It's the three Cs of car repair. The three Cs you want to avoid.
Connecticut has claimed the dubious honor of being most-expensive state to get your car fixed, according to the latest repair cost report from CarMD, with Colorado and California rounding out the top three. The order was California, Connecticut and Colorado on last year's list.
The annual study looks at the average costs of parts and labor for repairs stemming from issues that set off a vehicle's Check Engine Light warning, which can range from a loose gas cap to a major engine or emissions system fault.
The average total cost for a repair in Connecticut in 2021 was $418.37, just ahead of Colorado at $417.14 and California at $415.66.
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The District of Columbia (another C!) and Georgia ranked fourth and fifth at $411 and $407.71, respectively.
The national average was $392.57 and repairs were cheapest in Maine at an average of $349.25, followed by Ohio at $353.76 and Michigan at $356.29.
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The problem with the highest repair cost in all five states was "replace catalytic converter," which was likely very literal given the recent spike in catalytic converter thefts for their precious metals, as they "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," according to CarMD, which sells vehicle diagnostics solutions.
A catalytic converter replacement costs $1,335.78 on average and a new gas cap runs $24.77.
The report also highlighted Vermont as having the lowest labor costs at $127.15 and Mississippi the highest at $151.67, while parts were cheapest in Michigan at $211.26 and most expensive in Connecticut at $281.53.
CarMD technical director David Rich advises addressing the check engine light as soon as possible.
"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," he said.
