&Care? Motability Lease my ŠKODA OWNERS BOOK A SERVICE BUY A SERVICE PLAN OWNERS MANUAL FIND A RETAILER Your ŠKODA Servicing & maintenance offers ŠKODA Financial Services portal Servicing & maintenance Service plans Bespoke plans All-in service plan Accessories & merchandise How to videos ŠKODA Connect ŠKODA Connect LITE ŠKODA Insurance Roadside assistance Warranty EA189 service action WLTP FLEET COMPANY CAR CALCULATOR REQUEST A FLEET DEMO BUILD YOUR OWN FIND A RETAILER Welcome to ŠKODA Fleet Electric and hybrid cars Company car drivers Emergency services Explore the range FABIA SCALA OCTAVIA / OCTAVIA iV SUPERB / SUPERB IV KAMIQ KAROQ KODIAQ ENYAQ iV Contact fleet sales Request a fleet demo Driverline Services COMPLIANCE, INTEGRITY & PRIVACY Privacy statement Modern slavery act Gender pay gap report Code of conduct Motor industry code of practice End of life vehicles Whistleblower system Social Media Content Permissions ©2021 ŠKODA Auto a.s Who regulates us COVID-19 risk assessment Cookies