WASHINGTON ( CNN ) -- As he walks past the tiny , dingy waiting area into an equally cramped garage , Nui Srisook says business at his car repair shop is thriving . Drivers are choosing to keep their old cars longer , and they 're turning to repair shops to make it so , observers say . Sales are up 20 percent this month and Srisook spends most nights working late , helping his customers to get extra mileage out of their old cars . `` Most of the customers right now we see , they do n't really have much extra money to ... buy a new car . So that 's why they just do repair , '' Srisook said . `` And now , people are willing to spend more money on maintaining the car , deciding what is broke , anything that needs to be maintained on the car . '' As more cash-strapped Americans turn to do-it-yourself projects and bargain shopping , car repair shops like Srisook 's are feeling the boon . Drivers are choosing to keep their old cars longer , and often they 're willing to put in the money to do so , observers say . The Automotive Service Association reports their members ' sales were up 16 percent over last year . Watch Kate Bolduan 's report on the thriving auto repair industry » . `` That indicated that people were coming in and putting the vehicle in the repair facilities ' hands and saying , 'Look , I am going to be keeping this car . I want to be sure it runs well . I want to be sure that if there are any safety issues or any maintenance issues that I have overlooked , let 's get those taken care of , ' `` said ASA President Ron Pyle . Pyle said that 's a change from the past , when drivers would scrimp on the cost of maintenance and repair . `` That was surprising news . We did n't expect that in the midst of the beginnings of the economic woes , '' Pyle said . `` But they are looking at the cost of trying to purchase a new vehicle ... so I think that in relative terms that $ 1,000 repair to keep a $ 2,500 car running may be an attractive alternative . '' The economic slump has cut automakers deeply . Last month , sales of new cars were down more than 40 percent compared with the same time last year , according to sales tracker Autodata . The trend seems to have translated into increased traffic at auto parts stores . `` We 're doing way more business . The phones are ringing , you know , customers are walking in , '' said Darryl Wright , owner of D.C . Brake & Bearings Co. `` Basically , if it 's broke , they fix it . '' In the past , only savvy auto mechanics knew to shop at Wright 's nondescript discount store . Now , he sees more car owners who are looking for a cheaper deal on parts . `` [ Customers will ] find a guy on the street , you know -- Joe Shady Mechanics is what we call them -- to fix it at a deeper discount rate , labor-wise , and they 'll send the customer in here to buy the parts on their own , '' Wright said . `` So people are saving money that way too . '' Srisook said he keeps service prices low to appeal to those bargain shoppers , such as Esther White , a loyal customer . She brought in her daughter 's 1996 Oldsmobile for new rotors and brakes , and said her daughter would be driving the car `` until it drops dead . '' `` Believe it or not , we were raised to fix things , and to hold on to things as long as we could , '' White said . `` But it goes back to today 's economy , and making the right financial decisions . ''
As more strapped Americans opt to fix their cars , repair shops are doing well . The U.S. auto industry is the largest in the world and has been for a long time now. Members ' sales grew 16 percent over the last year . D.C. shop owner : `` People are willing to spend more '' to keep cars well-serviced . Trend seems to have translated into increased traffic at auto parts stores , as well .