What better incentive to stay up on your car’s regularly scheduled maintenance than the possibility of having to pay through the nose for a costly repair? If you’re the kind of driver who never changes your oil, never rotates your tires, and never even thinks about anything other than keeping the tank full of gas, the odds are you’ve probably had to pay for a few expensive repair jobs in your life. If not, you’re darned lucky. For those who haven’t had to learn a hard lesson at the expense of their bank accounts, here’s a list of the three most expensive car repair services. May you never have to hear your mechanic utter these words.
1. Camshaft Replacement – A car’s camshaft is what keeps the engine’s valves operating and controls the inflow of air into your engine. Full on camshaft replacement can cost you anywhere from $1000 upwards of $3000 – but it’s a totally preventable replacement as long as you keep your oil changed on a regular basis and have your cams adjusted periodically. Opting for low grade gas can also negatively impact the operation of your camshaft, so consider giving your engine a drink of the premium stuff at least every once in awhile. It’ll repay you by lasting longer.
2. Transmission Replacement – Anytime you hear the word transmission, think dollar signs. The average cost of getting a transmission replaced on a car can be over $3500, almost enough to make you want to call it quits and go in search of a used car for less. Why does it cost so much? Simply put, because it’s the very mechanism that makes your car move. It literally transmits the power from your engine to your wheels, hence the name “transmission.” To keep your transmission healthy and your repair bills low, have your car maintained regularly.
3. Rotor and Brake Pad Replacement – This is a common repair and occurs when owners let their brake pads wear beyond the minimal allowable thickness recommended by manufacturers, which can range from 2.5 to 3.0 mm. Most late model vehicles have brake pad indicators build in which send a warning to the vehicle’s dashboard when the indicator makes contact with the rotor. But to be safe, have your local auto mechanic check pad thickness whenever your car is in for service. Replacing rotors on all four wheels and brake pads, depending upon the vehicle, can cost upward of several thousand dollars.
What do all of these frightening dollar signs tell us? That those of us who think we’re saving money by not taking our cars in for scheduled maintenance are only setting ourselves up for serious financial hurt. The reality is that the longer you go without servicing your car, the closer you come to a bill of enormous size. Don’t let this happen. Need to schedule maintenance work? Start with Openbay. Compare pricing and book service from quality local shops with the click of a button.
