In the first five years of use, even the best vehicles will experience faults that require urgent repair. Unfortunately for some car owners, repair costs will not be low. So, if you plan to buy a car for a strictly deducted amount, remember to add in addition to insurance and fuel costs the amounts left with the mechanics when the warranty ends.

Audi and BMW topped the list of the most expensive vehicle brands to repair. The top five also includes Citroën; Ford and Opel.

  • Audi and BMW are premium brands and the first positions should not come as a surprise here, because repairs of such cars can be quite complicated. In addition, newer and more modern models are coming to the workshops.
  • Citroën‘s third place may be due to electronic problems that are difficult to solve (it takes a lot of time in the service to look for the cause), but also from defective gasoline engines that appeared after 2010.
  • The next positions are taken by Ford, Opel, and Peugeot. Models of these brands come to the workshop with problems, often quite expensive (time-consuming) to repair. Volkswagen is more or less at the level of Fiat in the list, and the cheapest to repair are the Renault, Škoda and Toyota models.
  • Renault confirms that the cars are cheap not only to buy, but are the models of Škoda, which produces cars that are simpler than those of Volkswagen. Also, the repair costs are not excessive. Toyota, on the other hand, refutes the myth that Japanese repairs are expensive.
  • If we look at the models divided into classes, the Audi A4 is the most frequently repaired car in the D segment. Further on the list are VW Passat and BMW Series 3. For example, the Citroën C5 is repaired three times less frequently than the Audi A4.
  • Undeniably, German cars, such as Audi, Volkswagen or BMW models, reign in the rankings because of the prevailing belief that they are trouble-free and durable. Japanese brands are much further away, which, apart from periodic activities such as oil changes, require much less frequent visits to the service. The popularity of German brands means good recognition by independent services and better availability of spare parts, which ultimately reduces repair costs.
  • In compact models, the Ford Focus is the king, and the Opel Astra with a slightly better result. The Golf, Octavia and Megane are valued less frequently – in that order. In the B segment, the most frequently repaired model is the Škoda Fabia, followed by the Opel Corsa, Ford Fiesta, Toyota Yaris and Renault Clio. Here, the discrepancies in the share of all models are small.

What years go to the workshop?

Most cars in workshops are from 2008, then 2007 and 2006. The next places are taken by 2005 and 2004, and then 2004 and 2010. At the same time, it can be noticed that the share of 2012-2017 years is greater than the older ones since 2004. However, this does not have to be result from their failure rate.

For example, more cars from the year 2017 are repaired than from the year 2000.

Cars from the top of the ranking are popular, but not always cheap to run. It all depends on what power unit and gearbox are configured with. Basic service, i.e. suspension, brake service and periodic inspections for the most popular models will be at the optimal level for the average driver.

Auto Service

Also, huge cars powered by turbocharged diesel engines require specialist knowledge from mechanics due to the complex mechanical systems designed for carrying and towing heavy loads. For a durable Ford, the five-year repair cost is $ 1,295. Other large vans such as the Dodge Ram 3500 and Chevrolet Silverado 3500 scored $ 1,282 and $ 1,094 respectively.

High repair costs are also caused by faster wear of parts than in BMW or Mercedes-Benz vehicles. If you own a car of one of these brands and urgently need funds for repairs, then personal loans for car repair can be a way out of this situation. To receive this loan, you just need to fill out an application form and wait for the funds to be transferred to your bank account.

The most expensive regular cars to repair are: the Hummer H2 ($ 1,484); Hummer H3 ($ 1,244); Ford Mustang ($ 1,201); Mini Cooper Convertible ($ 1,093); Subaru Impreza ($ 1,006) and GMC Yukon and Chrysler Pacifica ($ 970 each).

Stricter quality control and more attractive warranties help lower repair costs over time. The manufacturers’ warranties cover a variety of repairs during the first three years of car ownership or up to 50,000 kilometers of mileage: for example, brakes, air conditioning, window actuators and door locks. Typically, you can purchase a driveline warranty for another one or two years. It is not uncommon for someone to spend a fortune on repairs in the first three years of a vehicle’s use.