More car owners are taking better care of their used cars these days rather than investing in new ones. As a result, local service repair shops are enjoying the increased business in recent months.
Jerry Goodson, the owner of Jerry’s Automotive in Bristol, Virginia, has been in the repair business for over 40 years. He says his mechanics are keeping very busy these days and he doesn’t think business is going to slow down any time in the near future. In recent months, he said his business has increased by 20 percent. “I’ve never seen it quite as bad as it is now,” he said in an interview. “Customers are saying that they just can’t afford to buy a new car.”
Goodson also says that there is no reason a person shouldn’t be able to keep their used cars as long as they take care of them over the years. “I’m seeing cars on a regular basis with 100,000 and up miles on them,” he said.
Don Beach, another repair shop owner in Virginia is reporting similar findings for his shop. “I’ve had a lot more major jobs like clutches, engines, valve work where you gotta pull apart the engine valve,” he said.
If you’ve been trying to decide if you should just get a new car or hold on to your used one, evaluate your reasons. If your used car is still running decent and just needs a little work, it’s likely best to keep it and invest some money in it instead of going all out and buying a new one.