CarMD Releases Check Engine Car Repair Costs Per State, Georgia in Top 5 for Highest

CarMD.com Corporation recently released its annual state ranking of check engine light-related car repair costs. Georgia made the top 5 for the highest car repair costs in 2021.

CarMD’s ranking of the five states/districts with the highest car repair costs in 2021:

1. Connecticut, $418.37
2. Colorado, $417.14
3. California, $415.66
4. District of Columbia, $411.00
5. Georgia, $407.71

Rounding out the five most affordable states for car repair after Maine were Ohio, Michigan, Iowa and Wisconsin – all located in the Midwest. After Connecticut, the states/districts needing the most expensive car repairs were Colorado, California, District of Columbia and Georgia. The most frequently diagnosed repair in all five of the states with the highest average repair costs was “replace catalytic converter.” Costly parts that contain precious metals, catalytic converters do not typically fail unless maintenance and other repairs such as a faulty oxygen sensor or ignition coil are ignored, or a vehicle has high mileage.

“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, 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. Staying current on maintenance can help vehicle owners reduce surprise car repair bills, while fixing check engine light problems quickly can improve fuel economy and reduce the likelihood of additional repairs down the road.”

Georgia’s 2021 Stats

Avg. Labor Cost : $145.34

Avg. Parts Cost: $262.37

Avg. Repair Cost (Parts & Labor): $407.71

Change in Rank from 2020: Up from no. 6

CarMD’s state ranking of repair costs was derived from analysis of more than 17 million repairs identified for model year 1996 to 2022 vehicles whose drivers sought guidance for a check engine light issue from Jan. 1, 2021 through Dec. 31, 2021. All 50 U.S. states plus 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 cars, light trucks, minivans, SUVs and hybrids 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.

CarMD.com Corporation publishes this annual state-by-state ranking as part of its CarMD® Vehicle Health Index™ to bring awareness about the importance of check engine light health. To view the 2022 CarMD state ranking of car repair costs for data collected in calendar year 2021, visit https://www.carmd.com/vehicle-health-index-introduction/2022-carmd-state-index/.

This infographic map of the U.S. highlights the states with the highest and lowest check engine-related car repairs costs during calendar year 2021, according to CarMD. A leading provider of automotive diagnostic data, CarMD publishes this report annually to bring awareness about the importance of check engine light health to reduce cost of ownership, reduce emissions output for cleaner air, and improve fuel economy.

Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., CarMD.com Corporation specializes in automotive technology services that leverage and empower the capabilities of the on-board diagnostics (OBD2) port. CarMD has worked with a network of ASE-certified technicians to build and validate the most comprehensive database of OBD2-related expert repairs and associated costs from which CarMD draws its Vehicle Health Index™. This Index is released each summer to provide vehicle owners and the industry with a state-by-state analysis of car repair trends and costs. For more information, visit www.carmd.com.

CarMD Garage is a free online resource that drivers can use to check for upcoming maintenance, technical service bulletins and common check engine problems by year, make, model and mileage.

SOURCE CarMD.com Corp.