10-04-2025
Las Vegas valley drivers pumping the brakes on car maintenance, mechanics say
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Springtime is when mechanics normally see customers bringing their cars in before the desert heat kicks in. However, Las Vegas mechanics told 8 News Now that this year it's a different situation.
Gerard Bartolomeo, owner of Last Stop Auto, said things are eerily slow at his shop.
'It's not what it should be, even though it's tax season,' Bartolomeo said. 'It's usually quiet, but it's been it's been exceptionally quiet the last, last six weeks.'
It's not just his garage.
'I got another friend here on Polaris, he's quiet. I've got a cousin who's got a shop, he's quiet,' Bartolomeo said. 'I even got a couple of friends back in New York, and they've been here 35 years, it's quiet, he says.'
They told 8 News Now the number of hoods they've popped open recently has dropped and is looking closer to what it was like during the COVID-19 pandemic.
'I'm down probably 25% to 35% from what I should be normally,' Bartolomeo said.
Mechanics said they believe the reason for the slowdown is people trying to save money while prices seem to rise at full throttle.
'I just think right now with the economy, the way it's up and down, I think people are just holding onto their money until they see what's going to happen,' Bartolomeo said.
He and others are relying on the fact that cars can't run forever without maintenance.
'Eventually they'll have to fix it if they don't buy a new one, you know, because you can only go so long before you have to fix it,' Bartolomeo said. 'Hopefully it'll turn around.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
