Fleet management company Masterlease is urging Britain’s company car drivers to check their oil more regularly.

Masterlease which manages more than 60,000 vehicles in the UK has launched its driver education programme as it fears that too many drivers are waiting for the red light to illuminate on the dashboard before they put oil in their car. The company argues that by the time the red light comes on, the lack of lubrication is likely to have caused some damage already.

Some engines in popular fleet models are within their manufacturer tolerance levels if they use 10% of their oil in 1000 kilometres (667 miles), but many business drivers drive further than this in one week.

The education programme has been prompted by the fleet company having to replace expensive engines, but Masterlease is warning that drivers could be charged for the damage as part of the terms and conditions of their lease agreements.

“These are brand new cars and super reliable, but they cannot run for longer than the manufacturer’s recommended distance without lubrication, although some drivers don’t seem to have registered this point,” said Anthony Dowdall head of operations at Masterlease.

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