MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — YourMechanic, a mobile care repair network, analyzed the most frequent service requests or quotes by season and found that the top service requests varies with the weather.
The data was analyzed by comparing the total number of each quote YourMechanic offered in 2017 by season, the company said. From there, seasonal percentages were derived to uncover the most heavily weighted quotes by season. Only services with a minimum of 1,000 quotes were analyzed.
In the spring, the most common repair was for window motors or regulators, with nearly half of all vehicles needing repairs on this component. YourMechanic speculated that as temperatures begin to rise after winter, people are likely attempting to open their windows for the first time that year only to find them inoperable after months of being ignored.
Timing chains are the second most common repair (44 percent). YourMechanic said a majority of timing chains are replaced during spring, compared with fall or winter, since spring and summer are drier seasons, resulting in more dust and grit getting into the oil that coats the timing chain.
Wheel speed sensor repairs were the third highest service request (36 percent), followed by brakes/steering/suspension inspections and trunk latch repair, both at 35 percent each.
The warmer summer months resulted in issues surrounding air conditioning, with AC failures (48 percent) and cooling fans (39 percent), causing the first and second most common issues for drivers, according to YourMechanic.
Repairs for the timing chain, window lift motor and regulator assembly, and fan clutch rounded out the top five.
During the fall, air springs topped the list of service quotes at 35 percent. YourMechanic speculated that increased driving during the summer has an adverse impact on air springs.
Engine distributor service was the second highest quote (34 percent), followed by timing cover gasket (31 percent), heater system failure (30 percent) and window lift motor and regulator assembly (30 percent).
Plunging temperatures and the sudden extra demand on a car's electrical systems could add stress to the distributors, according to YourMechanic.
The chill of winter prompts a spike in heater system failures (40 percent), followed by oil cooler lines and windshield washer service (32 percent each), and headlight bulb and windshield wiper motor service (30 percent each).
Fluids thicken and even freeze in colder conditions, prompting a spike in fluid services, according to YourMechanic.