Bringing your car to the repair shop often feels like booking a dental appointment: many people delay it as long as they can.
But the discomfort here isn’t physical — it’s financial. A recent Cooper Tires survey of 2,000 vehicle owners revealed that roughly 40% have postponed visiting an auto repair shop because they feared they couldn’t afford the bill.
With the average yearly outlay for car repairs hovering around $1,000, that unease makes sense. Still, you can’t just ignore mechanical problems. Putting off fixes can worsen issues and rack up bigger bills.
Handling routine maintenance and small repairs yourself is a practical way to lower the cost of owning a car. Much of what you pay at a shop isn’t for parts and materials (use coupons to save) — it’s for the technician’s labor.
If you’re new to working on vehicles, though, where should you begin?
If visual learning suits you, instructional repair and maintenance videos can be especially helpful.
YouTube hosts many free how-to clips from experienced car enthusiasts. One popular creator, known as Chris Fix, has dozens of tutorials and 3.7 million subscribers. He breaks down tasks like replacing spark plugs and changing brake pads and rotors.
Other well-known automotive channels include Scotty Kilmer and Eric the Car Guy. You can also search YouTube for tutorials tailored to the specific job and model you’re working on.
Several parts retailers and repair chains also post free instructional content on their sites. Those clips may contain promotional messaging, but you can disregard that if you plan to source parts or tools elsewhere.
For example, AutoZone offers a video collection covering basic maintenance like replacing a headlight and flushing and refilling a cooling system. Meineke provides guides on changing a tire, doing an oil change and jump-starting a car.
Your abilities and confidence level should guide what jobs you take on. Learning to perform upkeep and minor fixes is useful, but it shouldn’t replace a dependable, experienced mechanic for larger or complex repairs.
Also keep in mind that knowing how to do some repairs doesn’t eliminate the need for an emergency fund to cover significant repair expenses. Having money set aside means you’ll be less stressed if the “check engine” light ever comes on.
Want assistance building your savings? Here are a dozen strategies to help get you started.
Alex Mercer is a senior writer at Savinly.
