Best way to avoid your battery failing is to replace it every few years.

Best way is to use the car regularly - that way the alternator is always keeping the battery at it's optimum level - although it does depend on the quality of battery fitted as original.

I found Vauxhall fully-sealed batteries lasted for ever, into double figures of years in two cases, while a Subaru non-sealed one lasted just two years.

A seasonal check is totally superfluous for a car that's properly serviced - it's just a way of workshops getting extra revenue and then even more by selling you an over-priced battery, etc that you don't really need.

Sorry forget to say also that the battery is the original one fitted to car from new. I do not have a problem with it as such, but I take on board what you say about the vauxhall car batteries.

Thanks.

As an aside, I would have thought that if you have sustained enough damage, from potholes, to buckle your wheels it would be worth wondering if the tyres are still OK

Many garages and other outlets offer a free or very cheap "Winter Check". I posted earlier that I had put my car into a main dealer for a minor job and they gave me a Free Safety Check which told me that I needede to spend £480 on repairs , they had the parts in stock and could take the car in the next day! Took it to my local franchsie and was told there was nothing that need even looking at again until the next MOT, in October. NO garage service is truly free, IMO

Thank you all for the further advice and I will certainly, for instance, consider using the one at Lowdham.

Other points raised:

As for the steering with possible buckled wheels. I have not noticed anything wrong at all as such.

The heat sheald around the exhaust area looks alright to me when I am underneath but I am not a mechanic. Though I have owned cars before, namely a Ford Sierra estate, a mini clubman, and a Vauxhal Victor 101 FC (in the 1970s the latter vehicle).

I have also been underneath to see if, around the exhaust, there is any movementr in the mountings and could not decern any.

As for tyre condition, all four were replaced by ATS about 13 months ago now and there does not appear to be any uneven wear or scuffing. Also the wear on all four tyres appears to be even in depth to all corners of the car.

Thanks for all the advice being received on this forum. Mine is a case where I suppose I could look to part exchange the vehicle but it is not economic to do so as I try to use public transport as much as possible given the cost of petrol. But that, as they say is another argument and I am not trying to create a string or thread on that topic!

Regards.