Top 10 Most Expensive Car Repairs and What You Can Do About Them Part 2

In our last post, we kicked off a two part series on the top 10 most expensive car repairs and what you can do about them. In that first post, we gave you repairs 10 through 6. Today’s post finishes counting down the list from 5 to the dreaded #1.

Just as a quick note in case you didn’t read part 1 first, this list is a compilation of the most common and most expensive check-engine car repairs according to CarMD.com, one of the top sites for providing auto owners with tools and information to help make better decisions about their vehicle’s health and maintenance.

Here’s the countdown from 5 to 1.

5. Replacing Your Camshaft

Your camshaft (or cams) operate the values in your engine, forcing the valves open by pressing on them or on some other intermediary device as the cams rotate. Here’s a simplistic computer animation on Wikipedia showing you an example. Like most movable mechanical parts, your cams are susceptible to wear and tear. Your camshafts can build up deposits if you don’t change your oil frequently or if you use low quality fuel, too. Because replacing the cams takes some time, you could be paying out anywhere from $1,600 to $3,100 for a new one. Changing your oil often and adjusting your cams when necessary are your best bets to avoid this costly repair.

4. Replacing Your Cylinder Head Assembly and Spark Plugs

If your auto is misfiring, it’s a good sign you have spark plug troubles. If you don’t address this issue quickly and you notice your check-engine light flashing as it misfires, you’re doing additional damage by heating up your cylinder head. Once the damage is done, it can cost you a cool $3,500 to fix. Your best avoidance of this problem is to get your auto into the shop right away if you experience any misfires. They don’t take care of themselves, and waiting to fix it will only cost you more.

3. Replacing Your Transmission Assembly

Your transmission is responsible for taking the power from your engine and transferring it to your wheels … an important task if you want your vehicle to go anywhere without you pushing it or putting it in neutral on a steep hill. Unfortunately, many auto owners don’t think about their transmission until there’s a problem. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? Wrong. Your transmission needs TLC like the other parts of your car. Once your transmission is shot, plan on handing your rainy day fund over to your mechanic. A new transmission can cost as much as $3,600.

2. Replacing Your Hybrid Inverter Assembly

The good news is if you don’t own a hybrid, you can skip on to #1. The bad news is, if you do own a hybrid and you have a problem with your inverter, the part of your hybrid that changes direct-current power to alternating-current, they’re not readily available at all auto shops. So not only are your options for replacement limited, but it can cost you anywhere from $4,000 to $7,400 for a new one. The best way to avoid this costly repair is to pay attention to your check-engine light. If it illuminates, get your vehicle in to a qualified hybrid mechanic for an inspection.

1. Repairing or Replacing Your Cylinder

If you’ve noticed, one common way we discuss avoiding paying high repair costs is to deal with car troubles as soon as you notice them. Waiting may delay your payment, but it can often increase it, too. This is especially true when it comes to the king of costly check-engine light repairs because your mechanic will need to disassemble your engine to get at your cylinders. This takes quite a bit of time, and time is money. Repairing or replacing a cylinder can cost you upwards of $8,000. Fortunately, cylinder repair is rare and usually only a result of continued neglect. So if you see your check-engine light illuminate, closing your eyes and clicking your heals together three times won’t make it go away.

In addition to following your manufacturer’s maintenance recommendations, you can protect yourself from these surprise repair bills with an A Rated vehicle protection plan. Find out how low your monthly rates can be and the great benefits you get in addition to coverage for parts and labor. One last note, even the best vehicle protection plan won’t save you any money if you don’t follow your manufacture’s recommendation for scheduled maintenance.

American Auto Assurance