9million drivers to ‘get rid’ of vehicles in nightmare for UK car industry

Millions of UK drivers could ditch their cars within half a decade due to rising costs in a fresh nightmare. New analysis from Turo’s 2026 Car Ownership Index found that almost one quarter of British drivers (23%) will no longer own cars within the next five years.

The survey of 2,009 UK adults found that one-third of those planning to quit driving blamed high petrol and diesel fuel costs as their primary reason to give up. Insurance costs were also blamed by just over a quarter of road users who said they could quit, with potholes also a worry.

There are currently around 42.5 million licensed drivers in the UK, meaning that if Turo’s findings were applied across the whole country, more than nine million road users may be considering leaving the roads. 23% of the 42.5million licence holders would leave an exact total of 9,775,000 road users.

Rory Brimmer, Managing Director UK at car sharing marketplace Turo said that car ownership was under threat.

He said: “Britons love their cars, but the love of ownership is fading. What stands out in this year’s Index is how many people are now seriously planning life without a car, not because they want to, but because the economics of ownership have become untenable for a growing number of households.”

It comes in the wake of rising petrol and diesel fuel costs, with pump prices spiking due to global oil disruption. Unleaded petrol sits at an eye-watering 159.43p per litre, up 26.5p per litre on the average costs from February.

Diesel costs have also soared, with prices up 41.4p per litre with average costs now sitting at 184.96p per litre. The financial pressure of running a car was also understood to be taking a direct toll on vehicle maintenance.

According to Turo, nearly half of all drivers (46%) have delayed or avoided necessary repair in the past year, an increase from 27% in 2025.

The number of road users who have missed a repair on multiple occasions has almost doubled over the past year, up from 16% of drivers to 30%.

Rory added: “The repair avoidance figures are particularly alarming. Nearly half of all drivers have delayed a necessary repair, and almost a third have done so more than once. A car that isn’t properly maintained isn’t just an inconvenience, it’s a hazard, with warranties at risk and MOT failures becoming more likely.”