CarMD Finds Drivers in District of Columbia Paid Most, Wyoming Paid Least For Check Engine-Related Car Repairs in 2014

IRVINE, CA -- June 17, 2015: When the check engine light illuminates on the dashboard, drivers in the District of Columbia pay the most ($467.11) on average, while vehicle owners in Wyoming pay the least ($308.76) to have it fixed, according to CarMD, which analyzed parts and labor needs data from nearly 100,000 model year 1996 to 2014 vehicles needing repairs in 2014. Rounding out the five most expensive states for auto repairs are Delaware (no. 2), New Jersey (no. 3), California (no. 4) and Connecticut (no. 5). After Wyoming, the most affordable states for car repairs are Montana (no. 50), Nebraska (no. 49), Michigan (no. 48) and Vermont (no. 47).

A leading provider of automotive diagnostic data and solutions for consumers, fleets and usage-based insurance companies, CarMD publishes this annual state-by-state ranking as part of its CarMDŽ Vehicle Health Index™. This Index is designed to bring awareness to the industry and consumers about the importance of check engine light health to minimize vehicle cost of ownership.

"Many factors contribute to overall repair costs such as vehicle make and age, parts availability and cost, and hourly labor rates that are often beyond a car owner's control; however something everyone can control is how quickly they address check engine light issues when they arise," said David Rich, CarMD's technical director. "CarMD's data finds that the least expensive states have a higher percentage of 'quick fix' repairs that can be addressed in minutes versus major repairs that require days in the shop, indicating drivers were likely more vigilant with addressing repair needs quickly." Rich adds that whether you are responsible for a single vehicle or a fleet, it is important to know what parts and labor cost in your area, and not to be afraid to shop around for qualified facilities or DIY parts when repairs are needed.

CarMD's ranking of the five states/districts with the highest car repair costs in 2014:

CarMD's ranking of the five states/districts with the highest car repair costs in 2014:

CarMD ranking of the five states/districts with the lowest car repair costs in 2014:

It Pays to Address Small Problems: The least expensive states have a higher percentage of repairs that can be addressed in a matter of minutes versus major parts replacements that require days in the shop. For example, the need for catalytic converter replacements occurred nearly half as frequently in Montana as they did in D.C. A catalytic converter is a pricey part that can fail prematurely if you put off smaller repairs such as spark plug or oxygen sensor replacements.

Repair Costs Vary by State: The same repair can vary in cost from state to state. To replace a car's thermostat in Alaska is $137 on average for parts and labor, whereas the same type of repair in Colorado costs on average $302, including parts and labor. A catalytic converter replacement costs on average $1,345 in D.C., but only $849 in Wyoming. And the average cost for parts and labor to replace a car's oxygen sensor(s) in 2014 varied from a low of $216 in Wyoming to a high of $290 in Delaware. If left unfixed, a faulty O2 sensor can negatively impact a car's fuel economy by as much as 40 percent as well as trigger additional problems, premature failure and additional future repairs.

U.S. Average: The average cost for check engine light-related repairs in the U.S. in 2014 was $390.38. Hawaii and Missouri are the states closest to the U.S. average both at $390.13, which is just 25 cents from the national mean.

Changes in Rank: New Mexico moved from among the five least expensive states for car repair in 2013 to the eighth most expensive state for auto repairs in 2014 due to a substantial increase in parts costs. Conversely, Wyoming dropped from no. 14 to no. 51, as a result of decreases in both parts and labor costs.

Labor and Parts Costs: North Dakota car owners paid the most ($185.92), while for the second year in a row New Hampshire drivers paid the least ($135.69) in labor charges on average. District of Columbia vehicle owners paid the most for parts ($296.62), while Wyoming drivers paid the least ($157.27) on average for car parts.

CarMD's state ranking of repair costs was derived from analysis of 98,051 repairs identified for model year 1996 to 2014 vehicles from Jan. 1, 2014 through Dec. 31, 2014 reported to and analyzed by CarMD's nationwide team of ASE-certified technicians. All 51 U.S. states/districts, including the District of Columbia, are represented in this Index. The repairs are related to a vehicle's on-board diagnostic (OBD2) system, which is standard on all vehicles manufactured since 1996. It monitors emissions-related systems within a vehicle, triggering the check engine light when a problem occurs. CarMD does not report on problems that are outside the scope of a vehicle's OBD2 computer monitoring such as tires, and mechanical parts like belts and hoses. With this Index CarMD wants to bring awareness about the role good check engine light health can play to help minimize cost of vehicle ownership.

(Below is a complete ranking of U.S. states/districts in order of most to least expensive car repair costs in 2014.)