This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Car repairs are often a nasty unexpected expense, but in Utah they are at least cheaper than in most other states.
Utah ranks 11th among the states for inexpensive car repairs, according to a new study by the RepairPal Institute.
It looked at the average cost of three common types of repairs (water pump, alternator and brake pad replacements) on three popular car models (2010 Ford F-150, 2010 Honda Accord and 2010 BMW 328i), using a database it has built.
It said the average cost for those repairs in Utah is $1,143. That is $33 cheaper than the national average of $1,176.
Car repairs are the most expensive in Alaska, $1,374. They are least expensive in West Virginia, $1,003.
The study said it was surprised that the second-most expensive state for car repairs is Michigan, at $1,289, despite being the birthplace of the U.S. automotive industry and the home of about half North America's top 100 automotive suppliers.
It also noted that the most populous states often tended to have lower-cost repairs and guessed that more competition there may help keep prices lower.
The RepairPal Institute also offers an online tool that estimates how much different types of repairs cost for various cars in different ZIP codes. It is available at repairpal.com/estimator.
— Lee Davidson