Today's Most Common Car Repairs

Everyone has had that moment when your driving down the road and your engine light comes on, the first thing you think about is, “how much is this going to cost me?”. For most new cars today about half the time the problem the engine light pertains to a loose gas cap.

Although in general you should NEVER ignore ANY warning light, but common check engine repairs can range from a $15 gas cap replacement to a $1,100 catalytic converter replacement and everything else in between. The most common repair across makes, models happens to be oxygen sensor replacement. The average cost for this repair is around $250 and goes up from there especially if it's a heated oxygen sensor which is more complex in design and application and the price tag proves this. 

Overall, the average repair cost in 2017 was $387.31 ($155.15 in labor, $232.16 in parts). That’s 8% less than the 10-year high of $422 in 2006. One big hint from this blog post is if the check engine light goes on, check your gas cap to ensure it's clicked three or more times, preferably a non-locking cap because it will seal better.

That’s the good news. The bad news is perhaps self-evident: The average cost to repair 2006 cars was $399, double the average repair cost of 2017 models (whose repairs were usually covered by warranty). Worse still, the second-most common repair involved are the infamous pricey catalytic converters. Rounding out the top five were replacements for the ignition coil and spark plug” ($390), gas cap replacements and checks and thermostat replacements ($210). New to the top 10 most common repairs were evaporative emissions purge control or solenoid replacements, which both cost just less than $300.

One of the best ways to minimize and reduce the cost of unforeseen car repairs is to follow a regular maintenance program here at Rick's Complete Automotive in Forestville. CA (707)887-1641 and take care of small problems as soon as you’re aware of them before big problem arise, particularly as vehicles age.

At our shop we have seen a simple spark plug failure that can snowball from a $50 part into a $400 part order in a blink of a eye going from a bad spark plug to a bad ignition coil and a bad fuel injector over the same cylinder with a misfire condition.

This past 2017 calendar year, during which the U.S. experienced an El Niño weather pattern, spark plugs were only the eighth-most common reason for check engine light issues. Battery replacements are not listed on the 10 most common repairs this year.

Take a look at the top 10 car repairs of 2017:

1. Replacing an oxygen sensor – $249
2. Replacing a catalytic converter – $1,153
3. Replacing ignition coil(s) and spark plug(s) – $390
4. Tightening or replacing a fuel cap – $15
5. Thermostat replacement – $210
6. Replacing ignition coil(s) – $236
7. Mass air flow sensor replacement – $382
8. Replacing spark plug wire(s) and spark plug(s) – $331
9. Replacing evaporative emissions (EVAP) purge control valve – $168
10. Replacing evaporate emissions (EVAP) purging solenoid – $184

If you are one of those people who lose sleep over repair bills,owning a car may not be the best option. If a lease is sounding like a better idea to you just remember, you still need to pay a monthly bill to lease your ride when you can have a paid off car and get get hit with a big bill once in blue moon. 

The point of this blog entry is if you under maintenance your vehicle, and your not proactive to auto repairs when weird sounds or warning lights come on and continue to drive your car sooner or later you will be hit with lighting leaving you and your car on the side of the road waiting for a tow-truck and a big repair bill coming out of your pocket book.

Please be proactive and let Rick's Complete Auto in Forestville take care for your concerns by addressing the cause and correction to keep your vehicle trouble free and make sure your running the life you want to live without a broken down car being your biggest priority.

Rick's Complete Automotive

6560 Railroad Ave. Forestville, CA 95436

Contact Owner: Keith Tacla

(707)887-1641