Car Repair Industry Sees 16% Growth in 2008
One industry that hasn’t suffered with consumers looking to cut costs in many directions is automotive repair, as a new survey by the Automotive Service Association showed 60 percent of repair shops saw increased business in 2008.
The survey was conducted in August, and found that the average increase in sales of 8,000 repair shops was 16 percent. This information was all collected by Time Magazine, which also found that:
- The trade-in time for cars increased from 5.7 years in 2007 to 6.3 years in 2008
- The service departments at car dealerships saw a 2 percent sales increase in the past four months
Is DIY auto care one of the ways you save money on your vehicle? Photo: Beststuff.com
These increases ma be due to consumers recognizing the inherit value in maintaining what they already have, versus replacing something once it’s broken or a newer model comes along (a concept known as “product stewardship”). In the United Kingdom, the idea of do-it-yourself car care has spawned a new business model. An entrepreneur in Norfolk opened a DIY garage that lets consumers save up to half the price of car repair by cutting out labor costs. Customers have access to tools and an on-site mechanic for advice, but otherwise they only pay for garage rental time and supplies.
Eco-Friendly Car Care?
So what’s the environmental impact of increased automotive repairs? Well, consider some of the eco-factors that are involved in the purchase of a new car:
- The windshield and windows are treated glass, meaning they can’t be recycled if chipped or broken.
- Cars receive several coats of paint, which releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the environment.
- Car batteries are one of the most toxic products you can find, and every car has at least one (although they have a very high recycling rate for this reason).
On the flip-side, one of the most common uses for recycled steel is to produce new car bodies. Considering that the price of recyclable material has taken a tumble over the past six months, the materials are still being utilized in this way. Also, newer models of cars optimize fuel economy, which reduces their overall carbon footprint.
DIY car care doesn’t have to occur once your check engine light goes on or your odometer reaches a certain milestone. Check out a few preventative measures that can save your car parts in the short-term and money in the long-term.
As of June 17th 2011 we have upgraded our comment system to use Facebook comments. The below comments are closed and are listed for historical purposes.
Tina
posted on February 25th, 2009 at 12:49 am
Eco-Friendly Car Care seems good. Reducing the emission of co2 gas will help highly in reduction of global warming.I wish this to practice everywhere.
Linda
posted on February 27th, 2009 at 8:02 am
Interesting. I was at the garage myself about a couple of weeks ago getting a front-end alignment done on my car. While I was sitting in the waiting room watching other cars being worked on, I got to thinking that auto repair shops must be doing good business in this economy because people can’t afford to buy cars, either new or used, so they’re putting what money they’ve got into maintaining the car(s) they already have, but I was thinking of it in strictly economic, not ecologic, terms. This article made me think of the ecological side, too, and that’s what I found interesting. :-)