Average annual cost of auto repair expected to rise

The average annual cost of automotive repair is forecasted to increase to Cdn$1,141 in 2010 from Cdn$1,044 in 2006, according to the 2007 Outlook Study released by the Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada.
In the period spanning from 2001 to 2006, the average annual growth rate in repair costs was 3.1%, the study shows.
“The study shows some very encouraging increases in market potential for repairs and maintenance in the coming years,” Marc Brazeau, AIA president, said in a release. “It indicates many areas of opportunity within our industry and offers some solid insight into the future of our target markets.”
One such opportunity is to capture some or all of the underperformed maintenance that’s been tracked.
DesRosiers Consultants, which conducted the study, determined 47.8 million scheduled maintenance jobs were not completed on Canadian vehicles in 2006. The stats were tracked across seven categories of maintenance.
This represents a staggering Cdn$2.1 billion in lost aftermarket potential, AIA notes in the release.
The study is available to AIA members by logging in to their account at www.aiacanada.com, while non-members can purchase the study at http://www.aiacanada.com/product_list.cfm.