Three Reasons for Rising Car Repair Costs

Prices are on the rise. Unfortunately, automotive repair is showing the same trend. Here are three reasons for the rising car repair costs.

Inflation is a…. Well, you know!

Wherever you look, prices are rising. Doctors, groceries, eating out, and goods & services are all rising. Unfortunately, automotive repair is showing the same trend.

What a lot of people don’t understand is why the price of repairs has gone up so much, and why the curve doesn’t seem to be flattening. As an automotive repair shop, we hope we can provide you with some insight on what is causing the increase in your vehicle’s repair bills. Here are three reasons for the rising car repair costs.

Technology

The days of simple fixes are over. Vehicles today are closer to computers on wheels rather than the Model T that mechanics of yesteryear would work on. Today, auto mechanics more closely resemble a combination between IT workers and electricians than mechanics.

This shift in knowledge is due to the fact that vehicles today have many electrical systems. Touch screen radio and navigation, safety systems that alert the driver when they get too close to the lines, cars in front of them etc., back up camera, heated seats and so, so much more. Even systems like fuel flow, exhaust emissions, and air flow have sensors that feed into a computer. When any of those has a mishap, that mechanic has to play computer diagnostician to find exactly what is causing the issue. 

This also affects many parts. Because parts are more technologically advanced, they now cost more up front to replace. 

Higher Paid Mechanics

As mentioned earlier, auto mechanics in today’s world more closely resemble IT technicians than they do mechanics. This evolution in knowledge has led to auto mechanics with knowledge and experience in these systems becoming more highly sought after, which has led to higher wages. 

For example, in 2010, Automotive Mechanics hired by the Federal government were paid an average of 56K per year. In 2022, those wages have jumped to over 68.5K a year.

Given that private businesses want to stay relevant to potential employees, they have to either match the pay or make up for the differences through certain benefits, which have also seen rising costs.

Supply & Demand of Parts

The supply and demand of parts plays a very large role in the increase of consumers’ automotive repair bills.

Unfortunately, things did not bounce back after the COVID pandemic, and parts that used to take hours to get can now take days or weeks due to a lack of supply. Because of this, manufacturers have taken the opportunity to take the increase in demand to increase their prices. This results in higher priced parts by the time they are installed on your vehicle.

This, unfortunately, also applies to older vehicles. In fact, parts for older models can sometimes be even more difficult to find. When newer models are created, it’s common for older model parts to become phased out. This makes them hard to find and obtain, increasing their price.

Conclusion

Theses are the three reasons for rising car repair costs. We understand these circumstances are not easy to adjust to for our customers. That is why we do our best to keep our prices fair and our service excellent.

At Pugh’s Automotive Service, you can always count on us and on our mechanics to give you excellent service, trustworthy advice, and a fair price. To that end, if you are in need of a repair, please feel free to visit us at www.pughsservice.com or stop in at 728 Leipsic Rd, Dover, DE 19901.