DIY MECHANICS

For a lot of people, fixing your own car is a matter of pride. Particularly for those who were raised in the era when home car maintenance and repair was commonplace. Of course, in the era of increased automotive complexity, people these days seem far less likely to attempt even simple home maintenance.

Or do they? There’s a growing core of car owners who are attempting their own servicing and repairs – this can be attributed to the high prices charged by garages, issues of trust and fear of being ripped off; for whatever reason, car DIY is on the rise and 57% of Britons now buy their own spares and service parts to do the work at home, as shown in a new study by MoneySavingHeroes.co.uk. The results are a

bit of a mixed bag: while the majority find success, a significant 38% find themselves subsequently taking the car to a garage to fix their own botched repairs. The former group claim to be saving on average £60 a year, while the latter reckon it would have been cheaper to go to a garage in the first place as it’s costing between £80-170 to undo their errors. Impressively, the topthree repairs which are attempted before giving up and handing the car to a garage are: knocking out a dent, painting an area of the car, and fixing a head gasket.

As with so many things in life, it’s down to personal preference and ability. Many people feel that they might as well give it a go, while others would rather entrust it to the professionals. Our advice would be to do your research, start small, and work up!