Fix it ourselves? No thanks
TURNs out that as a nation, we are increasingly bewildered by the mysteries lurking under our cars’ bonnets.
The latest research from ClickMechanic, an online marketplace for car repair, has revealed that just over two thirds of UK drivers (64 per cent) have never attempted any sort of repair on their car. Of the 36% who’ve attempted a job, a third regretted the experience, while the rest (just 23% of total respondents) said they’d been happy with their handiwork.
A third of DIY grease monkeys said they wished they had hired a professional mechanic instead. This apparent lack of confidence in our car repair skills is a sign, perhaps, of how complex car engines have become in the last few decades and explains the increasing demand for mechanics.
The survey found that women are much more likely to avoid repairing the car themselves; 82% admit to never dealing with a fault, compared with 48% of men. However, women who are prepared to look under the bonnet are more likely to be pleased with the results, with only 5% of them professing regret for a DIY attempt compared to 18% of men.
The older generation are less likely to try their hand at car repairs; 70% of those aged over 55 have avoided the task, compared with 63% of those aged between 35-54 and 58% of those aged 18-34. That being said, younger drivers are more than twice as likely to regret having a go compared to their elders.
Location-wise, Birmingham has the highest percentage of regretful mechanics, with one in five drivers saying they wished they’d hired a professional after their own attempts went wrong. In contrast, Liverpool drivers appear to be the most competent, with 41% of all motorists having attempted a repair with pleasing results. In London, the survey results are fairly reflective of the overall total, with only a third of drivers having tried their hand at repairs and 44% of those respondents regretting the outcome on at least one occasion.
Andrew Jervis, Co-Founder of ClickMechanic, said: ‘Due to the complexity of modern car design, more and more motorists are less confident when it comes to the mechanics. While one third of UK motorists have attempted a repair, a third of those admit to regretting the results, which emphasises the advanced skill set and knowledge now needed – even for everyday jobs. Car mechanics can still be learned, yet the engineering is not as simple as it used to be.’
