In its latest state ranking of check engine light-related car repair costs, CarMD finds vehicle owners in Connecticut paid the most ($418) and Maine the least ($349) for repairs during calendar year 2021.

Rounding out the five most affordable states for car repair after Maine were Ohio, Michigan, Iowa and Wisconsin – all located in the Midwest. After Connecticut, the states/districts needing the most expensive car repairs were Colorado, California, District of Columbia and Georgia. The most frequently diagnosed repair in all five of the states with the highest average repair costs was “replace catalytic converter.” Costly parts that contain precious metals, catalytic converters do not typically fail unless maintenance and other repairs such as a faulty oxygen sensor or ignition coil are ignored, or a vehicle has high mileage.

“Several factors contribute to a state’s average repair costs, including vehicle year, make and model, the repair difficulty and associated parts cost,” said David Rich, technical director, CarMD. “It makes sense that as people hold onto their vehicles longer than ever before, cars and trucks start to outlast their parts and need more costly repairs. Staying current on maintenance can help vehicle owners reduce surprise car repair bills, while fixing check engine light problems quickly can improve fuel economy and reduce the likelihood of additional repairs down the road.”

• Labor Costs: For the sixth consecutive year, Vermont had the lowest average labor cost ($127.15) for check engine-light related repairs. This is not surprising since the most common reason for the check engine light on Vermont vehicles is an affordable fix to tighten or replace a loose or missing gas cap, which reflects on the average repair cost. For the fourth year in a row, drivers in Mississippi paid the most on average for labor ($151.67), where the most common repair was to replace ignition coils and spark plugs. The type of repair, how long the repair will take, what the shop charges per hour, and whether you opt to do it yourself or have it repaired by a professional automotive technician, all factor into average labor costs for a car repair.
• Parts Costs: With supply chain issues impacting new vehicle availability and average vehicle age reaching an all-time high, parts costs have increased with higher-ticket repairs needed as cars outlast their parts. Not surprisingly, drivers in Michigan, home to “Motor City,” paid the least on average for car parts ($211.26), but this is up nearly 5% from a year ago. This past year, drivers in Connecticut paid the most on average for parts ($281.53). The type of vehicle, type of repair and whether original equipment (OE) parts are used factor into average parts cost.

State-by-State Ranking of Average Check Engine Light-Related Car Repairs – 2021
(Source: CarMD.com Corp.)