Trends that are Changing the Auto Repair Game

Auto shop owners, auto mechanics, and anyone involved in auto repair can be encouraged. Many car owners overlook non-essential preventive maintenance, but the good news is that demand for these services is expected to rise in 2021 and beyond.

Spring has come, vaccinations are being quickly distributed, and people are returning to the road. As personal jobs return to offices across the country, people will need reliable transportation to get to work. In addition, leisure is returning, car travel is gaining immense popularity, and the number of cars is constantly increasing. This means that they will also come back to their favorite auto repair shop, to take care of those services that they have overlooked.

But that doesn’t mean everything is back to normal. Consumers are different, and repair shops will have to adapt or be left behind. Here are some trends that we’ve noticed are changing the rules of auto repair.

When was the last time you heard of a man calling a taxi? We currently only use an app on our smartphones. And that won’t change anytime soon. The use of electronic communication and car-sharing services will continue to grow, especially in cities, suburbs, and other densely populated areas. While this may sound like bad news for auto repair shops, it really isn’t. The growth of these services means that more vehicles are driven many miles and wear out on the road. Of course, the cascading effect is that these vehicles will require more frequent maintenance to keep them running smoothly.

Industry trends show that car owners are less likely to repair themselves. The share of auto parts stores such as O’Reilly Auto Parts and AutoZone has declined in recent years. This is partly due to the fact that cars are more reliable. They use higher quality components, often covered by a manufacturer’s warranty. If parts fail during the warranty period, owners will return to their dealer for repair.

Advances in automotive technology also make it harder for owners to repair cars themselves. Owners of vehicles with an expired warranty are more likely to come to your shop for repairs than try to fix them themselves. The auto repair industry has struggled to keep up with the advanced technology of today’s vehicles. Auto shops need to upgrade their technology to provide service and repair for automated, digitized electric vehicles.

Make sure your vehicle technicians are trained in telematics. If your customers know that you can repair their technologically advanced vehicle and have the correct repair parts on hand, they will keep coming back to you. This includes not only telematics but also automotive communications, complex computer, electrical and mechanical systems.

Car leasing rates continue to rise. Between 2009 and 2016, car rentals increased from just over a million to almost 4.5 million. This trend should continue, which means less maintenance and repairs to your store if you can’t partner with leasing companies.

Outdated automotive technology is being retired, leaving a void in the automotive repair industry. We need a new injection of automotive technology.

Millions of auto mechanics are expected to retire in the coming years, and there are concerns that there are not enough properly trained auto mechanics to fill these roles. Suppose your workshop has technicians who are about to retire. In that case, it is a good idea to start looking for replacements early and make sure they have the training required to repair today’s technologically advanced vehicles.

To be sure, there will be some upheaval in the automotive industry in the next ten years, but no one seems to know precisely how. The auto repair industry, in particular, needs to prepare for an evolving landscape that will change everything it knows about working with cars.

Research shows that in 2021 there will be about 76 million vehicles aged 16 and over in the US. These old cars need to be repaired! The number of cars under five years old is expected to increase by almost 25%, indicating a growing trend towards rentals and/or newer cars. After all, there is reason for optimism!