An environmental comparison of repair versus replacement in vehicle maintenance

In consequence of traffic accidents car maintenance is essential. There are two maintenance options: to either repair the damaged components or replace them. Economic and environmental considerations come into making the optimal choice. This article develops a comparative environmental assessment of the options for typical non-structural damage to passenger cars using life cycle assessment. The results show that the environmental impact is generally lower when a damaged car component is repaired than when a new one is fitted. Single process steps have a significant influence on the results, and selective improvements may have an effect on the respective impacts.