America has always been a DIY automotive culture. And we’re still a nation of shade tree mechanics. Not just to save money, but to explore the mechanical wonders, increase performance and experience the personal satisfaction of doing a repair, modification or maintenance ourselves.
This has never been truer. We’re in a new golden era for do-it-yourselfers. In fact, Do-It-Yourself (DIY) auto repair is exploding in popularity due to a convergence of circumstances, culture and opportunities that make doing it yourself smarter and easier than ever before. This trend includes Americans from all walks of life, from car enthusiasts installing turbo kits to add horsepower to moms changing the oil on their minivans. Here’s why.
Old Cars Rule
With the average cost of a new car nearing $50,000, more and more of us are keeping our older cars on the road. The average age of the 284 million vehicles on our nation’s roads has hit a record 12.8 years. That’s an increase in fleet age for the sixth straight year. With the average American driving about 13,500 miles every year, the math is simple… there’s 172,492.8 miles on the average car’s odometer.
In the old days, cars that have covered such distance would be ready for the junkyard. But vehicles built in the last two decades are vastly more durable than the machines of the 20th century. With regular maintenance and simple, cost-effective repairs, most modern cars can easily live beyond 200,000 or even 300,000 miles.
This is sending more and more of us out into the garage, sleeves rolled up and ready to wrench.
Comfort With Computers
Another reason more people are working on their cars is a generational shift in our communal comfort with electronics. Once cars started to become computerized in the 1980s the intimidation factor skyrocketed, and DIY auto repair took a nosedive.
But computers are no longer daunting. Today, the median age of Americans is under 40 years, so most of us grew up in a digital world. Computer Sciences is now one of the most popular degrees pursued in colleges and hacking video games is a teenage obsession.
The complexity of automotive electronics that intimidated earlier generations, is now the digital soup in which we live. Keeping the electrons running through a 2012 Honda Civic? No problem.
Service information that used to be reserved to technicians with high-zoot OBD-II scanners, can now be accessed by consumer devices payable out of the tip jar. Now, when the check engine light comes on in an older car (the OBD-II standard was imposed in 1996) there’s rarely a need to haul it to a dealer to find out what code it’s throwing. That bridge has been crossed.
More Access to Parts
The resurgence of do-it-yourself auto repair is also due to our increased access to the parts we need to do the job right and with confidence. A quick fix or complex repair that seemed insurmountable just five or 10 years ago, is now easy.
Today, between the internet and the proliferation of auto parts stores (there as prevalent as a Starbuck’s) everyone can find the part they need when they need it. And if it’s not in stock it’s often shipped overnight. The big auto parts chains like Autozone are riding a wave of sales increases to consumers. In the first quarter of 2023, O’Reilly Auto Parts reported an annual sales spike of 10.8%.
Even Amazon and eBay are full of vendors offering replacement parts for nearly any car, truck or SUV, from taillight bulbs to pre-painted fenders, ready to bolt on. Replacing a fender once meant a trip to the body shop followed by a hefty bill, today the parts are just a few mouse clicks away.
Mountains Of Advice
For decades DIYers also struggled to access the knowledge and information needed to tackle the job. It was once a roadblock that kept many from even trying. But today, trustworthy help is out there if you know where to look.
Many DIYers have turned to YouTube videos that show how to do everything from changing a car’s battery to rebuilding a Ferrari V-12 engine. There are also Reddit and Facebook groups and a myriad of vehicle specific forums to choose from. There’s no shortage of “experts” out there eager to share their advice. And there are times it can be helpful. Unfortunately, too often the quality of that advice is incomplete or worse, just plain wrong. It can be difficult for the DIYer to know who to listen to.
The DIY community is using technology to solve this problem too, with powerful new apps like Tinker that connects you immediately to real automotive experts trained in your specific make and model for live, 1-on-1 guidance and answers to your auto-related questions. The live video consultation is the closest thing to having an expert standing next to you in the garage.
Tools of the Non-Trade
Alongside all the advantages of the information explosion, there’s the development of new businesses around the country that supply DIYers with the tools and facilities they need.
One example is My Mechanics Place in Livonia, Michigan outside Detroit. It’s a club house (sort of) for DIYers who don’t have the tools needed to get every job done or a place to do the work. Repair bay rentals start there at $20 an hour with access to tools and lifts additional. It’s a nascent community too, where regulars can trade tips, stories and assorted challenges.
Doing It Yourself Feels Good
Everyone likes to save a buck, but for many, do-it-yourself auto repair isn’t just financial. It’s the value of self-sufficiency and the feeling of satisfaction they get from learning something new and doing the job themselves. Doing it and doing it right feels good. And today, with the help of technology and newfound access to trusted advice from experts, it’s never been easier.
It’s no wonder there’s been a rise in the number of people tinkering in their garages all over America.
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