Financial ease and car ownership don't always go hand-in-hand. RepairPal's recnet survey found young drivers are paying more in car maintenance than seasoned drivers, close to $157 more.
Studying the results, RepairPal found nearly three quarters of teen and young adult drivers are the ones footing the bill for routine maintenance. Of those, over 60% says they'll need to pay for major repairs without mom or dad.
The Robinson siblings, Christopher and Christiana, have nearly 3 years of driving experience together. Additionally, they've spent a combined total of almost $1,300 in car repairs. Christiana said did her best to save a few dollars.
"I tried to do everything I could to make the cost cheaper by buying the parts, because the parts aren't really that much. But, it still ended up being around $800," says Christiana.
Christopher says their mother, Bridget Robinson, didn't abandon him when the bill came. But the responsibility mostly fell on his shoulders and the choice was simple.
"Not being able to move the car at all, was one of my biggest pushes to get it fixed," says Christopher.
RepairPail found the national average cost for major repair work on hundreds of make and model combinations. Then, added that to the number of times specific age groups researched those repair costs; leading to the result of drivers 18 to 24 spending around $724 versus drivers 25 and older spending $567.
Another reason for high bills, driving habits. RepairPal notes studies on younger drivers found them showing risky behavior behind the wheel, leading to more accidents.
But the Robinsons aren't buying it.
" False, because all the problems that were on my car were something that like, I'm pretty sure, happened before I bought the car. I just didn't know about," says Christopher.
"People in Milwaukee, I don't believe, know how to drive. My accident was the other driver's fault,"says Christiana.
RepairPal says the timing for repairs will greatly impact the bill. Christiana agrees.
"Initially you should try to get things fixed as soon as you find out that they're broken, because it could be costly if you wait too long and let it linger into an even bigger situation," says Christiana.
