Wyoming paid most, Indiana least for car repairs in 2011, study finds

(June 21, 2012) IRVINE, Calif. — Drivers in Wyoming paid the most in the nation for car repairs at an average cost of $389.18, according to CarMD.com, which analyzed more than 160,000 repairs made on vehicles with "check engine" light problems in 2011.

In Wyoming, home to two of the top 10 most visited national parks; motorists paid 17% more than the U.S. average for overall repairs, including 19% more for labor and 15% more for parts. Drivers in Indiana paid the least at $283.95 per transaction.

Rounding out the top five most expensive states for car repair are no. 2 Utah, no. 3 California, no. 4 Montana and no. 5 Arizona.

CarMD, a leading provider of automotive information and products, has developed the largest database of "check engine" repairs, and releases this list annually to empower drivers to make educated decisions that maximize vehicle life and minimize repair costs. The full Index is available at http://corp.carmd.com.

"Each year, CarMD taps into our Vehicle Health Index repair database to monitor trends, including state-by-state and nationwide auto repair costs," says Art Jacobsen, vice president, CarMD. "We are encouraged to see overall repair costs trending down this year but recognize that drivers are still putting off small repairs such as spark plugs and oxygen sensors that can quickly turn into more serious problems. With the higher cost for repairs in popular western vacation destinations, our data illustrates the need for summer travelers to make preventative maintenance and vehicle safety checks paramount in their road-trip preparation."

Several interesting findings emerge when comparing state-by-state repair rankings. According to the CarMD Vehicle Health Index, the average cost of U.S. "check engine"-related auto repairs in 2011 was $333.93, including $215.32 in parts and $118.61 in labor.

This figure is down 6% from 2010 repair costs, due in large part to a double-digit drop in labor costs. This isn't all good news for consumers. Industry contraction has a lot to do with the drop in labor rates, which are being partially offset by increased parts costs, and more severe repairs increasing in frequency and reaching the 10 most common problems list.

Most states/districts experienced a drop in repair costs, with the exceptions being District of Columbia, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah. CarMD also found that Texas paid closest to the national average for car repair costs at $333.75, just pennies less than the U.S. average.

CarMD attributes Wyoming's no. 1 ranking to harsh weather and high altitude that may wreak havoc on vehicles. Another factor in Wyoming's ranking is its more remote locations with widespread and reduced access to parts and people to service vehicles, which results in motorists' tendency to put off smaller repairs. This is clearly illustrated by the fact that catalytic converter repairs were the second most common reason the "check engine" light came on in Wyoming. It shouldn't even be in the top 10, let alone ranked second. This is a very expensive repair, and often the result of putting off smaller repairs. 

"Just as you map your trip and make your hotel or campsite reservations, it's important to check your vehicle's health and pay attention to little nagging problems like diminishing fuel economy, squeaky brakes and especially the pesky 'check engine' light," says Jacobsen.

"You will pay less and have peace of mind by getting your car looked at by your preferred mechanic on your own time and budget, versus being forced to make repairs when you're away from home and loaded down with luggage. Nothing will ruin a family vacation quicker than major car trouble when you are away from home."

Average "Check Engine" Light Car Repair Costs – 2011

(Source: CarMD.com Corp., CarMD® Vehicle Health Index™)

Ranking

State

Labor

Parts

Average Car Repair Costs

(Parts & Labor)

1.

Wyoming

$141.48

$247.70

$389.18

2.

Utah

$138.21

$240.33

$378.54

3.

California

$130.54

$237.32

$367.86

4.

Montana

$136.00

$228.29

$364.29

5.

Arizona

$129.18

$233.47

$362.65

6.

Colorado

$143.17

$215.88

$359.05

7.

New Mexico

$129.32

$229.30

$358.62

8.

North Carolina

$112.73

$243.16

$355.89

9.

Georgia

$116.08

$234.58

$350.66

10.

New Jersey

$113.25

$236.78

$350.03

11.

Washington

$128.22

$221.00

$349.22

12.

Maryland

$106.52

$241.12

$347.64

13.

Virginia

$112.20

$235.22

$347.42

14.

Connecticut

$113.35

$233.57

$346.92

15.

Oregon

$127.14

$219.03

$346.17

16.

Hawaii

$121.97

$221.60

$343.57

17.

Tennessee

$112.61

$227.55

$340.16

18.

New York

$112.58

$225.82

$338.40

19.

Illinois

$108.88

$226.54

$335.42

20.

Kentucky

$113.86

$221.22

$335.08

21.

Idaho

$138.00

$197.08

$335.08

22.

Oklahoma

$117.10

$217.14

$334.24

23.

Texas

$113.54

$220.21

$333.75

24.

Nevada

$128.87

$203.65

$332.52

25.

Rhode Island

$109.83

$220.99

$330.82

26.

Alaska

$128.91

$200.12

$329.03

27.

Mississippi

$113.46

$214.27

$327.73

28.

Florida

$108.19

$218.77

$326.96

29.

South Carolina

$113.88

$212.99

$326.87

30.

Alabama

$112.57

$214.16

$326.73

31.

Nebraska

$117.55

$208.77

$326.32

32.

District of Columbia

$113.48

$211.35

$324.83

33.

Minnesota

$111.83

$211.68

$323.51

34.

Massachusetts

$104.78

$217.70

$322.48

35.

Arkansas

$125.62

$195.71

$321.33

36.

Pennsylvania

$109.97

$206.27

$316.25

37.

Delaware

$109.97

$206.22

$316.19

38.

West Virginia

$112.16

$201.59

$313.75

39.

Kansas

$116.71

$194.57

$311.28

40.

Missouri

$112.58

$197.62

$310.20

41.

North Dakota

$129.31

$179.90

$309.21

42.

Ohio

$108.92

$199.19

$308.11

43.

Louisiana

$109.93

$196.81

$306.74

44.

Vermont

$98.90

$203.32

$302.22

45.

South Dakota

$108.47

$187.31

$295.78

46.

Michigan

$111.62

$181.95

$293.57

47.

New Hampshire

$101.19

$191.47

$292.66

48.

Iowa

$112.59

$177.32

$289.91

49.

Wisconsin

$108.95

$180.95

$289.90

50.

Maine

$113.65

$175.91

$289.56

51.

Indiana

$107.85

$176.10

$283.95