Maine 'check engine' car repairs cheapest in US, study shows
Courtesy/Car MD
"Check engine" car repair costs were lowest in Maine and highest in Connecticut in 2021, says the latest national ranking by CarMD, of Irvine, Calif.
Car maintenance costs got you down? Complainers may want to stay silent in light of a study showing that costs are lowest in Maine for "check engine light" repairs of anywhere in the United States.
The ranking, by CarMD of Irvine, Calif., shows that Maine drivers paid an average of $349.25 in 2021 for repairs in 2021, displacing Ohio as the least expensive state. The $349.25 includes $135.35 for labor and $231.90 for parts.
At the other end of the spectrum, Connecticut with an average repair bill of $418 was found to be the most expensive nationwide, followed by Colorado, California, the District of Columbia and Georgia.
Interestingly, catalytic converter replacement was the most frequently diagnosed repair in all five states with the highest average repair costs.
Researchers noted that catalytic converters, expensive parts containing precious metals, typically do not fail ones maintenance and other repairs such as a faulty oxygen sensor or ignition coil are ignored, or a car has a high mileage count on its odometer. In Maine, a greater problem has been theft of catalytic converters, which a new state law aims to thwart with graving and marking requirements for sellers.
"Several factors contribute to a state's average car repair costs, including vehicle year, make and model, the repair difficulty and associated parts cost," said David Rich, technical director at CarMD. "It makes sense that as people hold onto their vehicles longer than ever before, cars and trucks start to outlast their parts and need more costly repairs."
His advice to vehicle owners: Stay on top of maintenance to reduce surprise repair bills, and fix "check engine light" problems quickly to improve fuel economy and reduce the likelihood of additional repairs down the road.
The full CarMD state index report is available here.
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