Each week, The Pulse provides insight into the buying, sourcing and brand-loyalty habits of counter personnel and professional technicians. This week, using data from IMR’s 2007 Continuing Consumer Automotive Maintenance Survey (CCAMS), we look at the trends concerning battery replacement. CCAMS provides an in-depth look at vehicle parts and services consumption at various consumer levels.
According to IMR’s CCAMS report, battery replacements are almost evenly split between the DIY market and the DIFM market, at 47.6 percent and 52.6% percent, respectively.
It’s no surprise that battery replacement rates spike once a vehicle begins to age. For vehicles three years or younger, the replacement rate for batteries is just slightly more than 8 percent, with replacement rates spiking to more than 30 percent once the vehicle hits seven years or older. The highest replacement rate is for is for vehicles 15 years or older — 34.5 percent compared to the overall average of 25.5 percent.
For more information on IMR and its research capabilities, visit IMR at www.AutomotiveResearch.com or call 800-654-1079.