Ask ten people which cars cost the most to fix and you will get ten different answers. The folks at @royaltyautoservice decided to answer the question with numbers from their own shop instead of opinions. The shop owner sat down with his dad, who had crunched two years of repair order data, and the two of them counted down the five vehicles that cost customers the most per visit.
Before the list, one important point. They said the results could vary from shop to shop, so these are the numbers they see in their own bays, not a nationwide survey. Even so, the pattern they found is worth knowing about if you are shopping for a used car.
@royaltyautoservice
How they ranked the vehicles
The dad explained the method. Each time a vehicle comes into the shop, it gets a repair order. He took two years of those orders and worked out the average for each brand. Every vehicle on the list averaged more than $1,000 per repair order. He was careful to point out that an average hides a wide range: some visits cost around $200, while others reach $6,000. But even with the cheap visits mixed in, these brands stayed above the $1,000 mark, which he called a pretty high repair order.
The countdown
Number five: Volkswagen. Volkswagens came in at an average repair order of more than $1,000. The pair said the two biggest issues on both Volkswagens and BMWs are oil leaks.
Number four: BMW. The BMW is next, and the story is similar. Oil leaks are the top complaint, and they said that is pretty common among European makes in general.
Number three: Ram. The shop owner joked that he always says Dodge Ram and that people can call him out in the comments. Whatever you call them, they said Ram trucks have engine problems. They leak oil, they can have lifter issues, and they said there are just some funny issues with these trucks that make them expensive to fix.
Number two: Land Rover. This one did not surprise the pair, and the shop owner said they have posted plenty of Land Rover content before. The dad said he does not know where to begin with them, and that they have lots of engine problems.
Number one: Jaguar. The Land Rover’s sister brand took the top spot, with an average repair order of more than $1,500. They listed oil leaks, engine problems, electrical problems, suspension issues and a lot of other things. The dad said a few of the brands on the list surprised him, and that they plan to follow up with a list of the cheapest ones.
What the pattern tells us
Look at the list again. Three of the five are European brands, and the two biggest complaints they named were oil leaks and engine trouble. That fits with what many independent shops say about older European cars. Parts can be expensive, labor is often higher because engines are packed tightly, and small leaks can lead to larger repairs if they are ignored.
Outside data points the same direction for at least one of these brands. A Jerry breakdown of Land Rover costs, which draws on RepairPal numbers, puts average maintenance at about $1,174 a year, which is higher than the average luxury SUV. It also reports that Land Rovers need unscheduled repairs about 0.7 times per year, nearly twice the average vehicle, and that about 16 percent of those visits are considered severe. That lines up with what this shop reported from its own work.
Smart moves if you own one of these, or want one
None of this means you should never buy one of these vehicles. Plenty of people love them and have good experiences. But if you do own one, or you are thinking about it, a few habits can keep the bills smaller.
- Get a pre-purchase inspection. Pay an independent mechanic who knows the brand to look the car over before you buy. A couple hundred dollars can save thousands.
- Ask about oil leaks specifically. Since leaks were the top complaint, have the mechanic check the valve covers, the oil pan and the front of the engine. Ask for any service records that mention repairs.
- Find a specialist you trust. An independent shop that works on your brand every day is often cheaper than a dealership, and they know the common failure points.
- Do not skip maintenance. Regular oil changes with the correct oil, coolant service and inspections catch small problems before they turn into big ones.
- Set aside a repair fund. If you own a vehicle with a reputation for expensive repairs, put a little money away each month so that a surprise bill does not become a crisis.
- Read the warranty fine print. If you buy an extended warranty, find out exactly what it covers, what the deductible is and whether you can choose your own shop.
- Know the average is not your bill. The shop said some visits cost $200 and others $6,000. A well-kept example may never cost you much, while a neglected one can eat up a budget.
A word of caution on any list like this
The shop was upfront that this is one location’s experience over two years. Repair costs depend on the age and mileage of the vehicles a shop sees, the local labor rate and which models people bring in. A shop that specializes in certain brands will see more of those cars, and older vehicles tend to cost more to fix. Treat this list as a helpful warning rather than a final verdict.
Still, the message is easy to take away. If you are shopping for a used car on a budget, the cheapest purchase price is not always the cheapest car to own. Do your homework, find out what the common problems are for the model you want, and ask a mechanic before you hand over any money.