- Zero Americans trust Gen Z to change a tire during roadside emergencies.
- Gen X earns strongest trust, 67 percent believing Xers could swap a tire over.
- Despite poor public perception many Gen Z drivers do successfully complete repairs.
If you’re stranded with a flat tire somewhere in America, don’t expect many people to hand the jack to a Gen Z driver to help. According to a new global survey, not a single US respondent said younger motorists would be their first choice for changing a tire.
The research, commissioned by Autotrader UK and based on responses from more than 3,000 drivers across 15 countries, found that Americans overwhelmingly trust Gen X when roadside repairs are needed. Some 67 percent picked drivers aged roughly 46 to 61 as the generation they’d trust most to swap a tire, while Gen Z scored a remarkable zero percent.
Also: A $4,900 Per Month AI Robot Is Coming For The $17-An-Hour Guy Who Changes Your Tires
The US wasn’t alone, either. Drivers in the UK, Portugal, and Australia were equally unconvinced, with Gen Z also receiving no votes in those countries. Globally, the youngest generation managed just 2 percent support, while Gen X dominated, with 57 percent saying they’d trust them most to handle a tire change.
Read: California Isn’t Banning Performance Tires, But It Might Decide What Aftermarket Tires You Can Buy
Interestingly, Gen Z doesn’t share that lack of confidence in its peers. In the UK, 43 percent of younger drivers believe they can change a tire (even though few cars now have them) while 29 percent of American Gen Z respondents say they feel capable too. The problem, it seems, isn’t confidence. It’s convincing everyone else.
TikTok The Teacher
The study also suggests younger drivers are learning differently rather than avoiding car maintenance altogether. Across most countries, Gen Z is the generation most likely to seek repair advice through social media, YouTube, TikTok, and AI tools. The US is one of the few exceptions where Millennials actually lead social media use for automotive guidance, while Gen X tops AI usage, which is kind of scary.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is that Gen Z’s reputation may be much worse than reality. Among younger drivers who’ve actually attempted repairs, over 80 percent in most countries said they didn’t make the problem worse. Which I guess counts as a successful fix. The exception is South Africa, where almost half of Gen Z said they’d made a problem worse while attempting a repair.
Most And Least Trusted Generations
- Gen Z: 1997-2012
- Millennials: 1981-96
- Gen X: 1965-80
- Baby boomers: 1946-64
- Silent Generation: 1928-45
