FLEET management company Fleet Management Services, which runs 16,000 company cars, says last year one in 23 new cars were delivered to it with faults or problems mostly due to dealers carrying out inadequate pre-delivery inspections.

In its latest bi-annual fault survey of 3,500 vehicles FMS gives a pat on the back to manufacturers as mechanical and electrical faults fell to a new low last year after recording highs in both 1994 and 1995 and beginning to fall in 1996. German marques, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen had the lowest number of car problems last year, although two of the big three suppliers - Vauxhall and Rover - were close behind. In each of the two years covered by the survey, only one manufacturer had a completely clear record - Land Rover in 1996 and Mercedes-Benz last year.

The survey shows that four years of low faults in cars delivered by franchise dealers to FMS for onward delivery to customers came to an end in 1996 and 1997 with the number of faults rising from an average 3.3% of the total in 1992-1995 to 4.8% in 1996 before dropping to 4.3% last year.