Inside the Mind of the 'Shade Tree' Mechanic

Hankook Tire Gauge Index reveals how confident Americans are regarding car maintenance

WAYNE, NJ -- April 23, 2015: For many drivers, the harsh winter really took its toll on their beloved vehicles. Now with spring and National Car Care Month in full swing, Hankook Tire polled Americans to see how confident they are in their abilities to maintain their cars and repair winter damage.

In its latest Quarterly Gauge Index, Hankook found that while American confidence is high when it comes to car care, sometimes maintenance and repair is best left to the experts. Forty-six percent (46%) of Americans say they are confident in performing regular car maintenance tasks such as changing oil, spark plugs and air filters. However, seventy-two percent (72%) of Americans say they rely on a mechanic they trust to maintain and give advice about their vehicles.

Additionally, throughout the spring and summer, most drivers will continue to face an increasing amount of potholes resulting from this year's harsh winter. If not maneuvered carefully, potholes can cause significant damage to tires, and Hankook also wanted to find out how American drivers feel about changing a tire. Hankook found that fifty-two percent (52%) of Americans are confident when it comes to working the jack and iron. Surprisingly, even though nearly half find themselves incapable of performing this task, all Americans believe it should take an average of 17.5 minutes to change a tire.

"Our quarterly Hankook Gauge Index continually reveals unique insights into Americans' sentiments and behaviors about driving," said Henry Kopacz, Public Relations and Social Media Manager, Hankook Tire America Corp. "These results in particular bring attention to how skilled Americans consider themselves to be with their vehicles and their approach when handling routine maintenance."

The Hankook Tire Gauge Index is a quarterly survey of Americans that uncovers their attitudes and opinions about all things related to driving. The spring installment of the survey, conducted March 25 – 26, 2015, polled 1,015 randomly selected Americans on spring driving and what is on their minds as the season approaches.