Annabelle Clarke

PR Manager

Annabelle Clarke | Author

Eduardo Rodrigues

Content Writer

Claudia Tuñón

Isobel Coughlan

Joseph Law

Bumper Content Writer

Alastair Shephard

Covid lockdowns and restrictions have prompted nearly two-thirds of car owners to delay servicing and repair work, even though they know dealer workshops and garages are open for business, according to consumer research by Bumper.

Bumper, the new name for Auto Service Finance, polled the views of 2,635 car owners in February to see whether decisions on having their vehicles maintained had been impacted by the pandemic.

The research found 63% had delayed services and repairs because of Covid restrictions, even though 86% admitted to being aware that garages and dealer workshops were permitted to operate.

“Our research highlights a worrying trend with most car owners admitting to being worried about taking their vehicles into garages and dealerships as a result of Covid restrictions,” said James Jackson, CEO and co-founder.

“This raises safety concerns as service schedules are being stretched and repair work is being put off. Dealers and garages need to allay customer fears by reassuring them that Covid-19 secure guidelines are in place with timed appointments, contactless handovers, vehicle sanitation and social distancing.”

Bumper’s research also identified that customers would favour the option of remote payment, rather than paying a service advisor in person. Most (53%) said they would prefer to pay for work remotely by phone, laptop or computer. Over half (57%) said their preference had changed as a direct result of Covid.

“As we work through the current lockdown it’s increasingly apparent that customers want reassurance from dealerships and garages. Encouraging them to pay remotely is an easy win, especially as most businesses are already set up to take payments over the phone, suggesting that communicating this option needs to be more widely promoted,” said Jackson.

Bumper provides an interest-free digital payment platform for vehicle repairs and services, enabling owners to spread their costs.

Formerly Auto Service Finance, the multi award-winning UK fintech company delivers an instalment financing solution using proprietary AI enabled technology to facilitate real-time lending decisions.

Bumper enables dealerships and garages to sell a larger proportion of red and amber work, reducing workshop downtime, with no risks or liabilities, while also creating greater customer loyalty.

Co-founded by CEO James Jackson and CCO Jack Allman, Bumper is rated 89 in the 2021 FT 1000 listing of Europe’s fastest growing companies. Bumper works with 2,500 franchised dealers, over 650 garages and major car brands across the UK and Republic of Ireland, helping over 100,000 drivers to fund their servicing and repair bills.

Bumper is based in Sheffield and London, with a tech development centre in Ankara, Turkey.

Nearly two-thirds of car owners delay servicing and repair work because of Covid concerns, finds Bumper research

Bumper ranks 21st in the Financial Times annual list of fastest-growing FinTech companies in Europe. This is the second consecutive year the business has made the list.

The list is comprised of independent companies that have shown strength and resilience. To qualify businesses needed a minimum revenue of £1.2 million in 2017. Growth is then calculated as an average over the last 5 years. 

Bumper CEO and co-founder, James Jackson, said, ‘We’re delighted to be featured on the FT1000 list, and incredibly proud to be one of the fastest-growing companies in Europe for the second year in a row.’

‘Over the last 12 months our growth has been powered by working with many of the top 100 dealer groups; new partnerships with Nissan, Keyloop, CitNOW and RTC; launching into Ireland and Germany, and securing £9m in Series A funding.

‘We're ideally positioned to achieve further growth in 2022. Our motivation remains the same as it always has been – to put motorists back in the driving seat, by offering accessible, affordable and manageable finance solutions for everything from repairs and maintenance to accessories and more recently the addition of add-ons including GAP, service plans, warranties and paint protection.’

With recent significant investments and an expanding executive team, Bumper is in a position to increase growth and continue its mission of empowering drivers. 

Bumper ranks 21st in the fastest growing FinTechs by Financial Times

Since Bumper began trading in 2015, we’ve signed up over 3,000 garages and dealerships to the Bumper family across the UK. Now, we’re taking our first international step by launching in Ireland.

So far, over 50 sites have joined the Bumper network to offer their customers affordable monthly payments on repairs, MOTs, service work, accessories, and parts. These include:

Whilst the concept of Buy Now Pay Later is fairly new in Ireland, our partners have already helped hundreds of customers drive away happy, with their invoices and repairs sorted.

The launch is the first step on Bumper’s mission to become Europe’s largest Buy Now Pay Later provider for car repairs.

CEO, James Jackson said of the launch, ‘It’s fantastic to see so many sites signing up to the Bumper network and the instant popularity our service has had with both garages and customers.

‘I’m pleased we’re now able to bring the increased opportunity for garages and greater customer satisfaction we’ve brought to UK garages for the last 5 years, to the Irish market.

‘The experience gained throughout the launch in Ireland has put the team in a better position for operating in other European countries and I’m excited to see what the future brings.’

If your vehicle needs a service, MOT or repair, Bumper’s got your back.

and get the best care for you and your car. Split repair bills into sensible monthly chunks – interest-free.

Here’s an example of a €400 bill split into 4 monthly instalments.

Bumper’s European roll-out begins with launch in Ireland

Bumper's europäische Markteinführung beginnt mit dem Start in Irland

Car owners will expect dealer workshops and independent garages to offer greater flexibility in how they pay for servicing and repair work post-lockdown, according to research by Bumper.

Bumper polled the views of 2,635 car owners during the latest lockdown and found customers 

concerned about being presented with expensive bills

, especially for work deferred by the pandemic.

When asked for their main concerns about getting cars serviced or repaired, over half (58%) cited cost, with inconvenience an issue for just 3%; while 36% said it was a combination of both.

The research also identified the current preferred method of payment among owners was evenly split between debit cards (40%) and credit cards (38%).

However, when asked what size bill would prompt them to pay by using interest-free credit instead, the majority (38%) said they would use it for any amount. Over a quarter (27%) said they would use it for bills costing over £250, 22% for bills over £500 and 13% for bills over £750.

“Our research shows how consumer attitudes towards servicing and repair work has changed with customers now expecting greater flexibility in how they pay,” said James Jackson, Bumper’s CEO and co-founder.

“Car owners are used to spreading many of their motoring costs, so the ability to buy-now-pay-later would remove some of the pain typically associated with paying for services and repairs,” he said.

Customers expect greater payment flexibility from garages post-lockdown, finds Bumper research

Since the beginning of our partnership with Ecologi, we’ve funded the planting of over 2,500 trees and helped remove over 200 tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere.

From reforestation in Scotland to delivering clean drinking water in Haiti, here’s an update on some of the climate positive projects Bumper has funded.

Much of British wildlife depends on forest cover. However, deforestation and the collapse of ecosystems has led to a decline in recent years.

The Future Forest Company (FFC) restores land through reforestation and natural regeneration, with the aim of increasing the amount of carbon dioxide stored by the earth.

Through carefully managed reforestation projects the FFC restores natural habitats for these species – helping them to thrive.

By operating rural sustainable businesses such as birch syrup, high-welfare pork and smoking wood products, the FFC is able to provide opportunities to local communities whilst protecting wildlife and ecosystems.

Haiti is one of poorest countries in the western hemisphere, with over 6 million Haitians living below the poverty line. The country is also incredibly vulnerable to natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods.

In 2010, a massive earthquake shook the country. There were over 300,000 deaths, and over $8 billion dollars in damages. This left close to 70% of Haitians without access to clean drinking water.

The clean drinking water project helped families access Hydraid water filters. The water filter consists of layers of sand and a biological surface that consumes pathogens to provide clean water. It can last for over 10 years and provides families of up to 10, access to clean and safe drinking water.

Bumper funds climate positive projects with Ecologi

Bumper has secured a £10m flexible working capital facility from Secure Trust Bank Commercial Finance to support its ambitious growth plans.

This initial funding will be used to back continued expansion and growth across the UK, with the flexibility to increase in the future.

Bumper is Europe’s ninth fastest-growing fintech company according to the Financial Times and offers interest free Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) and PayNow products to finance vehicle repairs, servicing, add-ons and accessories.

The firm’s exponential growth follows a significant increase in dealership partners, with more than 60 per cent of the franchised market in the UK now using its platform, and the growing public adoption of BNPL to fund purchases. As a result, Bumper has seen record lending month-on-month and expects to see its gross merchandise value increase by threefold in 2021.

The initial facility will be used to support growth in the loan book and ensure Bumper can continue to help UK drivers spread the cost of their repair bills.

Secure Trust Bank Commercial Finance provides a full suite of asset-based lending options including invoice financing, working capital and inventory financing. Currently the commercial finance arm of the listed bank has in excess £500m of facilities agreed to support growing businesses across the UK.

“Bumper is on a rapid growth trajectory, thanks to our continued increase in partner numbers, ever improving tech for dealerships, user experience for customers and our recent rebrand,” said James Jackson, CEO and co-founder of Bumper.

“We were keen to ensure that we partnered with a business that truly understood our market and objectives and could create a flexible facility with scope to grow with us. Secure Trust has invested time in getting to know the business, created a flexible facility that works for us and were able to deliver it quickly.”

The new funding provision follows last month’s launch of Bumper’s service in Ireland, its first European market outside of the UK, with the company planning to become Europe’s largest BNPL provider for car repairs and servicing.

Bumper provides an interest-free digital payment platform for vehicle repairs and services, enabling owners to spread their costs. Formerly Auto Service Finance, the multi award-winning UK fintech company delivers an instalment financing solution using proprietary AI enabled technology to facilitate real-time lending decisions.

Co-founded by CEO James Jackson and CCO Jack Allman, Bumper is rated 89 in the 2021 FT 1000 listing of Europe’s fastest growing companies as well as the ninth fastest growing fintech business. Bumper works with 2,500 franchised dealers, over 650 garages and major car brands across the UK and Republic of Ireland, helping over 100,000 drivers to fund their servicing and repair bills.

Bumper secures £10m facility as it targets further expansion

It’s pretty normal for drivers to continue driving with dashboard warning lights on. The fear of large repair bills is enough to put many drivers off taking their vehicles to a garage. 

But failing to take action when your car warns you of a problem can be a costly and sometimes dangerous decision. 

In this guide, we examine what dashboard lights mean and what to do if they pop up. No more ignoring that check engine light symbol! Scroll down to get started. 

The Check Engine Light or Engine Management Light links to the Engine Control Unit and is displayed if there is a problem with your engine’s performance. Depending on how urgent the warning is, the light can illuminate in different colours.

Here’s a quick overview of each colour: 

The Engine Management Light and Engine Control Unit cover a variety of sensors all over the vehicle. This makes identifying the problem difficult. Here are some common causes of the Check Engine Manage Light: 

What should you do if the check engine light comes on?

If the check engine light comes on, note the colour of the light. If it is an orange or amber colour and you feel the car is performing as it should, you can continue your journey, but make sure you book in with a garage as soon as possible. If the check engine light is red, you should find a safe place to stop and contact a 

 service. It is not recommended you continue your journey. 

Don't panic about the possibility of repairs, as 

 can help with 0% interest monthly instalments. 

. The ABS prevents your vehicle from skidding by quickly releasing and applying the brakes on the wheel. 

If the ABS light comes on, your brakes may still work, but the ABS might not engage, which may be a problem if you need to make an emergency stop. 

If the ABS and brake system lights are on at the same time, then your vehicle is unsafe to drive. Also, if the ABS light is illuminated, you should drive carefully and 

 in with a qualified mechanic as soon as possible. 

 is here to help with car repair costs. Split the cost of your car repair in interest-free monthly instalments. 

If the battery light on your car illuminates and stays on, this indicates there is a problem with the 

. There are three reasons this could happen: 

This is the most common reason. Over time, the terminals on the battery can erode, or the cables can become unplugged or damaged. If there is damage, the battery won’t be able to hold charge from the alternator. Your battery may need replacing. 

The alternator creates the electrical charge stored in your battery. It powers the headlights, radio, heater, and electric windows. If the alternator fails, no electricity will be generated, and your car will eventually lose power and stop. 

 belt can be a severe problem, as the belt controls not only the alternator but also the coolant pump and power steering. If the battery light stays on, the engine becomes hot, or you find it hard to steer, you may have a problem with the alternator. 

What should I do if the battery light appears?

You should turn off unnecessary electrical systems such as the radio and headlights (if it is safe). 

If you are close to home or a garage, you can continue to drive cautiously for a short distance until your vehicle is checked by a qualified mechanic. 

If you are far from home, you should not continue to drive. If your power steering fails, you may find it difficult to drive. It’s important to note that once you turn your engine off, a damaged battery may not charge enough to turn it on again. 

Also known as the low tyre pressure light, the Tyre Pressure Monitoring System alerts you when the pressure is low. 

Underinflated or overinflated tyres can result in tyre wear. Overinflation results in decreased traction. This will result in premature wear at the centre of the tyre. 

Underinflation will cause your car to feel sluggish, decrease fuel economy, and create excessive heat build-up. This will result in premature wear on both sides of the tyre. 

 using a gauge and adjust it according to your car’s manual. If the light continues, you may have a puncture. 

 You should have your tyres changed or repaired by a professional if this light turns on. 

5. Traction Control Light/Stability Control

The Traction Control System is activated when your car detects one or more of the wheels has lost traction. This can happen in wet or icy conditions. 

When traction is lost, the engine transfers power from the slipping wheels to the wheels with grip. If the Traction Control Light is illuminated and stays on, the system has a problem. 

In some vehicles, the light illuminates when the system is engaged and goes off when the vehicle regains traction (you can check this in your car’s manual). 

If the light is on all the time, the system will be shut down, and you should take the vehicle to be checked by a qualified mechanic. You should also take extra precautions while driving to the garage. 

Your car’s brakes are undoubtedly its most important safety system. If the brake light comes on and stays on when the hand brake is disengaged, your brakes could have a problem. 

The most likely reason for this is low brake fluid. Using your owner’s manual for guidance, locate the 

 reservoir and top up, if necessary, to the correct amount. 

Make sure to use the correct fluid for your engine. This can be found in the owner’s manual. You may have a leak if the light remains on when the fluid is at the correct level. 

. If it sinks slowly to the floor, check under your vehicle for any yellow liquid leaking. You may have a problem with your brake pads if there is no leak. The warning light can stay on when brake pads are significantly worn. 

Some cars have a separate light for worn brake pads that looks like this:

You should not drive further with a brake fluid leak or worn 

. Carefully stop in a safe place and contact a breakdown service. 

There are several reasons the Oil Pressure Warning light could be illuminated. Here are some common ones: 

Oil lubricates the engine, ensures all the moving parts are working correctly, and helps the cooling and cleaning process. If the oil is not kept at the correct level, you could cause costly damage to the engine. 

Check under your car — if an oily patch is underneath, you must contact a qualified technician. 

 by locating the dipstick. Remove the stick and wipe it with a cloth. Once wiped, replace the stick and pull it out again. You will be able to see the level of oil. 

If you’re unsure how to locate the dipstick or what the correct oil level should be, this can be found in your car’s manual. 

Reason 2: Your oil pump needs to be replaced

If the oil pump isn’t working, the pressure will drop. This makes it hard for the oil to lubricate the moving parts in your engine, which may result in the engine making a loud noise while running. 

Check your oil level. If it is fine and there is no sign of a leak, the light may indicate a faulty pump. You should not continue to drive with a faulty pump — this could cause a lot of damage to your engine. 

If your oil level is fine, there is no sign of a leak, and your car sounds and runs normally, it could be a faulty sensor. It is not recommended that you drive your vehicle. You should contact a breakdown service. 

The Engine Temperature Warning light indicates your engine is overheating. You should stop when it is safe and check the coolant levels under the bonnet. Be careful when doing so, as the bonnet could be hot. 

If you’re unsure how to locate the coolant tank, consult your car’s manual. 

If necessary, top up the coolant and wait at least 30 minutes for your engine to cool before continuing your journey. 

The fuel indicator light means your car is low on fuel, and you should fill your tank as soon as possible. 

Can I drive with the fuel indicator light on?

It is not recommended you drive far with the fuel light on. 

You should keep your tank around a quarter full at least to keep the fuel pump lubricated. If the fuel pump is continuously unlubricated for extended periods of time, this can significantly reduce its life span and make it expensive to replace. 

How many miles can I go with the fuel indicator light on?

You may have to drive with the fuel indicator light on if you're far from your nearest garage. 

How many miles you can travel differs greatly between car makes and models, and other variables such as tyre pressure, gear choice, and the road surface can have a big effect. 

Here is a rough guide for popular models taken from the RAC:

 The arrow next to the light indicates which side of the vehicle your fuel cap is located. 

Common reasons for the airbag and seatbelt warning light illuminating are: 

If dirt has become stuck in the seatbelt catch, this can cause the seatbelt to not lock properly or cause the computer to think the seatbelt is not fastened. 

The wires under the driver or passenger’s seat can be damaged by items being stored or trapped under them. 

The car’s clock spring allows the steering wheel to turn whilst maintaining the connection between the electrical system, horn, and airbag. 

If the clock spring is damaged, the airbag and seatbelt light may illuminate. 

The car may have been in a minor accident that wasn’t big enough to trigger the airbag but triggered the warning light. In this case, the light would need resetting. 

Dashboard Warning Lights: A Complete Guide for Your Car

 from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has revealed the average age of cars on UK roads is now 8.4 years - the highest ever on record.

The closure of car showrooms for long periods throughout 2020 meant fewer new cars were registered.

Currently, the average car on UK roads was built in 2011, with 10 million cars in service since 2008 or earlier.

The growing average age of vehicles on the road means consumers are more at risk of having to pay for unexpected repairs.

With the UK’s economy struggling to recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, over half of UK adults would find it very difficult or impossible to immediately pay an unexpected bill of £500 or more.

Consumers who are struggling to pay or would prefer to spend their disposable income elsewhere are increasingly turning to Buy Now Pay Later to alleviate some of the stress and pay back large bills in manageable instalments.

Bumper helps drivers split repair bills into interest-free payments, so they can keep their car in tip-top condition without breaking the bank.

Apply for a credit limit and search for local garages in our network by 

has been writing about cars for over seven years and writing for Bumper for over two, blending his passion for automobiles with a talent for storytelling.

Joseph has written about engineering and cars for Autozilla, Komaspec, and several engineering manufacturers. When he's not writing or tinkering with one of his five cars, Joseph dreams of owning an Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale.

Average age of cars on UK roads increases to 8.4 years

Find all the latest industry news and handiest car repair and service tips on the Bumper Blog. Want to get the Bumper view on something? Let us know and we’ll drop a blog post on it as soon as we can.