Why most car owners are taking better care of their vehicles these days

According to new research, inflation is causing Americans to take better care of their current vehicle.

A survey of 2,000 car owners revealed 73% of respondents have made a conscious decision to better maintain their car, due to rising vehicle costs.

This was especially true for older respondents. While 60% of Gen Z said they’re making an active effort to better maintain their car, 75% of Gen X said the same.

But regardless of age, car owners are considering the cost of a new vehicle as well as past maintenance mistakes (28%) when thinking about the products they choose for their cars.

The survey, conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Pennzoil, looked at the ways in which vehicle owners are taking better care of their cars — and how this connects to the products they’re buying.

The respondents who rely on premium brand name recognition when shopping for products say premium brands work and perform better over time, compared to private-label products, and are more trustworthy than their private-label counterparts.

Those purchasing private-label products may be having regrets.

When asked which private-label products they most regret buying in the last month, private-label products for vehicle maintenance ranked in the top three, along with personal care items and cleaning products.

This desire for brand name products was a consistent theme throughout the survey.
Respondents were shown a variety of categories and asked if they’d prefer to buy a brand name product over a private-label product in each category.

Vehicle maintenance ranked second for most likely to buy brand names. In fact, Americans are significantly more likely to buy a brand name product (57%) to maintain their vehicle versus a private-label product (34%).

Personal technology, like a laptop, (72%) took first place as the most likely brand name purchase. Other categories closely followed, such as small home appliances (55%) and personal care items (52%).

The survey also asked people how maintenance is typically performed on their vehicles: Are they a “do-it-yourself” (DIY) consumer, or a “do-it-for-me” (DIFM) type?
Nearly 80% of consumers say they rely on someone else (DIFM) to do simple maintenance for them on their vehicle, with half of those preferring to hire a professional and 27% relying on a friend or family member to do it for them.
Twenty percent do their own maintenance, with over 40% of DIYers stating they enjoy maintaining their vehicle.

For those who prefer to take their car to the shop, more than half (58%) said it’s because they don’t have the necessary knowledge to maintain it themselves.

And the majority of “do-it-for-me” car owners (57%) also reported brand familiarity has an impact when making a purchasing decision.

But regardless of whether they’re a DIYer or a DIFM consumer, two-thirds of the respondents (63%) said motor oil was one product they’re willing to invest more money into, to protect their car’s value over time.

Survey methodology:
This random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 American car owners was commissioned by Pennzoil between May 24 and May 29, 2024. It was conducted by market research company Talker Research, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).