How much does auto repair cost?
Based on 616,663 real quotes from businesses in United States.
$99
TYPICAL
$275
Yelp calculates estimated costs by gathering and analyzing real quotes provided to consumers by businesses on Yelp. Actual costs may vary.
Key takeaways
Auto repair costs can range from a few dollars to thousands or more depending on the fix
Dealerships may be a better solution for complex repairs, despite the higher cost
Labor makes up a big part of auto repair costs
Owning a vehicle comes with a certain amount of expected costs, including fuel, car insurance, and routine maintenance. But there’s another, less predictable cost: auto repairs.
Auto repairs range from fixing a small sensor or light bulb to much bigger jobs like replacing a transmission or overhauling an engine. With such a wide range of possible repairs comes an equally broad spectrum of auto repair costs.
This guide will help you understand the costs to expect next time you visit an auto repair shop, based on the type of repair your car needs.
Total cost of auto repairs
Across the US, car owners spend an average of $75–340 on auto repairs per incident. The overall national average of auto repairs is $179.
Keep in mind that auto repair costs are broken into two categories: parts and labor. Each are billed separately on your invoice. The average auto shop labor rate is $47–215 per hour, according to the Automobile Association of America (AAA).
Most shops calculate labor hours based on “book time”—the predetermined number of hours a job will take to complete based on data from labor manuals and software services published by companies like Mitchell 1 or ALLDATA.
If your vehicle requires a diagnostic test—such as a check engine light scan—to determine the problem, auto shops will generally start with a one-hour charge for labor. After the diagnosis, the shop will request approval for additional labor hours and parts, as needed. Some shops will waive diagnostic fees if you agree to complete the repair with them.
As you can see, there’s a considerable cost range for auto repair. Here’s a breakdown of low-cost, moderate-cost, and high-cost auto repairs:
Low-cost auto repairs
Low-cost auto repairs are generally simple fixes that take an hour or less to complete. As the name implies, “repairs” mean failure beyond general maintenance. Therefore, regular car maintenance, like oil changes, replacing air filters, tire rotation, or transmission fluid exchanges, aren’t included.
Low-cost auto repairs and their average costs with labor include:
Taillight or turn-signal bulb replacement: $10–50
Fuse replacement: $10–50
Relay replacement: $10–50
Headlight replacement: $10–100
Serpentine belt replacement: $75–100
Moderate-cost auto repairs
Moderate-cost auto repairs are slightly more serious issues that may take 1–3 hours to complete and cost up to a few hundred dollars.
Moderate-cost auto repairs and their average costs with labor include:
Brake pad replacement with rotor resurfacing (per axle): $150–250
Coil pack replacement: $150–300
Spark plug replacement: $100–250
Starter replacement: $200–500
Alternator replacement: $150–500
Power-steering pump replacement: $200–500
External water pump: $200–500
Radiator replacement: $300-$1,000
High-cost auto repairs
High-cost car repairs generally come later in a car’s life—after it’s reached 75,000 miles—and can take many hours and sometimes even days to complete. These repairs range from $500 to well into the thousands of dollars.
High-cost auto repairs and their average costs with labor include:
Timing belt replacement: $500–1,200
Air conditioning compressor (with recharge and new dryer): $800–2,000
Transmission rebuild: $1,200–5,000
Engine replacement (remanufactured): $2,500–10,000
Head gasket: $500–1,200
Internal water pump (generally includes the timing belt): $500–1,200
Cracked windshield? Find out what it costs to fix or replace in this guide.
Cost factors
Your automotive repair costs can vary greatly for many reasons, including:
Dealership vs. an independent repair shop: Dealerships tend to have higher labor rates.
Part costs: OEM parts are generally more expensive than aftermarket parts. Used parts generally cost less than new parts. Also, difficulty sourcing parts due to location or supply chain issues can affect overall costs.
Repair difficulty: More difficult repairs will take more labor hours to complete.
Vehicle make and model: Luxury and rare vehicles often have higher part costs and require special care.
Additional issues that arise during the repair: While repairing your vehicle additional components may break, or the technician may find other damage.
Existence of a valid car warranty: If the vehicle is under a factory or extended warranty, it may cover some or all of the repair costs.
How to save money on auto repairs
There are plenty of ways to reduce your car repair costs. Here are a few:
Use coupons. Check online, the newspaper, and your mailbox for savings on common services such as replacing brakes and serpentine belts.
Get multiple quotes. Prices may vary between auto shops due to differences in overhead costs, which influence labor rates and parts markup. Get car repair estimates from 3 or 4 reputable shops on Yelp for your auto repair needs. You may find one is dramatically lower than the others.
Bring your own parts. Some smaller independent shops will allow you to bring your own parts and pay them only for the labor to install them. This can save you some money, but they likely won’t offer a warranty on the repairs.
Call vocational schools. Consider contacting vocational or trade schools where future mechanics learn the trade. They need cars to work on and will often perform basic and moderate repairs for significantly less money than auto repair shops.
FAQs
What is a fair price for mechanic labor?
Labor rates can vary greatly. Anywhere from $75–125 per hour at an independent shop is fair. If you go to a dealership, $125–175 is a fair labor rate.
Should auto repairs have a warranty?
Yes, all auto repairs should have at least a 90-day warranty. The exceptions are any auto repairs involving used parts or customer-supplied parts. Most repairs will include a 12-month or 12,000-mile warranty. Large repairs, like engine replacements and transmission rebuilds, may have up to 60,000-mile warranties.
Is a dealership better than an independent shop?
Yes and no. Overall mechanical skill depends on the mechanics themselves. However, dealerships often have higher pay and attract more skilled mechanics.
Also, they have all of the data for their makes of vehicles, so they may offer a higher-quality repair. For example, a Nissan dealership will have all the technical schematics and service bulletins for a Nissan Altima that an independent shop may not.
That said, “any shop employing ASE-certified mechanics should offer quality repairs, as these mechanics are fully trained and regularly retested,” according to Justin Cupler, former ASE-certified technician and automotive shop manager.
Are OEM parts better than aftermarket parts?
Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts will help comply with your vehicle’s manufacturer’s warranty, if applicable. However, aftermarket parts are built to the same form, fit, and function as OEM parts. Plus, “aftermarket companies can fix design flaws in OEM parts if there’s a consistent issue, making the aftermarket part superior to the OEM,” according to Cupler.
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Every year, millions of consumers request quotes on Yelp from top-rated local professionals. We combine these real-life project quotes with data from the millions of people who interact with businesses on Yelp today. We use our years of expertise to create handy local cost guides that you can trust. Get accurate estimates on projects in your area, from roofing to moving.
How are Yelp’s cost estimates calculated?
Every year, millions of consumers request quotes on Yelp from top-rated local professionals. We combine these real-life project quotes with data from the millions of people who interact with businesses on Yelp today. We use our years of expertise to create handy local cost guides that you can trust. Get accurate estimates on projects in your area, from roofing to moving.
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