CarMD Releases Its 2016 CarMD Vehicle Health Index

Nov 28, 2023

CarMD, a provider of automotive diagnostic information, has released its 2016 CarMD Vehicle Health Index report on common check engine-related car repairs, associated costs and annual trends for model year 1996 to current vehicles. The average cost to repair a check engine light problem on a car in the U.S. in 2015 was $387, which is 8 percent less than the 10-year high of $422 in 2006. The five most common problems that trigger the check engine light are a faulty oxygen sensor, catalytic converter, ignition coils and spark plugs combined, loose or damaged fuel cap and thermostat. They range in cost from $15 to replace a gas cap to $1,100 for a catalytic converter. Car repairs and associated costs can be affected by region, maintenance decisions and vehicle age.

This year's index found that drivers in the Northeast saw the largest drop in average repair costs, which were down 6.5 percent in 2015. It also found that the average check engine light repair on a 10-year-old vehicle costs $400 versus $200 on average for newer vehicle repairs typically under warranty.

"One of the best ways to minimize cost of ownership and help reduce unforeseen car repairs is to follow a regular maintenance program and take care of small problems as soon as you’re aware of them, particularly as vehicles age," said David Rich, CarMD's technical director. "This CarMD Vehicle Health Index reminds drivers to address check engine light warnings early to help reduce the likelihood of additional repairs down the road, maximize fuel economy and help make sure your car isn't harming the environment."

Rich also notes that, if ignored, a simple spark plug failure can snowball from a $50 part into a $400 repair that entails spark plug and ignition coil replacement, or worse.

2016 CarMD Vehicle Health Index of Check Engine Light Car Repair Trends

The 2016 CarMD Vehicle Health Index analyzed 1,019,904 repairs reported to and validated by CarMD's network from Jan. 1, 2015 to Dec. 31, 2015. The full index, including the 25 most common check engine-related repairs, a 10-year history of U.S. car repair costs, list of most common repairs by region, 10 least expensive and 10 most expensive repairs, is available here.

According to CarMD, the following are the 10 most common check engine light-related car repairs and associated average repair costs. If left unrepaired, each of these problems will negatively impact fuel economy and harm the environment:

Click here to view the complete 2016 CarMD Vehicle Health Index report.