Rental cars can pose risk

British motorists are being warned that hiring a car abroad can pose a danger, with many cars found to be in poor condition by a new survey.

UK drivers should also be on the look out for excess charges for body damage that was present when the car was hired, expensive insurance and mechanical defects.

The study discovered that one in 15 cars examined were described as having brakes, steering and chassis in very poor condition. A massive ten in 43 cars supplied for hire by local firms were found to be in very poor condition.

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Ten of the resorts surveyed in Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Tenerife and Majorca were praised for having generally good car condition. However, four out of six cars in Playa de las Americas, Tenerife, and five out of six vehicles in Alanya, Turkey, were described as very poor.

Lack of local knowledge of regulations and legal issues, and language limitations can make holidaymakers more vulnerable when renting a car. One consumer tester received a 300 euro (?210) fine for damage that was not explained by the company in question.

Paul Watters, EuroTest project manager for The AA Motoring Trust, commented: "Hiring a car anywhere in Europe should be a relatively easy and transparent process. Very often it is not, and becomes an exercise in risk that can cost you dear when you get home.