There is a significant number of car owners out there who plan to drive their vehicles until the end, according to a survey by AutoMD, an online auto repair site for car owners.
AutoMD, a wholly owned subsidiary of US Auto Parts Network Inc., said its survey reveals that car owners are putting more miles on their current vehicles—about 50,000 or more—than they did on their previous vehicles, with the majority of respondents planning to keep their vehicle until it dies.
The economy also is influencing many to do their own repairs and pay more attention to maintenance on their current vehicle, according to the survey of car owners conducted online in December and January.
Other survey results include:
* Nearly half of the respondents indicated their current vehicle had more than 100,000 miles.
* When asked the main reason for holding onto their vehicle for 100,000 miles or more, one-quarter stated that “in this economy, I simply can't afford not to.”
* 69 percent planned to drive their current vehicle even longer: for 150,000 or more miles (13 percent) or until their vehicle dies (56 percent).
* 77 percent plan to drive their current vehicle for 50,000 or more miles than they drove their previous vehicle. Less than 12 percent said they will keep their current vehicle for fewer miles than their previous vehicle.
* 54 percent of respondents reported spending $500 or more a year to repair their vehicle, with 21 percent spending $1,000 or more.
* 44 percent said tight budgets were driving them to either pay more attention to maintenance and repairs or do the repairs themselves.
“Not only are consumers holding on to their vehicles for years longer but, more significantly, for miles longer, opting to repair and maintain rather than purchasing new,” said AutoMD President Shane Evangelist.
“We estimate that these car owners will be spending at least an additional $2,500 on repairs over the intended life of their vehicle—and it is critical that they have accurate, unbiased information and tools to make the best possible repair decisions when spending those precious dollars.
“We launched AutoMD to do just this: empower car owners with free information on the best and most affordable options for repairing their vehicle in these tough economic times.”
AutoMD, which was rolled out in January, offers online tools for car owners to diagnose their car problems, estimate repair costs, learn the steps to make a repair and locate a local auto repair shop.
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