DriverSide examines consumers' thoughts on vehicles, maintenance

DriverSide has teamed with Kelton Research in surveying consumers on automobile maintenance. Rising gas prices, a faltering economy and a poor job market mean more and more people are pressed for time and money. And in the new survey, Americans say the upkeep of a car can take up too much of both. Whether it's an unplanned repair or just regular maintenance, Americans across the country are finding car care a challenging chore.

Survey Details:
Expensive Repairs
• Taken For A Ride? Americans are afraid they're being worked over as
their cars are worked on: nearly one in two (46 percent) lack confidence that their mechanic is charging them a fair price.

• Older, But Not Wiser? Is it a case of "older and wiser," or are the young more the wise when it comes to car mechanics? More than three in five (63 percent) Americans age 55 and over say they are confident that their mechanic is charging them a fair rate. Less than half (49 percent) of those between ages 18 and 54 can say the same.

• No Confidence on the Coasts. Just over one in 10 (13 percent) Americans in the South and the Midwest are certain they're getting a bum deal from their mechanics: the number rises to nearly one in five (18 percent) among residents of the West and the Northeast.

An Inconvenient Truth
• Repair Dread. Americans aren't thrilled by having to keep up with their cars' regularly scheduled maintenance -- close to half (46 percent) claim doing so is a hassle and an inconvenience.

• No Quick Fix for Females. Performing regularly scheduled car maintenance can be a pain, but for who? While nearly three in five men (59 percent) don't mind the task, half (50 percent) of all women say bringing the car in to the shop just isn't up their alley.

• It's An Age Thing. Keeping a regular maintenance schedule is an even bigger problem for the young. Six out of 10 Americans ages 18 to 34 complain of the inconvenience of car maintenance (60 percent), compared to less than four out of 10 (39 percent) of their less bothered counterparts ages 35 and older.

The survey demonstrates problems faced by all auto owners in the maintenance, servicing and ownership of their vehicles.

For more information, visit www.driverside.com.