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Mechanics: Drivers putting off repairs
Many shop owners cite slowing economy
BY KATHY PARKER Gazette Reporter

    Tight budgets are causing some car owners to put off minor repairs, but the result can be more expensive repairs down the road.
    Rich Loya of Rich’s Route 50 Service Center in Ballston Spa said he’s part of a group of about a dozen privately owned car repair shops who talk on a regular basis. All are reporting the same trend.
    “People are waiting too long to have repairs done, and what would have been a $100 job turns into a $400 or $500 job,” Loya said.
    As an example, Loya told a customer three months ago that her car needed new brake pads and some other minor repairs.
    “She said she didn’t have the money right then. Now, three months later, the calipers are gone and the brake lines have to be replaced in what is a labor-intensive repair job that will cost almost $500,” he said.
    Ralph Bombardier, executive
director of the New York State
Association of Service Stations
and Repair Shops, said Tuesday
that some small shops are in danger of going out of business for lack of customers.
    “I had a guy [in Ulster County] who told me he only had four cars in a week recently,” Bombardier said. “Part of it could be the price of gas is so high, people are using their cars less. If you don’t move it, it won’t break.”
    Bombardier said his statewide organization represents more than 4,000 independent car repair shops.
    “I’ve been with the association since 1979 and I’ve seen ups and downs, but this time it looks like we will have a sustained problem,” he said. “The price of gas doesn’t look like it’s going down any time soon.”
    The price of crude oil has doubled since 2005 from $50.23 per barrel to $102.45 a barrel as of Monday.
    He said the service station labor rates are generally between $65 and $110 an hour, which causes some customers to shy away.
    “The cost of business is high. Tools cost $10,000 to $15,000 a set these days,” Bombardier said.
    Loya’s garage charges $75 an hour for labor, which he said is a fair price considering the cost of skilled workers, equipment and insurance.
    Tuesday morning a customer paying for routine maintenance was told that his suspension needed attention soon.
    “He’s not going to take care of it now,” Loya said as the man drove away. “If he lets it go too long and a spring breaks, it can take out a tire, too.”
    Loya said as he talks with other service station owners, they report that fewer people are bringing cars in for repairs each day, but when the cars are finally brought in, they require more time in the service bay.
    “A year ago, I would have 20 or 30 cars a day dropped off for work when we could get to it. Now we may get 10 a day in addition to our appointments,” he said.
    Eric Giroux of Evolution Auto Works in Troy said he, too, thinks the number of his customers putting off repairs seems to be increasing.
    He said he has noticed parents of young children are more apt to have repairs done quickly.
    “People with no kids seem to let things go longer,” he said. “If it’s still moving, they think it’s OK. But, if young children will be riding in the vehicle, I see parents saying they want the car to be safe.”
    Dick Snyder of Snyder’s Service Station in Rotterdam said he saw a dip in business in February, but that’s not out of the ordinary.
    “February is usually a quiet month and it may have been a little quieter than usual this year, but we’re back to normal now,” he said.
    Snyder said winter months result in cars which need repairs for damage caused by hitting potholes or general cold weather maladies.
    The independent service station owners said they have noticed car owners will come into them as soon as warranties expire at their dealerships.
    Loya said dealerships often do very detailed inspections that discover smaller problems that might be overlooked by a neighborhood repair shop.
    “We might not feel every little thing needs attention by the book like a dealer would,” he said.
    Bombardier said there are some things on newer cars that may force an owner back to the dealer.
    “The new cars have computer systems that are very sensitive. Some keep track of everything down to the tire pressure. If you have a flat tire, you have to have the gauge reset at the dealership,” he said.
    Bob Becker, who has been a service manager at the Gable Auto and Truck Center in Cobleskill for 18 years, said the dealership has lost a few customers to smaller service stations that might charge less.
    “Things are a little slow right now, but that’s because people are afraid of the economy,” Becker said. “I’ve seen it worse. About 10 years ago we were so slow there were days we didn’t have any work after 10 a.m. some days.”
    He said a slump in the economy then was to blame.
    “When money is tight you do the minimum that you have to do to get by,” he said.
Reach Gazette reporter
Kathy Parker at 885-6705 or
kparker@dailygazette.net.