It's not only motorists who don't like Mondays, their cars are reluctant to start the week as well.

Cars are more likely to break down on a Monday than any other day , the AA said.

It added that battery failures continue to be the top cause of breakdown, accounting for 15.1 per cent of all call-outs in the past 12 months.

Seven of the AA's ten busiest days last year were Mondays -- all in the winter months.

The busiest day of 2003 was Monday, January 6 -- the first day back to work for many people following Christmas and New Year -- when more than 22,500 breakdowns were attended by AA patrols.

During the January 6-8 period, almost 60,000 breakdowns were attended, mainly as a result of cars being left idle over the Christmas holiday, combined with poor weather conditions. There was heavy frost and snow throughout the UK.

In contrast, the quietest day of 2003 was Christmas Day, when the AA dealt with fewer than 3,000 breakdowns -- the quietest Christmas Day for seven years.

Of the ten quietest days of 2003, seven were Sundays, mainly during the summer.

The AA reached its members in an average time of under 37 minutes during 2003, fixing eight out of ten vehicles at the roadside.

Last year was the sixth consecutive year flat or faulty batteries have topped the AA's list.

Tyres were the second most numerous components to fail, accounting for 9.1 per cent of all call-outs. The third most common problem was with locks, with many members locking keys inside the car or experiencing trouble with the key itself.

AA Patrolman of the Year, Colin Hunter, said: "We see these faults come up year after year and they tend to highlight the importance of regular car maintenance.

"For example, with cars doing short journeys and low mileages, the spark plugs can fail after only 20,000 miles. Replacing these before the end of their lifespan is an easy and inexpensive solution.

"Faults with cylinder head gaskets can often be avoided by simply ensuring the vehicle has the correct coolant in its system all year round."