Aftermarket Matters: CarMD Vehicle Health Index reports on check engine light repair trends
In 2010, CarMD identified 675 different possible fixes for a check engine light. In 2019 that nearly doubled to 1,283.
From Aftermarket Matters
IRVINE, Calif.—CarMD.com Corporation has released its 2020 CarMD Vehicle Health Index, marking 10 years since the first annual release of the report on check engine light-related repairs, costs and trends.
The April 2020 report includes a year-over-year ranking of the 10 most common check engine light repairs and associated costs in the U.S., as well as a breakdown by region. The report also looks back on a decade of diagnostic data from more than 41 million unique vehicles to identify how the type and cost of repairs have changed as vehicles become more technologically advanced.
“It’s fascinating to see how the type and cost of car repairs have changed over the years as the number of sensors and subsequent fixes on most vehicles has nearly doubled.”
— Ieon C. Chen, CEO, CarMD
“It’s fascinating to see how the type and cost of car repairs have changed over the years as the number of sensors and subsequent fixes on most vehicles has nearly doubled,” said Ieon C. Chen, CEO, CarMD.
In 2010, CarMD identified 675 different possible fixes for a check engine light. In 2019 that nearly doubled to 1,283.
The 2020 Index finds that for the first time since CarMD has reported these rankings, “replace catalytic converter” was the most common check engine light repair. The average cost to replace a catalytic converter on a vehicle in 2019 was $1,375; back in 2010 the same repair averaged $1,008. A common precursor to catalytic converter failures, “replace oxygen sensor” has ranked as the most common repair for eight of the 10 years this index has been reported; in 2019 it was the second most frequently recommended repair.
Rounding out the five most common problems found to trigger the check engine light after 1) catalytic converter and 2) oxygen sensor were…
