Insurance company Warranty Direct has warned motorists that some car parts are 283 per cent more likely to fail in freezing weather.
Following analysis into its 50,000 live automotive policies and 50 components which could cause a breakdown in winter, the insurer found that the ignition coil is the most likely part to fail, followed by the thermostat, and the fuel injection pump.
Overall, these components will add, on average, an additional repair cost of £408, should they fail.
The most expensive components to repair are torque converters and automatic clutches, which each carry a bill of over £1,000.