Managing a fleet can feel complicated, and this is never made clearer than when maintenance bills arrive. On the surface, routine servicing, tyres, and consumables might look like the only predictable expenses. But the real picture is more complex. Costs build up from areas that aren’t necessarily visible on spreadsheets, but they still bite into your margins and create unnecessary downtime.

Industry data shows us that fleet maintenance spending is rising. Older vehicles are driving up fleet maintenance costs as cars and vans beyond their fourth year need much more frequent and expensive repairs. A shortage of parts is also keeping vehicles off the road for longer, and emergency call-outs are still one of the most costly ways to get your vehicles moving again. If you want to tackle these issues, you’ve got to look beyond the obvious and focus on hidden fleet maintenance costs.

Emergency repairs are hitting your margins

Unexpected breakdowns are disruptive and expensive. You’ve got to pay for the fix itself, as well as absorb the recovery cost and potentially a short-term rental replacement, and that’s before you factor in the loss in productivity. Research from the RAC shows that six in ten drivers are hit by unexpected repair bills each year, which average around £617. The vehicle-off-road cost can also run into the hundreds of pounds per day.

The alternative is to shift focus to preventative fleet maintenance, where minor issues are caught before they can escalate. If you schedule servicing in line with condition-based data, the chances of facing eye-watering emergency bills reduce dramatically. UK facilities and engineering providers have been emphasising the move from reactive to predictive routines for some time; they argue it cuts both downtime and maintenance costs.

Parts lead time and the cost of waiting

Even when the fix is simple, delays in sourcing the right part can extend downtime by days or even weeks. UK fleet research found that one in four fleets had vehicles off the road awaiting repair as parts availability and workshop capacity continued to bite. Businesses also show the scale of parts inflation in the last few years. Standard components are up by over one-third in recent years, which is another major driver of fleet maintenance costs.

Waiting costs can be hard to nail down on balance sheets.

That said, they hit operations daily. Vehicles stuck in workshops throw off your schedules and force overtime for remaining drivers (which can be a major drain on staff morale). Reducing the impact means proactive booking, using data to predict off-road time, and standardising vehicles and suppliers where possible. One of the best options here is working with a manufacturer-neutral UK fleet management provider like SG Fleet; we aren’t limited to one manufacturer’s parts, so we can source parts in order to carry out maintenance.

Usage variability and uneven wear

Not every vehicle works in the same way or has the same role in your fleet. Some cover the long motorway runs, others fill the urban errand niche. Naturally, the usage of a vehicle has a major impact on wear and tear, so two cars that are identical on paper can show totally different maintenance profiles.

UK road-surface data tells us part of the story here. Pothole-related breakdowns rose again in 2025, with the RAC responding to nearly 25,000 incidents in just 12 months. Broken suspension was the most common issue they had to address.

To manage this, try to monitor duty cycles and tailor servicing accordingly. Mileage alone isn’t enough. Check factors like urban idling, heavy loads, and poor road conditions, as all of these justify condition-based checks and earlier inspections for certain systems.

EV fleet maintenance is a changing picture

EVs are constantly changing UK fleet management practices. Maintenance is one of the clearest differences, and it’s good news for those with EV fleets. Data shows that annual EV fleet maintenance cost sits at around £221 vs. £401 for internal combustion engine (ICE) cars; that’s 81% higher.

Managing EVs isn’t that different from running ICE vehicles; the same preventative maintenance approach still applies. Connected data can make a big difference for both EV fleet maintenance and traditional petrol or diesel models. As the tech evolves, it’s opening up smarter ways to specifically manage EV health, too. It helps you to plan inspections, track performance, and spot issues early. For EVs, it’s worth building charging logistics into your plan. You might notice tyres wearing out a little faster thanks to the extra weight, and replacements can cost slightly more, but that gap is closing fast, and it’s nowhere near enough to outweigh the overall savings you’ll see on EV fleet maintenance.

Ready to take control of your fleet maintenance costs?

You don’t need to accept rising costs, unexpected breakdowns, and long waits for parts as the norm. With the right approach and the right UK fleet management partner, those hidden maintenance expenses can be brought under control.

At SG Fleet, we deliver the insight, technology, and support that make managing your fleet maintenance costs much more predictable. Whether it’s EV strategies or fully managed preventative maintenance programmes, everything we do is about keeping vehicles on the road and costs under control.

It’s an approach that really works, too. One of our clients cut their unplanned downtime by more than two full days thanks to our intensive downtime management service. That kind of improvement has a huge impact on overall running costs.

Bringing SG Fleet’s Motrak Telematics into your setup takes that even further. Motrak is one of the UK’s leading telematics and in-vehicle CCTV solutions, and helps you monitor performance, track vehicles, and post potential issues before they cause you any disruption. It’s fully flexible, cost-effective, and easy to use, giving you complete visibility and control over every part of your operation. 

You can find out more about our UK fleet management services here, or get in touch with our team today if you have any questions.

FAQs

Does preventative maintenance always save money?

Yes, it typically reduces the risk of expensive emergency repairs and improves vehicle uptime.

Are parts shortages still affecting UK fleets in 2025?

Yes, though less severe than in 2022/23, certain components remain harder to source quickly.

How do telematics reduce maintenance costs?

Telematics track usage, mileage, and driver behaviour, enabling more accurate service scheduling.

Is it more expensive to maintain mixed fleets of ICE and EVs?

Not necessarily; costs are managed effectively when tailored maintenance plans are applied to each type.