In Australia, most car owners are being forced to re-drive or reduce vehicle maintenance because the cost of living is increasing and some abandoning vital repairs entirely.
A new study from Canstar reveals 57 per cent of Australian households delayed, reduced, or cancelled their car-related expenses in 2025.
Nearly half of the 2700 owners surveyed admitted to having either delayed or skipped a schedule car service, 28 per cent stopped buying ‘brand new model’ – and 17 percent scrapped plans for purchasing.
Worryingly, a quarter said they were neglecting necessary repairs on their vehicle, including safety items like brake pads and tyres.
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The worst offenders were Gen Zers and Millennials, who had been at 69 per cent for the most part (67 percent) respectively; 60 per Cent in Gen Xers said they had “pushed back, reduced or canned car costs.”
The study found that 42 per cent had made similar calls about their own cars while Baby Boomers were the demographic with the lowest numbers.
Motorists in Victoria and Western Australia have been facing the most expensive pressures of living across the country, with 60 per cent of those surveyed in those states admitting to cancelling (or reducing or postponing car-related costs).
meanwhile, Tasmanian drivers, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland recorded 59 per cent, 57 percent, 56 per percent and 54 per Cent.
People in the Australian Capital Territory were a minority of those people, but only – 49 per cent had to make those financial decisions.
For example, safety is the number one priority when it comes to your car, well above saving money, so servicing and maintenance has to be on the list of non-negotiables,” Canstar’s director for data insights, Sally Tindall, said in an interview with a company that oversees all aspects of their vehicle.
She said ‘It’s a bit of an innocuous thing to wait for if your car is perfectly fine, but those regular check-ups can help identify safety issues and may prevent much larger, more expensive costs down the track.
“Regular servicing can also extend the lifespan of your car and boost its resale value.”
Another approach to reducing outgoings was found by owners, with 17 per cent cutting down on quality of the fuel they put in their car – or just shaving off how much each week.
In the last 12 months, a total of 21 per cent of Australians feeling pinch reduced or cancelled non-compulsory car insurance and five percent sold ‘owned’ & did not replace it with their own car.
Consumer Price Index (CPI) In Australia, inflation rose from 3 to 4 according to the consumer price index. 4 to 3? During the 12 months to December 2025, 8 per cent of s were employed.
However, the Transport Affordability Index of Australian Automobile Association says Australian households are spending 15 per cent on their household. For example, 6 per cent of income on transport costs – forking out $452 in the week average – is almost $100 hikes in just five years.
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Australians straining under skyrocketing transport costs
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