Half of Drivers Are Putting Off Necessary Car Maintenance [Survey]

Owning a car is expensive. Between monthly payments, gas fill-ups, and insurance premiums, the frequent costs related to car ownership can quickly add up every month. Another big way that cars can cost drivers money is through maintenance and repairs.

Some maintenance tasks, such as oil changes and tire changes, can be budgeted for and dealt with proactively on a recommended schedule, but other issues can pop up unexpectedly and cause an unplanned hit to a bank account. So what's that costing Americans?

To find out the most common approaches that drivers take when it comes to car maintenance and repairs, the FinanceBuzz team surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults and asked them about how they maintain their cars. We found out how long people put off repairs, the current issues they are actively ignoring, how much they think different repairs cost, and more.

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Key findings

51% of drivers say they have paid for a car repair in the past that they believe could have been avoided if they were better about getting scheduled maintenance done.
40% of drivers say they delay getting maintenance done even after they know it is due.
38% of drivers say they have ignored a warning light on their dashboard for more than two weeks.
58% of drivers say they could NOT afford an emergency car repair costing more than $1,000 right now.

Ignoring car maintenance warning signs

It isn't uncommon for drivers to put off maintenance on their cars. It can be easy to lose track of when an oil change is due or overlook the condition of your tires. And, depending on their financial situation and vehicle knowledge, drivers may rationalize an unexpected noise as nothing to worry about or ignore a "check engine" light.

Nearly 4 in 10 drivers (38%) say they have ignored a warning light on their car's dashboard for at least two weeks, delaying potential maintenance or repairs despite the alert from their vehicle's early warning system.

Of those who have overlooked a warning light for two weeks or more, more than half (53%) stated that they did so because they were aware of the issue the light was warning them about and believed it was a minor problem that could be addressed later.

Similarly, 43% said that while they didn't know the exact issue, their car seemed to be driving fine, so they felt it was safe to continue driving it. The final reason chosen by a significant portion of warning light ignorers was cost concerns, as 42% stated that they feared the potential repair would be expensive and beyond their means to afford.

The cost of putting off car maintenance

As we can see, a significant portion of drivers on the road, nearly 40%, admit to ignoring literal warning signs from their cars for an extended period and postponing maintenance. Those decisions aren't uniform in nature either, as several different rationalizations were used to justify inaction.

Regardless of why drivers are putting off vehicle maintenance, it may be costing them big in the long run. Two-fifths of those surveyed, 40%, believe that they've had to pay for a car repair that could have been avoided if they had simply done a better job of keeping up with regular or scheduled maintenance.

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How many people are putting off car maintenance

Despite a notable percentage of the population understanding from personal experience the dangers of putting off car maintenance, the majority of drivers are actively doing that right now. A little more than half of people, 51%, say they are aware of an active car maintenance need on their vehicle that they are currently putting off getting fixed.

The most common bit of maintenance being put off is an oil change, which is being ignored by almost one-fifth of drivers (18%). While that is a maintenance issue that drivers can let slide for a while with relative safety, some other repairs being put off could have major impacts on a car's driveability.

More than one in 10 people (13%) are driving on tires that need replacing, and nearly the same percentage (11%) are actively ignoring a "check engine" light. Eleven percent of drivers are also on the road with wheels that they know need alignment or a windshield with reduced visibility due to a crack. Seven percent of drivers have brakes that they know need to be checked and may not be in proper working order, something that can be dangerous for themselves and others should those brakes fail while on the road.

Car repair cost concerns

When it comes to car repairs, money plays a significant role in what drivers choose to get fixed and when. Money was one of the primary reasons people gave for ignoring a car warning light for an extended period, with 42% of qualifying respondents citing financial concerns as the reason they disregarded the dashboard alert for multiple weeks.

When asked how much they could afford to pay toward an emergency repair right now, 58% said they could not afford to pay for anything costing more than $1,000. That includes more than a quarter of people, 26%, who say they could not afford a repair that comes with a price tag in excess of $500.

With those kinds of financial constraints in mind, it is understandable that the fear of a large repair bill would keep many people out of the shop as long as their car is still running, though that decision may actually cost them more in the long run.

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Methodology

FinanceBuzz surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults to see how much drivers can afford to pay on car maintenance and how many drivers put off their maintenance, as well as what type of maintenance they put off.

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Bottom line

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