June 30, 2014—North Carolina ranked No. 1 in terms of high cost in a CarMD study of over 145,000 vehicles with illuminated check-engine lights in 2013.
At an average cost of $426.45, drivers in the state saw a more than 9 percent jump in overall repair costs between 2012 and 2013. Cost growth factors include a nearly 5 percent parts cost increase and a more than 17.5 percent increase for labor.
Four other East Coast states rounded out the top five for average repair cost:
- Massachusetts: $424.55
- Delaware: $423.91
- New Jersey: $421.90
- Virginia: $421.49
On the flip side, vehicle owners in Nebraska enjoyed the lowest average cost of $323.57 for both parts and labor in the same timeframe. California ranked lower on the list than in past years, dropping out of the top five highest cost states for the first time in the study’s history.
For more information about the study and a complete ranking by state, visit CarMD.com.
