11/07/2024

Auto Care Survey: Top Issues Impacting Members’ Businesses

Source: aftermarketNews

The Auto Care Association’s quarterly survey highlights the effects of various trends on its members’ businesses from 2023 to 2024. Major concerns include the aging vehicle fleet, increased consumer maintenance of older cars, and the rising complexity of vehicles, which demands more skilled technicians. Telematics is also a significant concern, as smaller repair shops struggle with diagnostic challenges, potentially being excluded from servicing newer vehicles. 

Despite economic worries such as unemployment and household budgets diminishing, telematics and vehicle complexity remain top priorities. Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) data, supported by Auto Care’s TrendLensTM platform, shows a rise in travel, and the 2025 Factbook reports that the average vehicle age has risen from 11.4 years in 2014 to 12.6 years in 2024. Economic factors, such as unemployment rising slightly and inflation stabilizing, indicate that broader economic concerns have lessened compared to previous surveys.

Overall, the focus has shifted toward technological challenges within the repair industry and the aging vehicle fleet. 

Using the scale from 1 (Low Impact) to 5 (High Impact), members were asked to rate the following statements in terms of how much impact each of the following issues is currently having on their business.