Nobody Trusts Gen Z To Change A Tire

Gen Z may be able to navigate TikTok, artificial intelligence, and every app known to mankind, but when it comes to changing a flat tire on the side of the road, the public apparently says: hand the lug wrench to somebody older.

According to a new global Autotrader survey cited by CarBuzz, Gen X is the generation drivers trust most when basic car maintenance is needed. Autotrader surveyed 3,000 drivers across 15 countries and asked which generation they would trust most to change a tire in an emergency and handle general vehicle maintenance. The answer was not close. Globally, 57 percent of drivers said they would trust Gen X most to change a tire, while just 2 percent picked Gen Z. In the U.S., the result was even more brutal for the youngest drivers surveyed: 67 percent trusted Gen X most, while Gen Z received zero percent.

That does not necessarily mean younger drivers are incapable. It may simply mean they have not had enough years behind the wheel, or enough roadside aggravation, to earn the same level of confidence from everyone else. Experience still matters, especially when you are standing on the shoulder of the road with traffic flying by, a jack that looks suspiciously fragile, and a spare tire you are hoping actually has air in it.

The survey found the U.S. was not alone. Gen Z also received zero percent trust in the UK, Portugal and Australia. Globally, Gen X was the clear favorite almost everywhere. South Africa was the exception, where Millennials were the most trusted generation for changing a tire.

GENERATION CHEAT SHEET

Silent Generation: Born 1928-1945
Baby Boomers: Born 1946-1964
Generation X: Born 1965-1980
Millennials: Born 1981-1996
Generation Z: Born 1997-2012
Generation Alpha: Born 2013-2025

As CarBuzz noted, there is another side to the story. Gen Z drivers appear more willing than older drivers to look for help online. Autotrader found younger drivers frequently turn to social media, YouTube, TikTok and AI tools for car maintenance advice. In the U.S., 71 percent of Gen Z respondents said they use social media for car advice. Interestingly, Autotrader found that in the U.S., Millennials actually led social media use for car guidance, while drivers 46 and older led AI usage.

That may sound odd, but it also points to how car ownership has changed. Many younger drivers did not grow up changing oil, checking tire pressure, or watching a parent change a flat in the driveway. Today’s vehicles are also more complicated, and in many cases, automakers have replaced full-size spares with compact spares, tire inflator kits, or nothing at all. In other words, some Gen Z drivers may not know how to change a tire because there may not be much of a tire to change.

Still, knowing the basics matters. A flat tire is one of those moments when theory meets pavement. Watching a video can help, but only if the driver also knows where the jack is, where the jacking points are, how to loosen lug nuts before lifting the vehicle, and how to stay safely away from traffic.

The good news for Gen Z is that this is fixable. Nobody is born knowing how to change a tire. Somebody taught Gen X, too, probably after handing them a flashlight with dying batteries and saying, “Hold this right there.” The bad news is that, for now, the survey says the public still wants the Gen X driver on the job.

Call it roadside democracy. Gen Z may get the phone. Gen X gets the jack.