Below is an excerpt from OEC’s The U.S. General Auto Repair Shop Survey Report. Inherited from PartsTech, and in the spirit of the annual State of General Auto Repair Shops in the U.S. Report, OEC surveyed 700 shops and spoke with industry experts to bring you a report with key trends, benchmarks, and free resources to help you uplevel your shop in 2026. Download the report to get insights you can use right away to improve your shop, increase revenue, and stay ahead of common industry challenges.
Running a successful shop starts with understanding the customers who come through the doors. In our recent survey of repair shops across the country, we found that while many shops are staying busy, the nature of customer visits and their spending habits are shifting. Understanding consumer spending behaviors, alongside understanding vehicle maintenance decisions, can help inform shops on how to better engage and educate their customers.
Customer spending habits & repair decisions have shifted
Out of nearly 700 shops surveyed, 50% said their customers are either delaying or declining work. While 21% said their customers are choosing lower-cost parts and services when they can (see chart on left).
This signals a growing sense of financial caution among vehicle owners, which many shops are now working to adapt to.
Customers are more cautious about approving work
When asked about willingness to approve recommended work compared to the year prior, 49% of shops described customers as more cautious to spend on non-required work, and 34% said their customers remain about the same when it comes to approving work (see chart on right).
For many shops, this shift means finding new ways to communicate value, trust, and safety during each interaction.
Customers are holding on to their vehicles
When it comes to the vehicles shops are seeing most often, nearly 80% have between 50,000 and 150,000 miles. Only 2% of vehicles are under 50,000 miles, while only 5% are over 150,000 miles (see chart on left).
As vehicle mileage increases, drivers will need to make sure to maintain regular maintenance and checkups to extend their vehicle’s lifespan.
Customer visits are a mix of reactive repair and proactive maintenance
In terms of maintenance behavior, the data shows that while some customers are consistent with upkeep, most fall somewhere in the middle. Most respondents (35%) reported a mix of proactive and repair-based visits (see chart below), indicating that while maintenance remains a major driver of shop activity, reactive repair work still makes up a significant portion of visits as well.
This blend of scheduled maintenance and reactive repair offers an opportunity for shops to guide customers toward more proactive maintenance schedules and educate them on preventative care. Most vehicles tend to see an increase in maintenance needs as they approach the 100,000 mile mark, but proper care can extend vehicle life well past 200,000 miles.
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Takeaway for shops
In the current environment, education and transparency will make the difference in customer interactions. Explaining why certain maintenance tasks matter, how they help prevent future costs, and what the repair process entails can encourage customers to be more active when it comes to their vehicle’s upkeep. For higher-cost repairs, offering flexibility when possible, like payment plans and staged repair scheduling options, can make those larger bills more manageable for customers without compromising safety.
Ultimately, trust remains at the center of every successful customer relationship. Being upfront about pricing, explaining the reasoning behind costs, and showing that recommendations are made with safety in mind all help build lasting loyalty. Customers who understand that a shop is looking out for their best interest are less likely to question pricing and more likely to return for future maintenance.
