Cars get Monday morning blues too

The AA attended 60,000 breakdowns from January 6-8, 2003

We have all had that Monday morning feeling but now it appears cars are reluctant to gear up for the start of the week too.

Cars are more likely to break down that day than any other, with battery failures top of the list, the AA said.

Seven of the AA's 10 busiest days last year were Mondays - all in the winter months.

The worst of these was January 6, when AA patrols attended more than 22,5000 breakdown

Holiday idleness

For many people this was the first day back at work following the festive break.

Nearly 60,000 breakdowns were attended between January 6 and 8, mainly as a result of cars being left idle over the Christmas holiday, combined with heavy frost and snow throughout the UK.

And of the top 10 worst days for breakdowns, eight were in December and January, with the other two coming in November and February.

Top 10 AA breakdowns Battery - 15.1% Tyres - 9.1% Keys - 3.2% Alternator - 3.0% Spark plugs - 2.7% Starter motor 2.7% Cylinder head gasket - 2.0% Immobiliser - 1.8% Clutch - 1.8% Timing belt - 1.7%

By contrast, the quietest day of 2003 was Christmas Day, when the AA dealt with fewer than 3,000 breakdowns - the quietest Christmas Day for seven years.

Of the 10 quietest days of 2003, seven were Sundays, mainly during the summer.

AA Patrolman of the Year Colin Hunter said: "We see these faults come up year after year and they tend to highlight the importance of regular car maintenance.

"For example, with cars doing short journeys and low mileages, the spark plugs can fail after only 20,000 miles. Replacing these before the end of their lifespan is an easy and inexpensive solution."

Cylinder head gasket faults could often be avoided simply by making sure the vehicle had the correct coolant in its system all year round, Mr Hunter added.