Carfax predicts which cars will likely need repairs over the next year
Nov 9, 2021, 6:10 PM | Updated: 9:01 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — Sport utility vehicles are attractive to a lot of Utahns because of our winter roads.
Plus, we tend to have larger families.
But new data shared with the KSL Investigators shows owners of full-size SUVs can expect to pay more for repairs in the coming year than drivers of other automobiles.
Going to the mechanic is not how anyone wants to spend their day or their money, but if you own a full-size SUV, you may want to budget both the time and the cash.
“We’re using the past to help us predict the future,” said Carfax spokesman Chris Basso about a new study released Tuesday.
In the study, researchers analyzed more than 27 billion vehicle repair records to try to determine which cars break down the most and how much it will cost owners of those cars for repairs.
Carfax found one in four (24.6%) full-size SUVs will need repairs over the next 12 months, averaging $330 in costs.
Rounding out the top five in Carfax’s list include minivans at 20.3%, luxury SUVs at 20.2%, sports cars at 20.1% and luxury cars at 18.4%.
The least likely vehicle type Carfax predicts will need repairs in the next year are mid-sized pickups.
Only about one in ten (11.1%) are expected to land at a mechanic’s garage.
“These are major repairs,” said Basso. “These are things like steering, braking, the electrical systems.”
“When I think of major repairs, my mind doesn’t say $330. It’s usually that I’m thinking more a couple grand,” KSL’s Matt Gephardt told Basso.
“But that could be a month car payment, right there,” he responded.
Carfax said repair costs are something car owners should budget for and something they should consider when buying their next car.
“Knowing a little bit more about what the future holds, helps us be better prepared for things that can come up unexpectedly,” explained Basso.
