Most of us, car owners, just daunt that feeling we get whenever we need to have something repaired in our vehicles. That annoying and helpless understanding that we simply cannot do anything to avoid that expense, if we still need and want to use our cars. Why? Because nothing blows our budget or financial state more than an unexpected car repair.
We all know that it’s wise to always set aside a part of our income for emergency situations like car repairs. But let’s be truly honest, how many of us actually do that? More often, all that’s left to do is shrug our shoulders, scratch the back of our heads, and just simply get on with that uncalled for car expense.
We are really and truly with you in wanting to avoid some of the two most daunting experiences in owning and keeping a car: first, is to pay so much for a totally unexpected repair, and the other, being ripped off. As the saying goes, “Being forewarned is forearmed.” Let us, your trusted offline and online auto parts provider, better prepare you by sharing with you seven of the most expensive car repairs (and/or replacements) you can encounter:
Car engine and cylinders
Hearing from your trusty mechanic that your vehicle has major engine problems is one of the worst things ever. That just means you’re in deep trouble. The worst and most expensive car engine damage would have to be on your cylinders. Sometimes, your mechanic will even advise you to just replace your whole engine instead of fixing the cylinders because it’ll probably cost you the same. The amount you’re in for ranges from $7,000 to 10,000 – depending on the size of your vehicle and the type of your engine.
Hybrid Car Battery
Hybrid vehicles are way cheaper to maintain and operate. However, if you haven’t been taking care of your battery that well, then you must have about $4,000 to 7,000 prepared and stowed away somewhere. Replacing an electric or hybrid vehicle’s battery is just not cheap. And not to mention, if your hybrid car’s battery is in need of replacing, prepare some more extra cash because this will also entail some tweaks and repairs on its computer system.
Transmission
Unfortunately, most (like 90% of the time) issues with the transmission system are not because of low transmission fluid levels. When your mechanic tells you that the problem is with your car’s transmission, you can think that you’re really in trouble. The transmission is simply a complex component in your car that having to fix it will cost you about $1,000 – 2,000 and replacing it will entail about $2,000 to 4,000.
Suspension
If there’s one component or system in our car that we rarely notice having problems, it’s probably the suspension. But because it’s what makes our drive and our ride less bumpy and more comfortable, that really shouldn’t be the case. So, if one or more parts of our suspension (shocks, springs, struts, or tie rods) get damaged, we’re in for some hefty repair services. These will cost you about $2,500 – 3,500 in total.
Camshaft
The camshaft is also considered to be one of the most integral parts of a vehicle as it’s the one controlling how the engine takes in air. Over time, it could be really filthy, clogged up, and eventually broken because of poor maintenance. You are looking at around $1,500 – 3,000 in repairs and replacements because working on the camshaft is actually labor-intensive.
Head Gasket
The purpose of your head gasket is to seal the engine cylinders and keep the oil and coolant from leaking into the engine. Because of that, when the head gasket blows up, you’re looking at a messy repair job as it’ll entail oil and coolant leaks, an overheated engine, and even white smoke from your exhaust. The gasket itself won’t cost much, but the labor needed to repair it and its aftermath will be around $1,000 to 2,000 worth.
Car Keys
Surprised with this last item on our list? You see, gone are the days when we simply have to go to a locksmith whenever we lose our spare car keys. Today, with our cars more secure and computerized, it is never ever a good idea to just lose and misplace our keys. If ever you’d have to get a replacement or spare electronic car key, you’ll be spending $300 – 750; that’s to pre-order, cut, and code it. Furthermore, if you happen to lose all your car keys without any duplicates, you could be facing costs of approximately $2,000 to $5,000. Not to mention, you’d have to find a temporary car or another way to get to work because waiting for your new car keys or key fobs won’t be that fast.
You can somewhat prevent damage to your car from nature or unexpected road events. However, regular wearing of our vehicle’s parts and components is something we simply can’t stop from happening. Even with regular maintenance, you know that someday some part of your car is going to need replacing. Instead of focusing your efforts on trying to avoid them, one way to make these repairs and replacements a lot cheaper is to be wary of the signs and signals your car is making. The earlier you detect the wearing of some car parts, the less money you’d have to shell out for it.