Australians aren’t looking after their cars
A recent survey shows motorists are neglecting car maintenance.
Australians are failing to properly care for their cars, with most of us lacking a basic understanding of car maintenance, according to a recent survey from Sparesbox.
The results showed that South Australia’s cars are the cleanest, with owners washing them at least once a month. ACT and Tasmania motorists cleaned their cars less often. A surprising 7.9% of respondents said they never cleaned their vehicle.
SUV owners cleaned their cars the most often, on average washing them once a week or more. Drivers of utes and trucks stretched out the time between cleans to three months.
Lack of basic car maintenance knowledge
The survey extended far beyond the washing of vehicles though, participants were quizzed on how well the driver understood basic car maintenance.
The findings revealed only 54% can swap a tyre and a mere 24% know how to change an oil filter. 31% rated their car knowledge as below average, with middle-aged drivers the least likely to know how to do basic maintenance. Over 65s were most likely to know basic car maintenance.
The founder of Sparesbox said, “There is a group of commuters that see their cars as workhorses without giving them much needed care. If they wash their cars, it is less than once a month, and they don’t know much about regular oil and filter changes. However, regular maintenance of a vehicle can improve fuel efficiencies on average by 2%, and can improve the life of your engine.”
Brush up your skills, and don’t forget insurance
finder.com.au has produced a basic car maintenance guide, for those in the dark about looking after a car. Don’t neglect your car’s insurance, either. Frequently shop around to compare motor insurance deals and make sure you are getting the best policy with your hard earned money.
As a side benefit of using our car insurance comparison, you’ll save enough time to give your car a good hosing down.
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Picture: Shutterstock
