Electrical issues are replacing mechanical faults as the typical company car repair.

According to epyx, which provides the 1link Service Network platform used by fleets with more than two million cars to buy service from 13,000 garages, the reasons cars are booked in for repairs is now more related to electrical systems.

Ken Trinder, head of business development at epyx, said: “The reasons that company cars need to be seen by service providers have been gradually changing for a while.

"Obviously, service intervals have lengthened in recent years, so there is less scheduled maintenance but we believe that cars have generally also become much more mechanically reliable.

“The company car driver of 1999 might have typically booked their car into a franchise dealer because a wheel bearing was squeaking.

“In 2009, they might be more likely to seek advice from a franchise dealer because the airbag warning light stays lit continually.”