Australians are increasingly delaying car maintenance as cost-of-living pressures intensify, according to new research from insurance company Youi – revealing a significant shift in how drivers manage the cost of staying on the road and opening up potential safety gaps.
The ‘Youi Generational Car Care & Costs Report’ has returned in 2026 due to popular demand and shows a clear change in behaviour since the inaugural 2024 study. The proportion of Australian drivers delaying one or more non-cleaning-related car maintenance tasks has jumped from 35 per cent to 47 per cent, pointing to mounting financial pressure influencing everyday driving decisions.
Younger generations are leading this shift. Nearly eight in 10 Gen Z drivers (79 per cent) and three-quarters of Millennials (76 per cent) report putting off at least one maintenance task – including cleaning – compared with 62 per cent of Gen X and just 37 per cent of Boomers.
At the same time, driving costs are becoming one of the most acute household pressures. More than half of Australians (56 per cent) say they're spending more on car-related expenses, including fuel, car insurance and repayments – placing car ownership alongside groceries (57 per cent) as one of the country's biggest unavoidable costs. Given recent economic uncertainties, half of all drivers (50 per cent) say driving is now less affordable than it was 12 months ago.
The findings come as Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows household transport costs rose 5.1 per cent in a single month, underscoring the growing financial strain on Australian drivers.
Despite the pressure, the most commonly deferred maintenance tasks remain unchanged from 2024. Car cleaning, tyre replacement and oil changes continue to rank as the top three areas being put off by drivers.
The study also found a subtle but telling shift in household car ownership. One-car households increased from 53% to 57%, while multi-car households declined from 47 per cent to 43 per cent – a modest but consistent trend that may reflect both cost-of-living pressures on maintenance demand and increasing urban density.
Youi head of product – vehicle and lifestyle, Marni Jackson, said the research highlights a concerning trade-off emerging as Australians try to stay mobile while managing rising costs.
"Car care is still essential for most Australians, but the way people are coping has changed – either by reducing car ownership or delaying maintenance," Marni said.
"Younger Australians are under greater financial strain due to driving more. Compared to Boomers, nearly three times as many Gen Z and Millennials spend over $600 per month to run their car, leaving them with tighter budgets and a higher propensity to defer maintenance. In contrast, older Australians are less impacted as they're more able to respond by cutting back on driving - consolidating trips or travelling less frequently.
"Despite these pressures, overall driving levels have barely shifted since 2024, reinforcing just how unavoidable car use remains for everyday life. That's why Youi is urging drivers not to let essential maintenance slide to help prevent potential safety risks on the road," she said.
The research also shows maintenance neglect is becoming increasingly normalised – driven by more than cost alone. While cost remains the leading reason for delays (60 per cent), behavioural justifications are rising. Almost one in three drivers (29 per cent) now say deferred maintenance "doesn't affect drivability", up from one in five (20 per cent) in 2024. Those who say maintenance is "not a priority" have also increased over the same period.
Regular servicing habits have also declined. The proportion of Australians servicing their car every six months or more has fallen sharply – from 46 per cent in 2024 to 32 per cent in 2026 – while the number servicing less than once a year has more than doubled (from seven per cent to 16 per cent).
Despite the overall decline, Gen Z and Millennials still rank highest for frequent servicing, with 34 per cent and 38 per cent respectively saying they service their car every six months. However, this marks a clear drop from 2024, when 48 per cent of Gen Z and 40 per cent of Millennials reported bi-annual servicing – suggesting they are now struggling more to keep up with the demands of maintenance while their need to drive remains comparatively high.
Delaying routine maintenance doesn't just have an impact on driveability – it can also compromise safety, with missed servicing, worn tyres or low oil increasing the risk of breakdowns or avoidable incidents.
The 2026 Youi Generational Car Care & Costs Report builds on insights from the 2024 study, providing a comparative view of how Australians across generations are navigating rising driving costs, shifting attitudes to car ownership, and the growing tension between affordability and maintenance.
Click here to read the full report.