Women motorists are charged a 'female premium' of around 8 per cent for car repairs compared to men, according to a new survey.

The ClickMechanic report involved sending out 182 mystery shoppers to garages in ten British cities. They requested a quote for the replacement of a 2011 Ford Focus clutch.

On average female drivers were quoted £616 for the work, while males were charged £571 – £45 less.

Of the 10 cities, eight quoted women more for the repair than men. Only Sheffield and Edinburgh gave men a larger quote, to the tune of 5 per cent and 19 per cent respectively.

Birmingham quoted the biggest premium from women, asking them for £582. By contrast, male drivers were asked for just £445 – a discrepancy of £137.

Andrew Jervis, CEO of ClickMechanic, said of the report: "For every female car-owner in the UK this report will come as an unwelcome surprise.

"While the vast majority of mechanics strive to provide honest and reliable quotes, these results show that there is a worrying minority of garages failing to do so.

"There is a desperate need across the industry for transparency and consistency in price in order to establish trust with consumers of both sexes."

The news may dismay female drivers, who account for nearly half of UK motorists. Women drivers will soon outnumber males behind the wheel, according to a 2012 report. In the US female motorists already outnumber their male counterparts.

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