28% of Motorists Had Auto Breakdown in Last Year
15 September 1998
28% of Motorists Had Auto Breakdown in Last Year, New AAA Survey Shows ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 15 -- A large number of motorists have
experienced mechanical or operational breakdowns in the past year, according
to a survey released today by AAA that shows many of these breakdowns could
have been prevented if drivers had properly maintained their vehicles.
At least 28 percent of 1,500 motorists surveyed said they had at least one
problem in the last year that disabled their vehicle.
The survey also found that while 74 percent of vehicle owners said they
were familiar or very familiar with the manufacturer's recommended maintenance
schedule, only about half of all respondents regularly followed those
recommendations.
Those who said they had at least one breakdown in the past 12 months were
as follows:
* Tires -- 28 percent of drivers said they had a flat tire, 9 percent in
the month preceding the July survey.
* Battery -- 22 percent reported needing a jump start, 6 percent in the
month preceding the survey.
* Tows -- 13 percent revealed that they needed their vehicle towed, 3
percent in the month preceding the survey.
"These findings underscore the importance of following the service
schedule in the owner's manual, especially during severe winter weather when a
breakdown can be more than just an annoyance," said Dave Van Sickle, AAA
Automotive and Consumer Information director.
"October is Car Care Month, and motorists who usually skimp on routine
maintenance should take this opportunity to get their vehicle checked out to
help prevent reliability problems before cold weather arrives," Van Sickle
advised. "An older battery that barely starts the engine now is almost sure
to fail when the temperature dips near zero or below."
The survey, which was conducted for AAA by Westgate Research in St. Louis,
showed that motorists didn't know as much about their vehicle's maintenance
and operation as they thought.
While 65 percent of respondents said they should have their vehicle's
tires rotated every 10,000 miles or less, 67 percent spent nothing on tire
rotation in the past year. In addition, 38 percent didn't know their
vehicle's correct tire pressure.
"AAA recommends as a general rule rotating tires every 6,000 to 7,500
miles and using this time to carefully inspect tires to determine how much
longer they should last," Van Sickle said.
More than 43 percent of drivers didn't know the recommended gasoline
octane level for their cars, and 38 percent most often bought mid-grade or
premium gasoline even though only 10 to 15 percent of all vehicles require
high-octane fuel.
In addition, 40 percent of motorists felt that to keep a car's warranty in
force maintenance service had to be performed at a new car dealership, and 49
percent said only vehicle manufacturer parts could be used as replacement
parts.
"Routine maintenance required by warranty can be performed by a dealer, an
independent service shop or the owner as long as the owner documents the
service with appropriate receipts and service records," Van Sickle explained.
To help motorists better understand how to properly maintain their
vehicles, AAA has prepared a pamphlet -- "It's Time for a Reality Check" --
that is available free from most AAA clubs. Single copies also can be
obtained by sending a self-addressed stamped business envelope to: Car Care
Tips, MS 75, 1000 AAA Drive, Heathrow, FL 32746-5063.
AAA is a not-for-profit federation of 96 clubs with 1,100 offices
providing nearly 41 million members in the United States and Canada with
travel, insurance, financial and auto-related services.
AAA news releases can be downloaded from http://www.aaa.com/news.
