Almost 80% of motorists have turned to family member for automotive advice in the past 12 months in order to save money, with 22% of these doing so on at least two occasions, and almost 15% doing so three times.
With the UK aftermarket industry worth £50bn, motorists are looking closer to home to try and slim down their spending with 48% of participants in the study admitting to asking for help to saving money.
More than half (54%) said they asked as they knew their dad would know what to do but it wasn’t just knowledge and financial benefits people were interested in – 39% put it down to enjoying learning from them and more than a fifth (23%) did so for the bonding experience.
Asking for guidance on shorter, simpler jobs seemed to be the focus for a lot of drivers, with most people (26%) spending less than one hour carrying out jobs with their dad, with two-hour jobs the next most common (25%). One-hour jobs accounted for 20% of requests for help.
Dr Tony Tong, head of automotive at eBay UK, said: “It’s no surprise that motorists are enlisting the help of dads and other family members to help carry out minor car repairs. Not only is it easier and more cost-efficient, but fixing a car together can be a great bonding experience and a lot of satisfaction comes from finding and fitting a part yourself. That’s why we’re focused on providing huge breadth across our inventory, to give all motorists the direct access to the tools and parts they need to upskill and save when it comes to DIY repairs.”
