{"id":499,"date":"2024-11-05T15:04:29","date_gmt":"2024-11-05T15:04:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sterling-insurance.co.uk/blog\/?p=499"},"modified":"2026-01-23T10:12:01","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T10:12:01","slug":"car-confidence-survey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sterling-insurance.co.uk/blog\/car\/car-confidence-survey\/","title":{"rendered":"Revealed: The generational divide on confidence around tackling simple car DIY tasks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It seems a rite of passage when growing up to be told that \u201cwe used to fix things ourselves\u201d by the older members of your family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But was that actually the truth or rose-tinted memories of supposedly simpler times? And is it the case now when it comes to fixing minor issues with cars? Are grandparents and parents actually likely to get their hands dirty when it comes to simple motoring DIY tasks or will they be heading to the garage? Will you be watching a YouTube tutorial to try and save money or does the thought of lifting up the bonnet terrify you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sterling Insurance decided to separate fact from fiction by asking the questions that matter to thousands of drivers from different generations \u2013 and the answers were fascinating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DIY Millennials shunning garages in favour of trying to mend car issues themselves first<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We surveyed more than 1,250 of our customers on a wide range of topics, including how confident they are about taking on simple motoring maintenance<\/a> matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And one of the most surprising revelations was that Millennials<\/a> are the only generation who would attempt to fix their car before they decided to take it to the garage.

Three-quarters of that age group (28-43 year olds) are trying to mend motors themselves, unlike the supposedly more DIY-savvy Gen X<\/a> (44-59) and Baby Boomers<\/a> (60-78). Nearly two-thirds of drivers in those two older age groups will contact a mechanic first, while, perhaps unsurprisingly, young Gen Z<\/a> (17-27) motorists would do the same and ask a parent or guardian before they decide to get their hands dirty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Over three in four respondents are able to fit wiper blades and jump start their car<\/a> but almost half of Gen Z say they are unlikely to be able to replace a tyre<\/a>. Two in five Gen Z say they wouldn\u2019t be able to fit a headlight bulb and come bottom in five of the six categories when it comes to how confident they were around completing minor jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gen Z turn to parents before YouTube to try and fix minor vehicle issues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The access to information has never been greater, with self-help tutorials littering social media channels like YouTube.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet our results raised more than a few eyebrows when it showed that the youngest drivers, Gen Z, were turning to their parents first instead of going online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cautious Millennials surveyed state they do weekly oil checks while Gen Z only do monthly reviews on routine areas at best, even preferring to wait for a warning light to come on around the health of their battery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Car confidence survey tells all about age-based motoring maintenance habits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The research includes analysis of purchasing habits, the popularity of brands, the differences between who is driving manual or automatics and what generations are most readily adopting alternative fuel sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it also focuses on the differing habits regionally, with both being detailed below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All ages are most likely to have manual cars with petrol or diesel fuel, however, as car owners get older they are more likely to be open to owning automatic cars and hybrid or electric fuels \u2013 perhaps because they have more disposable income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ford was the most popular brand among the survey with 13% of respondents owning one, pipping Volkswagen and Vauxhall to the popularity prize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Millennials are the most likely age group to clean their car weekly (41%) while four in five owners clean their vehicle themselves. Just over one in five pay for a manual car wash but 13% of Gen Z admitted to getting their dad to clean their car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The percentage of those who have a second-hand car is highest among younger generations. Over four in five will have a test drive and look at vehicle history when buying a used car. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearly 60% of Gen Z, and 50% of females, get a family member to look at a second-hand car before they buy it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Location matters when it comes to how you treat your car<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The stats are fascinating but we went even further to pull out some intriguing traits when it comes to the driver\u2019s location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The key findings we unearthed include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

London<\/h3>\n\n\n\n