According to International Information, spending on private cars is a major part of spending, for families and individuals who own a private car (or cars). In the absence of public and private transportation or at least, the great shortage, the private car becomes a necessity and a need and not a luxury despite its high price and maintenance cost, with the high exchange rate of the dollar.
What is the average cost of a small and regular car annually?

Gasoline consumption: 6 cans x 400 thousand pounds = 2.4 million pounds

• Brakes collet: front and rear twice a year, 550 x 2 = 1.1 million pounds.

• Motor oil: 50 thousand pounds x 4 kilos at a rate of 4 times annually = 800 thousand pounds.

• Automatic oil: 100 thousand pounds x 3 kilos every 3 years, i.e. annually = 100 thousand pounds.

• Oil filter: 65 thousand pounds x 2 = 130 thousand pounds.

• Boujeeh: 40 thousand pounds x 4 = 160 thousand pounds.

• Maintenance + air-conditioning gas = 250 thousand pounds.

• Lighting lamps: 100,000 pounds.

• Glass wipers: 150 thousand pounds every two years, i.e. annually = 75 thousand pounds.

• Tires: 650,000 pounds x 4 tires every two years, i.e. annually = 1.3 million pounds.

• Battery: 650,000 Pounds every two years, i.e. annually = 325 thousand Pounds.

• Third party insurance + compulsory insurance = 1.2 million pounds.

• Mechanic fees = 100 thousand pounds.

• Car wash: 10 thousand pounds x 6 times as a minimum annually = 60 thousand pounds annually.

A total of 8.1 million pounds annually, or about 675 thousand pounds per month as a minimum, which is equal to the minimum wage. The cost increases in the event of unexpected breakdowns, and this is a great possibility, because more than 70% of cars in Lebanon are more than 10 years old. In addition, the condition of the poor roads increases the breakdowns, and the cost of traffic violations is added to them, if they occur. Not to mention the cost of spare parts that are damaged and need to be replaced according to use (skimmers – dynamo – marsh – radiator – heat sink and others).

So, take good care of your cars, because they have become like gold and diamonds… and have become precious and rare pieces.