Dead Serious: The Hidden Dangers of DIY Car Maintenance

In the world of car maintenance, the allure of saving money can often lead vehicle owners down the DIY path. However, the true cost of this choice can be far more than financial—it can be a matter of life and death.

About 36 years ago when I was a young mechanic, I was laying down working on a car when I realized the hydraulic lift started leaking and before I knew it, the car was pressed against my chest. I was yelling for help and could feel that I only had a few more breaths left in me. The car was a Ferrari and I thought about how the newspaper article would report… “Man crushed by Ferrari”. Luckily, my coworker figured out what was happening and rescued me. I’ve told that story many times and I never put myself in that position again. I recently had lunch with a friend, and I was telling him about a video I made about changing your own oil. https://youtu.be/HDl5fs6Mwsk and he told me that he had just gone to a funeral of his cousins that was crushed by his car because the jack fell over. I started doing some research and discovered that 4,800 people were hospitalized, and some of them had to have limbs amputated.

Fast forward to the present, and the dangers of DIY car maintenance remain as prevalent as ever. A casual conversation over lunch revealed a tragic story—a friend mourning the loss of a cousin, crushed by a car due to a jack failure. This is not an isolated incident. Research shows that annually, approximately 4,822 people in the U.S. are rushed to emergency rooms with injuries from car jack malfunctions, some resulting in amputations.

The risks of DIY oil changes and other car maintenance tasks are risky:

• Spilled oil on driveways is not only an eyesore but also a stubborn stain to remove.
• Stripped drain plugs can lead to costly repairs and towing charges.
• Proper disposal of used oil is an environmental responsibility that cannot be overlooked.
• Incorrect filters can mean repeated trips to the auto parts store, wasting time and resources.

Everything is expensive these days…including oil changes. But it’s not worth saving a few bucks trying to change your own oil. It’s not worth the time, money, or your life. 

With the average cost of a professional synthetic oil change at $145.00, compared to the DIY cost of $100 plus labor, the savings may seem significant. But when weighed against the potential risks, including the ultimate price of one’s life, the conclusion is clear: it’s simply not worth it.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) underscores the gravity of these risks with stark statistics. The message is clear: no amount of money saved can equate to the value of a human life. So, think twice before you go under your car—your life is worth infinitely more than a few saved dollars.