CarMD's annual state ranking of check engine light-related repair costs found that Connecticut, Colorado, California, District of Columbia, and Georgia drivers paid the most in average vehicle repair costs in 2021. The replacement of a catalytic converter was reported as the most frequent repair in all five states.
On the other end of the spectrum, the top five least expensive states for car repair are Maine, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, and Wisconsin.
“Several factors contribute to a state’s average repair costs, including vehicle year, make and model, the repair difficulty, and associated parts cost,” said David Rich, technical director at CarMD. “It makes sense that as people hold onto their vehicles longer than ever before, cars and trucks start to outlast their parts and need more costly repairs."
State average labor cost for check engine light-related car repairs in 2021
- Connecticut $418.37
- Colorado $417.14
- California $415.66
- District of Columbia $411
- Georgia $407.71
- North Carolina $402.61
- Utah $401.65
- Virginia $401.17
- New Jersey $399.61
- Alabama $399.33
- Tennessee $399.11
- Maryland $399.07
- Nevada $398.26
- Wyoming $397.79
- Texas $397.53
- Florida $396.29
- South Carolina $395.83
- Mississippi $394.03
- Oregon $393.94
- New Mexico $392.53
- Washington $392.46
- Delaware $390.89
- Montana $389.84
- Idaho $389.05
- Arizona $388.92
- Louisiana $388.66
- Alaska $387.05
- Rhode Island $386.93
- New York $386.55
- Massachusetts $386.20
- Kentucky $384.76
- Pennsylvania $384.33
- West Virginia $383.48
- Arkansas $382.61
- Hawaii $381.23
- Oklahoma $379.77
- Illinois $379.23
- Missouri $378.85
- Minnesota $377.68
- South Dakota $377.64
- Nebraska $374.53
- Vermont $374.45
- Kansas $374.44
- New Hampshire $370.79
- Indiana $364.76
- North Dakota $364.62
- Wisconsin $361.11
- Iowa $359.96
- Michigan $356.29
- Ohio $353.76
- Maine $349.25
To see more of CarMD's data, including the total average repair costs with both parts and labor factored in, click here.
