Australian motorists are neglecting car maintenance due to high costs

More than one-third of Australian car owners are delaying potentially crucial maintenance on their vehicles, with the cost to do so cited as the most common reason why.

Insurance firm Youi’s 2024 Car Care and Costs report compiled the answers from more than 2000 Australian motorists who were surveyed in May, detailing their vehicle ownership habits.

While 65 per cent of car owners say they’re up to date with their car maintenance, the remaining 35 per cent of respondents said they’re currently delaying a service.

Australian motorists are neglecting car maintenance due to high costs

When asked why they’re not servicing their cars more often, an overwhelming 73 per cent of those surveyed attributed the cost of maintenance as the main reason why they’re delaying a service.

Though 37 per cent of the 2000 respondents said car cleaning is the most common “maintenance” task they’re putting off, a worrying 34 per cent admitted they’re overdue for a tyre replacement.

Other common service items which aren’t being addressed are oil changes (31 per cent), investigating check engine lights (13 per cent), replacing headlights (12 per cent), strange engine noises (12 per cent) and cracked windscreens (11 per cent).

According to the survey, servicing most commonly occurs every 12 or six months for respondents, with 47 and 38 per cent sharing these respective answers – aligning with the service schedules of most vehicles sold in recent years.

It’s not overly surprising that a majority of respondents are servicing their cars within a year, as 48 per cent said they drive every day and another 44 per said they’re behind the wheel multiple times a week.

In a reflection of the new and used car markets, 34 per cent of those surveyed are driving cars aged between two and five years old, 25 per cent own vehicles five to 10 years old, and 18 per cent of them are in cars which were new one to two years ago.

You can find out more about the Youi report on its website here.

Are cost of living pressures causing you to neglect car maintenance? Let us know in the comments below.

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