More than 1 in 5 Dutch people never do anything about their car themselves

Would you like to replace the head gasket in your car yourself, adjust the valves, overhaul the transmission or replace the timing belt and water pump? We can very well imagine that you would have such work carried out by a garage. However, maintenance also exists on a much smaller scale. Consider replacing the windshield wipers or even topping up the windshield fluid. Research conducted by research agency iVox on behalf of lubricant manufacturer Petronas shows that 78 percent of Dutch people regularly carry out small jobs on the car themselves or with the help of a friend or acquaintance. This also means that more than twenty percent do not do so.

Research among 1,000 Dutch car owners shows that 22 percent also leave small jobs to the garage. Women in particular appear to prefer to outsource minor maintenance to the garage. 29 percent of female respondents indicate that they go to the garage for minor maintenance, compared to 15 percent of male respondents.

Topping up the window fluid appears to be a job that most Dutch people do themselves. 62 percent of respondents indicate that they do this themselves. 57 percent say they check the oil level themselves and half indicate that they also top up oil themselves if necessary. Things such as replacing the windshield wipers, changing a light, replacing a fuse or the air filter are also on the top list of maintenance that Dutch people most often perform themselves. However, often is relative. Only 2.2 percent of respondents indicate that they replace the air filter themselves.

More than 23 percent of respondents say they check their car or have it checked before they go on holiday with it. 12 percent of respondents take the car to the garage for this purpose, and 11 percent check the car themselves. Also interesting: 43 percent of respondents say they carry out preventive maintenance at fixed times. 30 percent only go to the garage when the car reports a problem. 14 percent perform preventative maintenance at fixed times.

What do you do or don’t do to your car yourself?