OEC General Auto Repair Shop Survey Puts Spotlight on Industry Hurdles

OEC released its U.S. General Auto Repair Shop Survey Report, based on data gathered from nearly 700 shops across the U.S. in the summer and fall of 2025. 

Covering a wide array of topics impacting repair shops today, the report revealed insights into some of the most pressing topics facing the industry right now, including what technicians are looking for in roles, how shops handle parts ordering, and what consumer behavior looks like in present time.

Parts

Where are shops getting their parts from? This year’s survey showed that 68% of respondents order aftermarket parts by default and OE as needed, while 21% of respondents said they order
OE by default and aftermarket as needed. Meanwhile, 2% of respondents said they only order OE parts, and 8% expressed no preference. Parts availability is the most important factor when ordering parts, as shared by more than a third of respondents.

Additionally, shops most commonly order directly from suppliers’ websites, followed closely by ordering through software solutions, i.e., parts aggregators. Streamlining the process makes sense, as this year’s survey respondents said they work with about 5.8 parts suppliers and dealers on average for their parts ordering needs. Half of the respondents also said they order directly over the phone as one of the primary ways they order parts.

Shop owners definitely impact what parts decide to be ordered, as affirmed by 44% of respondents; but for many shops these decisions are also made by service writers/advisors, or the parts manager. Both roles were each cited as influencing what parts are ordered by 38% of those surveyed.

Most respondents cited the shop’s service writer or advisor as the primary person responsible for parts ordering, with other roles cited including shop owner, parts manager, shop manager.

“From what we’ve seen in talking to 500 technicians each month, availability and price are consistently at the top when it comes to parts ordering decisions, especially in today’s economic climate where inflation continues to shape how repair shops balance cost, quality, and turnaround time,” adds Anthony Shaheen, senior analyst at IMR | Endeavor Business Intelligence.

Vehicle Owners

As consumers face financial burdens, shops have seen more drivers delaying vehicle service. For example, 50% of survey respondents said their customers are either delaying or declining work. 

Compared to last year, 49% of shops say customers are more cautious about approving non-required work. This is combined with 54% of respondents reporting fewer customers coming in consistently for proactive maintenance.

As the study explores, shops will need to adapt if current trends continue. Remain honest with customers, breaking down what needs to be done to keep them safe.

Technician Shortage

The technician shortage is a hot topic, but one that continues to impact repair shops nationwide. More than half of shop owners and managers surveyed said the shortage has highly or moderately impacted their business, with over half also describing the shortage as highly to moderately significant. Technicians are feeling the shortage, too, with the majority of those surveyed saying they feel the ongoing shortage in their daily work while 89% said it is at least slightly significant.

Though there isn’t any one clear answer as to what’s behind the tech shortage, most shops cited these themes as potential causes: low compensation (24%), a negative perception of the profession (23%), limited access to training (14%), lack of awareness about the profession (13%), and competition from other industries (12%). Responses show the issue as being multifaceted, impacted by factors like economic struggles, as well as a need for more industry outreach.

As such, the most effective strategies for attracting new technicians were identified as offering competitive wages; providing ongoing training and certification opportunities; and offering flexible working hours. When it comes to retaining techs, competitive pay is also crucial, in combination with a positive work environment; work-life balance; and training/certification opportunities.

Offering ways for your techs to build their skills goes a long way in both attracting and retaining them, as highlighted in the responses. As such, 53% of shops shared having some kind of apprentice program in place, marking an uptick. Of those with programs, 28% have a formalized apprentice program.

“The technician shortage remains one of the most pressing challenges facing our industry, but the shops that invest in developing career paths and supporting continuous learning are the ones seeing real progress,” says Mike Coley, president of the ASE Education Foundation. “Building connections between schools and shops, and creating mentorship opportunities for new techs, are essential steps to ensuring a sustainable workforce for the future.”

Additionally, 72% of shops surveyed said they provide clear career paths. Of that group, 30% of them reported having structured and formalized career paths. Another 16% said they do not currently have career pathing in place, but are considering it. Career pathing can include defined growth or promotion tracks, as well as specialized training that supports advancement into diagnostic or management roles.

The top three types of career development opportunities offered to technicians were identified as advanced training and certification; specialization in specific repair/diagnostics areas; and regular performance reviews and feedback. These are initiatives actively being supported by the shops, with 61% of respondents saying they provide advanced training and certification. 57% said they encourage specialization in specific diagnostic or repair areas.

“Retaining (and developing) talent is often overlooked but is a key KPI for shop owners in today’s business climate,” added Chris Messer, executive vice president of EndeavorB2B’s Transportation Division Vehicle Service & Repair Group, Commercial Vehicle Group. “Although enrollment in trade schools is starting to show some growth indicators, these individuals won’t be productive members of the workforce immediately, and even when they begin their career in a shop environment it will take continued education and training for them to be equipped to fix today’s modern vehicles. For IRFs to succeed in future years, they must retain and invest in their current and future staff as they are the lifeblood of the business.”

For more information on OEC’s data on these topics, as well as several others including shop demographics, technology, and more, the full report is available on PartsTech’s website.