A survey by the RAC found a quarter of motorists – the equivalent of 3.8 million people – worry about having to pay for unexpected maintenance, suggesting millions of cars on the UK’s roads could be in less-than-perfect condition.

Overall, half of drivers worry about having to fork out for car repairs when they get their vehicle serviced, the research found.

And their concerns may be justified as drivers are regularly forking out hundreds of pounds to pass their annual MOT.

While the cost of the test should never be any more than £55, more than half of drivers (52%) have paid £300 or more to get their car through the MOT, with 5% of drivers – the equivalent of 1.7m people – having paid a staggering £1,000 or more to get their vehicle through the test, according to the study.

Lauren French, RAC MOT Assist product manager, said: “The best advice to any driver is to keep on top of servicing and maintenance work – the quicker problems are identified, often the cheaper they are to remedy.”

The RAC is offering every driver who gets their vehicle serviced at an RAC Approved Garages up to £750 worth of parts and labour costs needed to get their vehicle to pass its next MOT.