Nationwide research commissioned by Bendix in April and November 2024, has revealed changes in customer attitudes towards vehicle servicing, largely driven by increasing cost of living pressures.
The data, which was collected following survey fieldwork and online surveys with almost 450 mechanical workshops, including independent outlets, brake and clutch specialists, mobile mechanics and service centre chains, indicated that while most vehicle owners continued to have their cars serviced regularly (once or twice a year), 65 percent agreed or strongly agreed that customers were deferring nonessential work.
Other cost saving measures included customers asking for more basic servicing rather than full servicing; owners requesting for the minimum work required to keep their vehicles roadworthy, and delaying the replacement of wear parts until absolutely necessary.
Worryingly, over 54 percent of workshop respondents either agreed or strongly agreed, that customers were only servicing their vehicles when they had to, such as for registration checks. Over 31 percent of owners were also electing to use their vehicles less to save money.
Choosing quality replacement parts
These customer sentiments highlight the importance of selecting quality parts at the time of servicing, ones that are durable, reliable and will deliver better cost of ownership outcomes.
