We use El Presente in order to refer to a future action.

Question

Are there any circumstances other than the requirement for a future event or time reference to be stated when the present tense is used to refer to an unstated future time or date? Por ejemplo:

The mechanic says that the car is broken so I'm fixing it.

El mecánico dice que el coche está averiado y por eso lo arreglo.

o

El mecánico dice que el coche está averiado y por eso lo arreglaré.

Which is correct, more commonly used or preferred?

Answer

Hola Gerald R
First of all, apologies for our late answer.

Great question! In Spanish, the present tense can indeed be used to refer to future actions, and this usage is quite common when the action is imminent or planned. However, when talking about the future, the choice between the present tense and the future tense often depends on the level of immediacy or certainty the speaker wants to convey.
In your example:
El mecánico dice que el coche está averiado y por eso lo arreglo.
This use of the present tense suggests that the repair is happening immediately or is already planned for the near future, making it sound more direct and immediate.
El mecánico dice que el coche está averiado y por eso lo arreglaré.
Using the future tense here is also correct, but it slightly distances the action, implying it may happen later rather than immediately. It can sound a bit more formal or less urgent.
In conversational Spanish, the present tense ("lo arreglo") is generally more commonly used to express near-future actions, especially when the timing feels certain or imminent. The future tense ("lo arreglaré") would be more common if the action were less immediate or if you’re making a more general statement about a future intention.
So, both are grammatically correct, but "lo arreglo" is often preferred in everyday language when the future action is definite and immediate.
Hasta pronto
Silvia