subject: Costs Of Car Repairs [print this page] Let's face it, owning a car is expensiveLet's face it, owning a car is expensive. Not only do you have to pay for fuel, insurance, and registration but for repairs also, such as when you go down to your favorite Utah brake repair garage. And these repairs can be pricey.
People are keeping their vehicles longer because they are more reliable and last longer. In 1969 the average age for a car was 5.1 years.
But, jump forward to 1990 and it was 6.5 years, and by 2007 it grew to 9.4 years. Although the cost of maintenance has gone up since the 1960s (accounting for inflation) the annual amount spent is less. This is due to the reliability of new vehicles. For instance new vehicles can go 150,000 miles before a tune-up where older vehicles needed one every 30,000 miles.
Taking into account inflation, in 1960 you would have spent an average of $8,053 repairing a mid-size car. Things improved by 1970 and you would have spent around $7,770 for repairs. By 1990 money spent on repairs was down to $6,880.
If you want to keep your car running for as long as possible take the advice of car manufacturers and experts and perform routine maintenance. Your car will last a lot longer if it's operating efficiently. You can pay $150 a year for maintenance and avoid the $3-5 thousand it would cost you to replace your engine.
A good practice that will prevent a lot of stress is to save $50 every month for repairs and maintenance. You can expect to spend an average of $350 even for a simple trip to your Utah brake repair shop. So even though you can anticipate spending money on such things as replacing tires (avg. $400), it's important to have a fund built up for unexpected repairs, because they can really drain your bank account.
If you need to fix your air conditioning system expect to spend $700. To repair your engine cooling system will cost you about$ 465. For a new transmission you're looking at $3000.
Inspect your vehicle regularly; don't just let your Utah brake repair shop do it for you. Pay attention to anything out of the ordinary, such as vibrations, sounds, or smells. Catching something early can help you to save a lot of money later on.
