According to the Car Care Council, drivers need more education on vehicle maintenance. Really? Huh.
Well, based on the CCC’s 2009 survey of tire dealers and independent repair shops, that appears to be the case. Appears.
As the 2010 National Car Care Month draws top a close this week, the CCC points out that Americans are keeping their vehicles longer (true), but aren’t doing a good job keeping them up to snuff (probably also true). As a result, the CCC says, there is a crying need for better consumer education (perhaps).
Then again, perhaps there is a bigger need for a decent paycheck…or one at all.
Dealer after dealer tell us that customers are being highly selective in the service work they have done, all based on what they can afford. If they have to make wallet choices, they go for service work they feel is more important to keeping their vehicles on the road.
The survey results seem to bear that out: 26% had low/dirty coolant (up from 21% in 2008), 21% had low/dirty transmission fluid (up from 17%), 17% had low/dirty power steering fluid (up from 15%), 39% had worn wipers and more than 50% had worn belts. Important service points, to be sure, but not what anyone could call major.
On the other hand, the CCC study showed 27% had low/dirty engine oil, down from 2008’s 32%.
As far as tire maintenance is concerned, 15% of those checked in 2009 had low pressure (undefined amount), the exact same as 2008, but only 9% showed worn tread (again undefined) vs. 12% in 2008.
So, perhaps the real answer is drivers apparently see oil and tire maintenance as more important. Which seems to tell me that service work is a tight dollars-and-cents issue.
