Leave it to the Experts: DIY Damage repairs are on the rise

When it comes to repairing your own vehicle, many take pride in the fact that they’ve done it themselves, achieving a serviceable result while also saving money and getting one over on those greedy garages. However, when things go wrong with a DIY repair it can often result in increased costs, sometimes even more than what the original damage would have cost to repair.

According to a recent study by FixMyCar, 58% of their technicians they surveyed said they had seen an increase in the number of cars arriving in their bodyshops needing professional remedial work after failed homemade repairs.

This increase in botched repairs can be down to a number of factors, including drivers attempting to save money due to the Cost-of-Living Crisis, the increasing popularity on social media of automotive influencers repairing their own vehicles and making it look easy, and even the growing number of people assuming their skills are transferrable, “I can paint a wall, why not a car”.

Revive! have covered the increase in homemade repairs previously in our article “Leave it to the experts: When T-Cut just won’t cut it” in which we explain the various advantages one of our IMI accredited technicians have over your everyday John Smith. This not only includes the training, but also the equipment, technique, patience and preparation to perform the repair, expertly returning your car to its original state.

FixMyCar came to a similar conclusion, with Matt Wrankmore, Head of the FixMyCar Garage Network claiming “This research confirms what we’ve been hearing from our mechanics nationwide – bodgeflation is real. Simple maintenance like checking fluids or changing wiper blades is great for DIY, but when people attempt complex repairs to save money, it often backfires. Getting professional help from trusted mechanics for these types of jobs is always more economical, and far safer, in the long run.”

This mirrors Revive!’s own advice from the article last year, “While a little bit of T-cut and an old rag or doing it yourself with a spray can and some sandpaper may seem like the way to go, to have a professional repair that won’t make you grimace when you look at it, take it to the professionals. Revive!’s dedicated IMI accredited SMART repairers are waiting for your call.”

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