Wyoming Tops List of Most Expensive State for Auto Repairs

Top 5 states with the lowest car repair costs, according to CarMD:

Other key findings:

• 
  The top five states with the highest car repair costs are from the
  West, including Wyoming, Utah, California, Montana and Arizona.

• 
  This can partially be attributed to higher amounts of airborne dust.
  By putting off replacing air filters in western states, vehicle owners
  put their vehicles’ mass air flow sensors at risk. On average, this is a
  $400 repair.

• 
  Three of five states with the lowest car repair costs are from the
  Midwest, including: Indiana, Wisconsin and Iowa. Rounding out the most
  affordable states for auto repair are Maine and New Hampshire from the
  Northeastern U.S.

• 
  Drivers in Vermont paid the least for labor at $98.90, with those in Colorado paying the most at $143.17 for labor.

• 
  Drivers in Maine paid the least for parts at an average of $175.91, with those in Wyoming paying the most ($247.70).

• 
  The no. 1 most common repair across the country in was “Replace
  Oxygen (O2) Sensor.” A faulty O2 sensor is often ignored because it may
  seem like the vehicle is driving fine, but can actually lead to as much
  as a 40% reduction in fuel economy.

• 
  On average, motorists paid the least in Nebraska ($209.81) and the
  most in Illinois ($313.25) to have an O2 sensor replaced. The average
  cost to replace an O2 sensor, which measures the amount of unburned
  oxygen in the exhaust and tells a car’s computer when there is too much
  or not enough fuel as compared with oxygen for ideal operation is
  $244.23 in the U.S.

• 
  In Wyoming, O2 sensors comprised 10.10% of repairs last year, at an
  average cost of $233.92. If ignored, a faulty O2 sensor can not only
  cause reduced fuel economy, but can also lead to more serious parts
  failures such as the catalytic converter. A faulty catalytic converter
  may then lead to complete engine seizure and roadside breakdown.
  “Replace Catalytic Converter(s)” accounted for 5.72% of repairs in
  Wyoming, at an average cost of $1,030.63. Original equipment parts are
  typically needed when replacing a catalytic converter. Catalytic
  converters contain three of the most precious metals – platinum,
  palladium and rhodium. They are usually not stocked by smaller or more
  rural repair shops due to their high cost.

CarMD’s state-by-state ranking of repair costs was derived from
analysis of 163,582 repairs made from Jan. 1, 2011 through Dec. 31, 2011
by CarMD’s network of Automotive Service Excellence-certified
technicians. The repairs are related to a vehicle’s “check engine”
system, which is designed to alert drivers to large and small problems
that affect emissions output and drivability. This technology is
standard on all vehicles manufactured since 1996. It covers roughly 90%
of cars, light trucks, minivans, SUVs and hybrids – foreign and domestic
– on the road today. It monitors about 80% of systems on these
vehicles. The CarMD database and average repair costs findings do not
include problems that are outside the scope of a vehicle’s on-board
diagnostic computer monitoring such as tires, brakes and mechanical
parts like belts and hoses. The CarMD® Vehicle Health System™ is an
award-winning product that provides consumers with an easy way to save
money by quickly and accurately diagnosing car problems from home. It
also provides peace of mind before long road trips, emissions
inspections, when inspecting a used car, or before and after visiting
the auto repair shop.

About CarMD The mission of Irvine, Calif.-based CarMD.com Corporation
is to empower consumers and the vehicle market by providing the tools
and information needed to make better-educated decisions about their
vehicles’ health and maintenance. An ISO 9001:2008-certified company,
CarMD’s premiere product is the CarMD® Vehicle Health System™. The
company has also built the largest, most up-to-date database of
diagnostic trouble codes; expert fixes and repair costs, which it uses
to compile the annual CarMD® Vehicle Health Index™. For more information
about common car repair problems and costs, visit, visit
http://corp.carmd.com. For information about the company, its products
and other tips, visit www.CarMD.com.

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