
A new study has revealed the car maintenance jobs motorists feel most and least confident about tackling themselves.
According to an AA-Populus survey, more than 97% of drivers can open the bonnet and top up the windscreen washer fluid. However, checking the power steering and changing the oil are the hardest tasks.
Top 5 tasks that drivers feel most confident doing themselves:
- Open the bonnet – 98%
- Top up windscreen washer fluid – 97%
- Check tyre pressure – 93%
- Check engine oil level – 91%
- Top-up engine oil – 86%
Top 5 tasks that drivers feel are the hardest:
- Change oil and oil filter – 31% confident to do this themselves
- Check power steering is working – 46%
- Check for safe level of brake fluid – 63%
- Change a flat tyre / fit spare wheel – 63%
- Change windscreen wiper blade – 75%
Older and wiser
It appears that age is a deciding factor when looking at vehicle maintenance confidence, with an average of 77% of drivers aged over 65 claiming they could carry out the tasks listed in the survey.
Conversely, one in three drivers aged 18-24 weren’t confident tackling the same tasks.
While 97% of the youngest age bracket felt confident opening the bonnet of their vehicle, less than half were comfortable with tasks relating to flat tyres, brake fluid, power steering and oil changes.