These are the ten most expensive car repairs:
⚠️ If It's Broken, Don't Fix It - Get Paid Cash for Your Vehicle ⚠️
- Air conditioner compressor ($500)
- Brake line replacement ($1000)
- Catalytic converter replacements ($1500)
- Head gaskets repairs ($2000)
- Camshaft repairs ($3000)
- Suspension replacement ($3500)
- Airbags repairs ($4000)
- Transmission replacement ($5000)
- Car battery replacements in hybrid vehicles ($6000)
- Engine cylinder replacement (> $7000)
Vehicles contain lots of interacting components. Some of these components are minor and might not cost much if they go wrong. However, you can't drive your car with problems with major car components; they require thousands of dollars to repair if they go bad.
It's important for you as a driver to understand the most expensive car repairs because this helps you decide whether to fix your vehicle or sell it instead. However, you must understand these expected requests before problems happen.
This article highlights the ten most expensive car repairs you should know. Once you deal with any of those problems, you must step back and confirm whether it's worth fixing your vehicle. If you decide it's not worth the repairs, you should sell it to any potential buyer.
10 most expensive car repairs
If you're interested in learning about expensive car repairs, you must know that these repairs might differ significantly depending on your vehicle, model, and year. However, the list below provides you with the ten most expensive car repairs and rough estimates about the expected range for repair costs.
If you had to deal with any of those problems, it might require some research and a discussion with your mechanic about whether you should fix or sell this vehicle. Unless your repair costs add value to your vehicle, it might not be worth the investment, and you should sell the vehicle instead.
1. Air conditioner compressor ($500)
The first and most common expensive car repair that you might deal with is when you have a problem with the air conditioner compressor. Some people think that the air conditioner might not always be needed and you can live without it if you have a problem with it too. However, that's not the case, especially if you live where you need to engage the air conditioning continuously.
In some areas worldwide, summer can be extremely hot, and these extreme temperatures can be impossible without an air conditioner system working properly. Therefore, if you had to deal with this problem, you might be unable to continue driving your car if the air compressor is not working properly.
2. Brake line replacement ($1000)
Another expensive car repair that you might have to deal with is when you have a problem with the brake lines. Unfortunately, this problem is not avoidable. In other words, no workaround helps you continue driving your car even if the problem is present.
That's why when the brake line is damaged, you must perform that appears immediately. Otherwise, you risk your life and the lives of people driving with you and the others driving around you on the road.
3. Catalytic converter replacements ($1500)
The catalytic converter is an important component in any vehicle responsible for clearing and cleaning any bed and harmful gases in your exhaust system. If the catalytic converter is not working properly, your vehicle will release harmful environmental gases.
Technically, you can continue driving your car if it has an about catalytic converter. After that, however, the vehicle will start making very loud, weird noises which brings the attention of the authorities because it's not allowed for you to continue driving this vehicle.
Typically, replacing a catalytic converter should cost you around $1500. The number is an average value, and it can be much more expensive in luxury vehicles but a little bit less expensive in normal small sedan cars.
4. Head gaskets repairs ($2000)
The head gasket is a thin metal component sitting between the cylinders and the remaining components of your engine Bay. When the head gasket blows up because of the extreme conditions it has to deal with, it impacts your vehicle significantly, and without it, you can't continue driving your car.
Unfortunately, replacing the head gasket is one of the most expensive car repairs you might have to deal with if your vehicle suffers from one. When it happens, you might need around $2000, if not more, to fix the vehicle and have it work again.
5. Camshaft repairs ($3000)
Did you know that the camshaft is a critical component in any vehicle? When this component breaks or gets damaged because of use or other causes, you might expect to pay around $3000!
This number is not small, and when you suffer from such a problem, you might end up selling the vehicle rather than trying to fix this expensive component. Unfortunately, when the camshaft goes bad, there is no way for you to drive your car without fixing it.
6. Suspension replacement ($3500)
The suspension system is critical in any vehicle and supports the entire vehicle. So when the suspension system suffers from problems because of a major car accident or any other issue that we are interior, you might expect to be around $3500 in some instances.
Did you know that often, when the suspension system goes bad, fixing the problem and trying to repair the internal components might not be a good solution? In other words, there is no guarantee that this system will start working again unless you perform a complete replacement which can be a significant effort.
7. Airbags repairs ($4000)
The airbags are critical safety components in any vehicle. If the vehicle got involved in a car accident, one of the things that could happen is when the airbags are engaged, which means that you need to replace them immediately.
Unfortunately, replacing the airbags is not easy and simple. It typically requires about $4000 for repair, which is very expensive to many people and might not be affordable. Replacing the airbags doesn't add much to the vehicle value but reduces the vehicle value significantly.
8. Transmission replacement ($5000)
The transmission is a core component in any vehicle. When it goes bad, there's no way for you to continue driving your car. It's not like a battery that needs a jumpstart, and the car returns.
In most scenarios, automotive experts never recommend replacing the transmission with a brand-new one unless your vehicle is worth it. You might find the transmission replacement cost is around $5000, if not more, and the vehicle might be worth $6000, if not less. In that case, you'd better sell the vehicle rather than waste money.
9. Car battery replacements in hybrid vehicles ($6000)
As we started seeing more hybrid and electric vehicles on the road, some of the expensive repair costs we encountered were the hybrid vehicle battery replacement. This replacement should cost about $6000 in many instances.
Of course, if you don't have a working hybrid battery, the vehicle will not perform, and that's where you have to fix the vehicle, and you won't have another choice except to sell it.
10. Engine cylinder replacement (> $7000)
Did you know that replacing engine cylinders is one of the most expensive car repairs anyone would handle? Therefore, if your mechanic mentioned that your vehicle's founders are gone, you must do the math properly and confirm that your vehicle is worth the investment.
What to do when dealing with one of those expensive car repairs?
As you might notice before, vehicle repairs can be very expensive. Therefore, one of the questions you need to ask yourself when dealing with one of those expensive car repairs is whether it's worth the investment.
Alternative experts typically like to use the 75% threshold to cut percent for where you should sell the vehicle rather than fix it. In other words, if your vehicle is worth $10,000 and repair costs are getting close to 75% of the vehicle value, which is about $7500, then you should sell the car because it's not worth the repairs.
If you plan to sell a vehicle with major mechanical problems, you must be upfront with the potential buyers because you don't want to scam anyone. When people buy vehicles, they invest their entire investment, which can be all they have.
However, this doesn't mean you won't make decent money from this car even though the transmission or the engine is damaged. It would be best to spend time researching the right buyer and informing them about the vehicle's condition up front.
Final thoughts
Certain car repairs can be very expensive, so you are not recommended to fix this vehicle. However, this article walks you through the ten most expensive car repairs that you should be aware of, and it also provides you with some rough estimates of the expected repair costs.
If you had to deal with any of those repairs, as we indicated before, you must do the math and confirm it's worth fixing your car. If you think your vehicle is not worth The repairs, you should consult Cash Cars Buyer at 773-791-4363.