A recent forecast produced by the DVSA predicted the number of MOTs carried out in October and November will be 60% higher than normal levels.

Their recent ‘Beat the Rush’ campaign caused one million vehicle owners to bring forward their test last month. More than one million MOTs that took place in September weren’t due until October 2020 – January 2021.

The DVSA said: “The key message now is for customers to book their MOT as early as possible. By encouraging customers to book early, we hope you are able to plan effectively for this busy period and maximise the number of MOTs you can complete.

For garages wanting to get involved in the DVSA’s ‘Beat The Rush’ campaign, you can find more information here. To find out more about how Bumper can help your customers with their repair bill in just a few clicks, click here.

If your MOT is due soon book in as early as possible. To split your next MOT or repair bill into monthly instalments at no extra cost and find garages in your area visit the Bumper website.

DVSA predict number of MOTs to be 60% higher than normal in October and November

Bumper are pleased to announce that they are now a Living Wage Accredited Employer.

The Living Wage Foundation campaigns for businesses to pay their staff a wage which meets everyday living costs.

Their proposed living rate is based on what real people need to live; a weekly shop, utility bills, rent and unexpected bills.

CEO & Co-Founder, James Jackson, said “As a responsible lender with a keen focus on treating customers fairly, it seemed only right to extend this to all our employees who all play such a vital role in offering a world class service to our customers and dealerships. The accreditation doesn’t just cover our direct employees, but also our contractors and suppliers – meaning our pledge has an even wider impact.”

Other companies taking part in the scheme include Ikea, Nationwide, Nestlé, Aviva and many others.

The new Living Wage is announced each year in November and Living Wage Accredited employers are expected to make any due pay rises within 6 months.

To find out more about the Living Wage Foundation visit 

Bumper is a Buy Now Pay Later provider for car repairs and servicing.

Bumper Becomes Living Wage Foundation Accredited

Bumper and Vehicle vision have formed a partnership enabling dealerships to offer a fully digital experience to customers.

Vehicle Vision’s Aftersales product, which enables technicians carrying out workshop inspections to record videos and share them with customers, now also includes the ability to offer customers the option of spreading the cost of any repair work across a number of interest-free instalments and an additional option to pay now if preferred.

The new integration gives customers greater financial flexibility in uncertain economic times and reduces the need for service advisors and customers to interact during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Managing Director of Vehicle Vision, Steve Dean, said: "This announcement comes at a hugely important time for car dealerships, garages, but also for motorists.

“As well as empowering dealerships and garages to provide customers with total financial flexibility in relation to repairs, which could be a real lifeline for drivers during tough economic times, the Bumper integration also provides efficiencies and real opportunities for increased business where works may have been put off due to tighter household budgets.

“The integration also provides customers and dealerships with an additional opportunity to trade safely.”

There will be three options to pay for repair work, with customers retaining the ability to pay on collection of the vehicle, on the platform.

Bumper Co-founder, Jack Allman said, “We are delighted to see Bumper integrated within Vehicle Vision.

“Giving customers flexibility and convenience is more important than ever – particularly in the current environment. By combining our two platforms we are enabling dealerships to provide a fully digital experience to their customers.

“We see customers transacting in under 115 seconds on average, so this provides a huge time saving to service departments. Together Vehicle Vision and Bumper act as a digital service advisor - an additional resource for a dealership.”

The new feature is available within the Vehicle Vision aftersales platform at no extra cost.

Vehicle Vision and Bumper Integration Enables Dealerships to Provide Fully Digital Experience for Customers

Bumper has been named the Best Finance Provider at the 2020 Motor Trader Industry Awards 2020.

The award ceremony was due to take place in October at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel but due to the recent government guidance surrounding Covid-19, the winners were revealed online each day throughout November.

This is the 5th award Bumper has won in the last two years, following on from our success in early 2020 and 2019:

CEO & Co-Founder, James Jackson, said: “I am so proud of what we have achieved over the last 2 years, beating a number of multinational brands to some incredible awards. It has spurred everyone at the company to keep working hard and continue to grow the brand – in a post Covid world.”

Congratulations to all of the other winners!

Bumper win Best Finance Provider at the Motor Trader Awards 2020

A clutch replacement in the UK costs between £300 and £700, with some models exceeding £1,200. 

If your clutch is slipping, hard to shift, or making noises, you may need a replacement. This guide covers costs, symptoms, and when to replace your clutch and flywheel.

How much does a clutch replacement cost? 

The average cost of a clutch replacement in the UK is £454.55.

However, prices can range from £300 to £900. Not all vehicles can be fitted with the same clutch, so prices may vary between different makes and models—and this also doesn’t factor in the total cost including labour. 

A car clutch connects and disconnects the engine from the transmission. Pressing the clutch pedal disengages it, allowing gear changes, while releasing it re-engages, enabling smooth power transfer to the wheels for driving.

Here’s a breakdown of clutch and flywheel replacement costs:

If car repairs and replacement parts have you worried, Bumper could help you with 0% interest 

 paid for in easy-to-manage monthly payments. 

As you can see above, clutch replacement costs vary a lot.

 it's important to understand where your money goes. Here's a breakdown of what's typically included in a clutch replacement fee:

Factors that affect a clutch replacement cost 

Why do clutch replacement costs change so much? Here are the main factors that may affect the price of your repair. 

There are a number of factors that indicate your clutch might need repairing, these include: 

If you're unsure or suspect your car may have one of these issues, it's highly recommended to ask how much is a new clutch and have an approved mechanic inspect it.

Ignoring the problem could put you and your passengers at risk and lead to more expensive repairs later.

What happens if you don’t replace a worn clutch?

If you don’t replace a worn clutch, it can lead to slipping gears, difficulty shifting, and eventual complete failure. This can make driving unsafe and cause more damage to your car, leading to a potentially more expensive new clutch cost in the future. 

How long does it take to replace a clutch?

On average, replacing a clutch usually takes about 4-6 hours, depending on your car’s make and model. 

Some cars may take longer if they’re harder to work on or more complicated in design, but a skilled mechanic can typically complete the job in a day.

A clutch should last upwards of 60,000 miles on a petrol car with good care and a considerate driving style.

There are certain things that will shorten the life of your clutch, such as: 

Yes, a clutch can fail suddenly, especially if worn down over time. 

You might notice slipping gears, difficulty shifting, or strange noises leading up to the failure. If ignored, it could completely fail, leaving you stuck and facing expensive repairs.

What causes a clutch to burn out quickly?

A clutch can burn out quickly if it’s frequently slipped, such as when riding the pedal too much, towing heavy loads, or driving in stop-and-go traffic. 

Poor driving habits or not replacing worn parts can also speed up wear. Drive carefully to keep your car in good health!

Is it cheaper to replace just the clutch or the flywheel too?

It’s usually cheaper to replace just the clutch, but if the flywheel is damaged or worn, it’s best to replace it too. Skipping the flywheel might save money upfront but could lead to bigger issues later.

The clutch interacts with other car components, so the flywheel and pressure plate may also need replacement. A flywheel is a heavy wheel attached to a rotating shaft connected to the engine, designed to smooth power delivery. 

The rivets can damage the flywheel and pressure plate if the clutch is worn too much. However, if replaced early, the flywheel can often be reused, saving you on a 

Can you replace a clutch without resurfacing the flywheel? 

Yes and no. Whether you need to replace the flywheel depends on how worn the clutch is. 

If the clutch was slipping for a while, the flywheel could be damaged. It's crucial to check the clutch early as soon as it feels worn or that it is slipping.

Other common clutch problems you should know

Alongside the clutch plate, flywheel and pressure plate, there is a hydraulic system that actuates the clutch. 

There are a few different types of issues that can be present with these parts:

When you release the clutch pedal, the hydraulic force from the spring in the pressure plate and often a return spring work to push the clutch pedal back up to the resting position.

A failing clutch master cylinder can cause this problem. As the seals break down and allow fluid to pass through, the pressure required to push the pedal back is dissipated.

If you’re hearing a whirring or scraping noise when the clutch pedal is depressed, which gets higher in frequency with the engine speed increasing, you may have a failed clutch release bearing. 

When you press the pedal, and the system applies force to the clutch pressure plate through the clutch fork, that force is applied to the spinning pressure plate through a bearing. 

Over normal usage, this bearing deteriorates and creates noise and sometimes vibration through the pedal. 

Hopefully, this article has helped you work out how much your clutch replacement will cost. 

Clutch replacements are, unfortunately, part of owning a vehicle. While they keep your car healthy, they can significantly dent your bank account—especially if you need a last-minute replacement. 

Worried about clutch repair costs? Bumper is here to help.

Split the cost of car repairs with Bumper's interest-free 

Apply online for up to £5,000 and choose from 1,000s of trusted repairers. 

How much does a clutch replacement cost in the UK?

¿Cuánto cuesta reemplazar el embrague?

Wie viel kostet ein Kupplungswechsel?

Bumper have partnered with OEC’s click-to-book system, which allows customers to book work with garages online in seconds.

The integration will give customers the opportunity to book appointmensts online and split the cost of their repairs into monthly instalments, completely interest free.

Seamless and stress-free process for all parties

Andreas Heider, OEC Vice President of Product, said, “We have integrated our offering so that our mutual clients can process and pay for their car repairs and service smoothly and without hassle.

“Not only will this partnership drive revenue and help support dealerships, but it will also offer customers the benefit of interest free payment methods.

“In these challenging times, we recognise the need to offer alternative and affordable payment options that create a seamless and stress-free process for all parties.”

Affordable payment options in challenging times

Jack Allman, Bumper CCO and Co-Founder, said, “In these challenging economic times, it’s more important than ever to offer different and more affordable payment methods when household budgets are feeling particularly squeezed.

“This integration will drive revenue for dealerships and help customers with interest free payment options”.

The Bumper integration is available now for garages using OEC’s online booking system. To have the feature installed or for more information contact OEC on olb.support@oeconnection.com or Bumper on sales@bumper.co.uk.

Bumper & OEC announce car repair online booking partnership

Bumper is the 8th fastest growing FinTech company and the 89th fastest growing across all sectors in the Financial Times’ list of Europe’s fastest-growing 1,000 companies.

The list, compiled annually by research company Statista, is determined by companies with the highest revenue growth between 2016 and 2019.

Also making the list is finance company, Sun Finance; energy companies, Bulb and Octopus Energy; and credit-score calculators, Clear Score.

The news is welcomed after many companies in Europe face financial pressures because of the pandemic and uncertainty with the Brexit change over. One thousand companies reporting revenue growth over the last few years is excellent news both for the economy and for the thousands they employ.

Our quick growth is evidence of the hard work and dedication of the internal team and the service teams in a difficult time. Team Bumper is grateful to the dealership group and garages who chose to offer our service and the many loyal customers who use it. Without your support we wouldn’t have made it into the top 100.

Bumper is 8th fastest growing FinTech company in Europe

1st March 2021 – We’re pleased to announce we’ve rebranded from AUTO SERVICE FINANCE to BUMPER.

We’ve refreshed our look and tuned up our name, so let’s pull up to the Bumper and see how we got here.

We chose Bumper as we wanted a name that epitomisess our brand values.

A name that conveys usefulness, convenience, and flexibility, whilst also being simple and transparent. One that was more memorable, shorter, and easier to recall than Auto Service Finance.

We believe the new name speaks to drivers and engages them - it’s human, upbeat, savvy, and different.

Car bumpers protect vehicles and their drivers - just like Bumper.

We chose the colour orange as we wanted to stand out from other FinTech and Buy Now Pay Later providers.

We wanted to choose a colour that was bold and striking, whilst also being friendly and inviting.

Much like how Cadbury’s own purple and Coca-cola own red – Bumper is here to own orange.

Visiting a garage can be a daunting experience.

It’s hard to know the good work from the bad, and a fair price from a rip-off.

We’ve built strong relationships with a network of responsible and trusted garages.

We bring you garages with the best workmanship and the fairest prices – matching top-class drivers with a top-notch service.

Then came a problem we all face – the cost of repairs.

From unexpected large amounts to small ones you’d rather skip, they are necessary for keeping you on the road.

We want to release drivers from the burden of the upfront lump-sum, with simple monthly payments, that are always interest-free.

So, whether you’re a driver looking for car repairs made easy or a garage looking to do things right – Bumper’s got your back.

Alastair Shephard

Content Writer