While inflation has cooled for food and clothing, the rising cost of repairs continues to be an issue for repair shops such as Lexington Autoworks in Lexington, Kentucky, reports LEX 18.
Though the past year has seen the overall Consumer Price Index grow by 3.5%, the cost of repairs has increased by over double that at 8.2%.
Kim Stoll is the owner of Lexington Autoworks, and has operated the downtown Lexington business for years. Since the pandemic, though, the shop has taken a hit it hasn’t fully recovered from, seeing 50 fewer cars every month on average than it did before.
Though her business does all it can to avoid raising prices for its customers, the rising cost of parts has continued to be a challenge for businesses like Autoworks. Since the pandemic began, Stoll reports having seen a 20% to 30% increase in the price of parts.
“It's been tough. It's been a challenge for the last four years,” said Stoll.
The increasing costs have caused some customers to put off repairs, but Stoll’s shop reminds drivers that ignoring vehicle maintenance can lead to bigger and costlier jobs down the road.
“There can be consequences. We recommend getting your car serviced or at least routine maintenance at least a couple times a year,” stated Stoll. “We just try to take care of it by doing good service and focusing on our customers.”
