【Exclusive Survey】"Spring Repair Car Ranking" Announced Based on 31 Stores Nationwide! Consultation Cases Surge by 150% Year-on-Year.
Ikeuchi Auto announced that consultation cases for car repairs increased by 1.5 times year-on-year in March 2026 due to new car delivery delays and rising prices. The background is increased demand for long-term use and minor repairs.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 15, 2026 at 02:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 14, 2026 at 17:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 15:16 (117h 44m after Collected)
Ikeuchi Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Miyuu Ikeuchi, hereinafter "our company"), which operates an automotive body repair and painting business, has compiled repair data from its stores for March 2026 and announced the "Vehicle Model Repair Car Ranking" and a survey on automotive repair trends in spring.
*When quoting the content of this press release, please take the following actions:
- State that the source is "Survey by Ikeuchi Auto".
- Install a link to Ikeuchi Auto (URL: https://www.ikeuchi-jidousha.com).
Against the backdrop of new car delivery delays and rising prices, a significant shift in consumer awareness towards "driving existing cars for longer" is evident, with monthly consultation cases exceeding 4,000, a 1.5-fold increase compared to the same period last year.
■ Survey Overview
Survey Period: March 1, 2026 - March 31, 2026
Survey Organization: Ikeuchi Co., Ltd. (In-house survey)
Survey Target: Vehicles for which consultations were received at 30 Ikeuchi Auto stores nationwide.
Valid Cases: 4,225
Survey Method: Extraction and aggregation of repair data using the company's store management system, and analysis of damage trends by field technicians.
■ Summary
- Consultation cases increase by 1.5 times year-on-year due to increased demand from existing stores and doubling of stores.
Increased repair demand was confirmed even with existing stores compared to the previous year. Furthermore, with the store network doubling from 16 to 31 stores, 4,225 consultations were received monthly.
- Top-ranked vehicles are large cars and commercial vehicles.
Repair demands for family cars and commercial vehicles, such as "Alphard" (1st place) and "Hiace" (2nd place), accounted for the top positions.
- Trends of "Grooming Sheet Metal" and "Car Longevity".
The survey highlights repair demand for minor scratches in preparation for the new lifestyle, and smart consumer behavior driven by high prices to avoid replacing new cars, opting instead to repair and maintain their current vehicles for longer.
Detailed Survey Results
[March 2026] Vehicle Model Repair Car Ranking Top 10
The 4,225 cases compiled across 31 stores nationwide have been ranked by vehicle model. Popular models active in daily use and business rank high, with observed tendencies for damage-prone areas (weaknesses) specific to each model.
Rank | Vehicle Model | Main Tendencies
------- | -------- | --------
1st | Alphard | As is characteristic of minivans, damage is prominent not only on the bumper but also around the sliding doors.
2nd | Hiace | Significant damage (doors, quarter panels, etc.) due to the intense use during the year-end delivery rush.
3rd | Prius | Frequently used as commercial vehicles and by individual taxi drivers; bumper minor scratch repairs are most common.
4th | Freed | Overwhelmingly bumper damage in daily scenarios. Primarily minor scratch repairs specific to city driving.
5th | Sienta | Characterized by frequent repair requests for damage to the sliding doors and quarter panels on the rear sides of the vehicle body.
6th | Serena | Primarily repair of sliding doors common in family cars. Minor everyday scratches are noticeable.
7th | Aqua | Significant damage to bumpers and panels, with requests for substantial repairs.
8th | VOXY | Primarily minor everyday scratch repairs around the sliding doors due to "roll-in" incidents.
9th | Fit | Many repair requests for scratches on doors and bumpers; a concentration of small-scale requests.
10th | Vezel | Characterized by repair or replacement requests for rear panel areas such as the back door and quarter panels.
Why are consultation cases "1.5 times" that of last year, now?
Based on extensive data and field interviews, a sharp increase in demand specific to spring is occurring. Even when comparing data from existing stores operating since the same period last year, the number of consultations per store exceeds the previous year's actual results, clearly confirming a pure increase in demand for "wanting to repair cars" in each region.
Furthermore, with the store network approximately doubling from 16 stores in March last year to 31 stores, we are now able to adequately address the latent needs across a wider area that could not be handled before. As a result, the total demand for the company as a whole has significantly expanded, leading to a "1.5 times increase year-on-year for the same period."
[Inference]
Keywords:
*When quoting the content of this press release, please take the following actions:
- State that the source is "Survey by Ikeuchi Auto".
- Install a link to Ikeuchi Auto (URL: https://www.ikeuchi-jidousha.com).
Against the backdrop of new car delivery delays and rising prices, a significant shift in consumer awareness towards "driving existing cars for longer" is evident, with monthly consultation cases exceeding 4,000, a 1.5-fold increase compared to the same period last year.
■ Survey Overview
Survey Period: March 1, 2026 - March 31, 2026
Survey Organization: Ikeuchi Co., Ltd. (In-house survey)
Survey Target: Vehicles for which consultations were received at 30 Ikeuchi Auto stores nationwide.
Valid Cases: 4,225
Survey Method: Extraction and aggregation of repair data using the company's store management system, and analysis of damage trends by field technicians.
■ Summary
- Consultation cases increase by 1.5 times year-on-year due to increased demand from existing stores and doubling of stores.
Increased repair demand was confirmed even with existing stores compared to the previous year. Furthermore, with the store network doubling from 16 to 31 stores, 4,225 consultations were received monthly.
- Top-ranked vehicles are large cars and commercial vehicles.
Repair demands for family cars and commercial vehicles, such as "Alphard" (1st place) and "Hiace" (2nd place), accounted for the top positions.
- Trends of "Grooming Sheet Metal" and "Car Longevity".
The survey highlights repair demand for minor scratches in preparation for the new lifestyle, and smart consumer behavior driven by high prices to avoid replacing new cars, opting instead to repair and maintain their current vehicles for longer.
Detailed Survey Results
[March 2026] Vehicle Model Repair Car Ranking Top 10
The 4,225 cases compiled across 31 stores nationwide have been ranked by vehicle model. Popular models active in daily use and business rank high, with observed tendencies for damage-prone areas (weaknesses) specific to each model.
Rank | Vehicle Model | Main Tendencies
------- | -------- | --------
1st | Alphard | As is characteristic of minivans, damage is prominent not only on the bumper but also around the sliding doors.
2nd | Hiace | Significant damage (doors, quarter panels, etc.) due to the intense use during the year-end delivery rush.
3rd | Prius | Frequently used as commercial vehicles and by individual taxi drivers; bumper minor scratch repairs are most common.
4th | Freed | Overwhelmingly bumper damage in daily scenarios. Primarily minor scratch repairs specific to city driving.
5th | Sienta | Characterized by frequent repair requests for damage to the sliding doors and quarter panels on the rear sides of the vehicle body.
6th | Serena | Primarily repair of sliding doors common in family cars. Minor everyday scratches are noticeable.
7th | Aqua | Significant damage to bumpers and panels, with requests for substantial repairs.
8th | VOXY | Primarily minor everyday scratch repairs around the sliding doors due to "roll-in" incidents.
9th | Fit | Many repair requests for scratches on doors and bumpers; a concentration of small-scale requests.
10th | Vezel | Characterized by repair or replacement requests for rear panel areas such as the back door and quarter panels.
Why are consultation cases "1.5 times" that of last year, now?
Based on extensive data and field interviews, a sharp increase in demand specific to spring is occurring. Even when comparing data from existing stores operating since the same period last year, the number of consultations per store exceeds the previous year's actual results, clearly confirming a pure increase in demand for "wanting to repair cars" in each region.
Furthermore, with the store network approximately doubling from 16 stores in March last year to 31 stores, we are now able to adequately address the latent needs across a wider area that could not be handled before. As a result, the total demand for the company as a whole has significantly expanded, leading to a "1.5 times increase year-on-year for the same period."
[Inference]
Keywords: