The Future of Vehicle Maintenance: Consumer Behavior, Legislation, and Market Dynamics in 2026

While there is no crystal ball to deliver the state of the industry in 2026, there are solid indicators to pinpoint various trends—both positive and negative.

As tariffs continue to threaten profit margins and technology shoehorns itself between technicians and the Right to Repair, one thing is certain—Americans love their vehicles.

“It’s interesting that the industry is somewhat insulated from a weak or strong economy because people need their vehicles,” notes Rob Pietrowski, VP Research at IMR/Endeavor Business Intelligence.

According to data collected by IMR from vehicle owners and repair shops, there are several topics that have catapulted to the front of the line while others have taken a backseat in the list of priorities when it comes to vehicle ownership and maintenance. For instance, research suggests finding good technicians is not as pressing an issue for many shops as it has been in years past. So, what is at the top of the list? Sit back and take a look at what the experts have to say about the automotive repair industry in 2026.

According to Research

1.    People are becoming more price aware. As talk of inflation and tariffs continues, consumers are tuning in. So, it’s probably not surprising that 71.6% of shop owners surveyed note their customers are slightly more concerned about price compared to 2024.

“There's a cost-of-ownership issue that's really going to start to impact the industry because vehicle insurance costs are up dramatically, new and used vehicle prices are up significantly, financing costs are higher than they've been in the past, and then the cost of repair vehicles is higher than it's been in a strong uptrend,” Pietrowski points out. “So, all of these factors are going to make it more difficult for the average consumer to buy and maintain a vehicle and I think that's going to become a big issue in our industry.

As a result, Pietrowski adds, Americans will try to hold onto their vehicles longer to avoid the high costs of new car purchases. This trend will likely prompt consumers to inquire with auto shops about the ability to finance repairs. In addition to funding mechanisms, Pietrowski says, consumers have steadily increased their habits in doing their research on automotive repair shops, purchasing parts online, and performing maintenance themselves even if they haven’t done a job previously.

“We’ll see preventative maintenance categories like oil changes and air filters where people are going to try to delay them because of financial pressure,” he says.

2.    Engine repairs and rebuilds are becoming more prevalent. On the flip side, Pietrowski says, because people are holding onto vehicles longer, they are investing more in them. For example, engine replacements have skyrocketed more than 146% in 10 years while engine rebuilds have seen a 148% increase in the same timeframe. 
He attributes this not only to more price-conscious shoppers, but also the lack of availability due to stricter environmental regulations.

“It’s the result of the government push for fuel economy and electrification that had an impact on what engines are offered in new vehicles,” he explains. “So, in other words, there are fewer V8s available for pickup truck buyers, which means more rebuilds of old V8s and more big engine work. So, in a climate where big vehicles have become prohibitively expensive for a lot of consumers, big repairs on their existing vehicle become a more practical option.”  

3.    Finding good techs is taking a backseat to finding affordable parts. Speaking of affordability, the topic seems to outweigh the age-old gripe of “good employees are hard to find” and is instead replaced by “good parts are hard to find.” 

While finding quality employees remains in the top concerns for shop owners, other issues have risen to the top of the list:

• Finding affordable parts.
• Finding the right parts.
• Keeping overhead costs low.

Pietrowski adds he expects this trend to continue so long as the economic conditions remain unchanged.

“I think good shops are always looking for good techs, but in the big picture, the demand for techs has maybe softened a bit based on the state of the economy,” he notes.

Legally Speaking

On the legislative side, the pulse of the industry will remain strong and vibrant in the new year, says Lisa Foshee, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and general counsel for the Auto Care Association.

“From an economic standpoint, our industry continues to thrive and meet the challenges that the market presents,” she notes. “We have done that for 100 years and we continue to evolve, change, and meet the next big challenge.”

Still, the market faces three challenges that are tough to ignore. Among them:

Right to Repair

Maine and Massachusetts led the charge in passing legislation that requires manufacturers to provide access to vehicle repair and diagnostic data. In Maine, an amendment to the first Right to Repair law passed is currently under scrutiny and threatens to reverse the approval of 80% of the voters who favored the law.

“The automakers ran a campaign to support an amendment to that law that essentially gutted any obligation on them to produce or make available repair and maintenance data and unfortunately that amendment passed through the legislature,” Foshee explains. “At the state level, it really shows how much the automakers oppose making this repair data available to vehicle owners. They are fighting it on every front.”

On Jan. 7, Gov. Janet Mills vetoed the legislation and cited independent auto repair shops being “left at a significant competitive disadvantage” and consumers having “fewer choices for automotive service and repair” for her reasons.  

On the federal side, Foshee says the fight will continue to pass the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act, which at press time had 40 co-sponsors in the House and six co-sponsors in the Senate. The bill aims to offer standardized legislation that requires manufacturers to provide shops access to vehicle diagnostic, repair, and maintenance data.  

“Particularly in times of economic difficulty, it’s really important for American families to be able to have a choice. The automotive aftermarket does 70% of out-of-warranty repairs, so that means vehicle owners choose the aftermarket 70% of the time to keep their vehicles running,” she notes. “We need this law to persevere.”

Extended Producer Responsibility

In the meantime, Foshee expects topics like extended producer responsibility laws to have a bigger impact on suppliers, retailers, and distributors in 2026.

The purpose of these laws, Foshee explains, is to shift the cost of recycling programs from states and municipalities to the producers of the material. This not only includes the products themselves, but the packaging in which they are delivered. What makes the laws taxing is that they vary from state to state, according to Foshee, leaving manufacturers scrambling to comply.

“While good intentioned, what this has resulted in is a disparate patchwork of very complicated, very onerous regulations on our (manufacturers), many of whom don't even realize that these laws apply to them,” Foshee points out.

Colorado and Oregon currently have laws in place with compliance deadlines looming. Similar laws are expected in Washington, Minnesota, Maryland and Maine, with New Jersey and New York poised to potentially follow.

“You need to look at these laws to see if you are covered. No one should be assuming that they're not covered without having done an analysis because the penalties are potentially draconian all the way up to not being allowed to sell your product in a particular state,” she warns.

She encourages shop owners to ask their vendors and distributors about the regulations and their ability to comply.

Tariffs

As the industry adjusts to life after implementing tariffs, it braces for the possibility of more. However, Foshee applauds the manner in which it has been handled and encourages individuals to keep responding without reacting.

“I think the industry has done a great job after the initial wave of tariffs of approaching these changes with a thoughtful, measured response because we know they can change,” she says. “The best thing that we can do is try not to ride the roller coaster on these because the market does seem to be sorting itself out in response to the tariffs. And I think 2026 will just call for more of that thoughtful response as the differing tariffs get implemented.”

As for future tariffs, Foshee advises shop owners not to get caught up in the fear of the unknown.

“Focus on running your business, focus on doing the best you can do by your customers, and focus on getting new talent,” she asserts. “And I think the rest of it is going to all sort itself out.”