Survey on "First Car" and "Driving with Children" 2026 - Top 1 Most Confusing Operation for First-Time Car Owners is "How to Open the Fuel Filler Cap", etc. (Part 3)
Sony Assurance Co., Ltd. announced the results of a survey on first-time car owners and driving with children, revealing that opening the fuel filler cap was the most confusing operation, and dashcams were the most essential equipment.
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- 📰 Published: April 2, 2026 at 19:30
Sony Assurance Inc. (Representative Director and President: Takayuki Suzuki, Head Office: Ota-ku, Tokyo, hereinafter "Sony Assurance") conducted an internet research survey titled "Survey on 'First Car' and 'Driving with Children'" from February 20 to February 24, 2026, for five days, targeting 18 to 39-year-old men and women who purchased their first car within the last three years, obtaining 1,000 valid responses.
This release is an excerpt from the "Survey on 'First Car' and 'Driving with Children' 2026" announced by Sony Assurance on March 31. The full text of the survey can be viewed at the following URL:
https://from.sonysonpo.co.jp/topics/pr/2026/03/20260331.html
*Survey Overview
◆Survey Title: Survey on "First Car" and "Driving with Children"
◆Survey Target: 500 men and 500 women aged 18-39 who purchased their first car within the last three years, drawn from NetAsia Research's internet monitor members.
◆Survey Period: February 20 - February 24, 2026
◆Survey Method: Internet survey
◆Survey Region: Nationwide
◆Valid Responses: 1,000 samples (1,000 samples extracted from valid responses)
◆Implementing Organization: NetAsia Inc.
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*Survey Summary
◆Most Confusing Operations for First-Time Car Owners
1st: "How to Open the Fuel Filler Cap", 2nd: "Car Navigation System Operation", 3rd: "Side Mirror Adjustment"
◆TOP 3 "Absolutely Essential" Equipment When Purchasing a First Car
"Dashcam", "ETC In-Vehicle Unit", "Rear-View Monitor/Panoramic View Monitor"
For those whose first car purchase was triggered by "pregnancy/childbirth", "power sliding doors" was 20.6%
When all 1,000 respondents were asked about operations they found confusing when driving their first car, "how to open the fuel filler cap" (12.5%) was the most common, followed by "car navigation system operation" (12.0%), "side mirror adjustment" (9.8%), "headlight operation" (9.7%), and "air conditioner operation" (9.5%).
When all 1,000 respondents were asked about equipment they considered "absolutely essential" when purchasing their first car, the results were: 1st "dashcam" (25.7%), 2nd "ETC in-vehicle unit" (22.8%), 3rd "rear-view monitor/panoramic view monitor" (19.9%), 4th "smart entry system" (17.3%), and 5th "genuine navigation system" (16.7%).
Looking at the responses from those (97 people) whose first car purchase was triggered by "pregnancy/childbirth", the results were: 1st "ETC in-vehicle unit" (30.9%), 2nd "dashcam" (26.8%), 3rd "rear-view monitor/panoramic view monitor" (23.7%), 4th "power sliding doors" and "smart entry system" (both 20.6%). "Power sliding doors" was 9.1 percentage points higher than the overall average, suggesting that many felt the necessity of power sliding doors for smooth getting in and out of the car.
*For the full survey results, please see below.
https://from.sonysonpo.co.jp/topics/pr/2026/03/20260331.html
FAQ
Who was the target audience for this survey?
The survey targeted 1,000 men and women aged 18-39 who purchased their first car within the last three years (500 men, 500 women).
What was the most confusing operation for first-time car owners?
The most common response was "how to open the fuel filler cap" (12.5%), followed by "car navigation system operation" (12.0%).
What equipment was considered "absolutely essential" when purchasing a first car?
The top item was "dashcam" (25.7%), followed by "ETC in-vehicle unit" (22.8%), and "rear-view monitor/panoramic view monitor" (19.9%).