Report: Which cars cost least to repair?

Despite its continuing recall woes, Toyota has taken the top spot in a ranking of cars by repair cost.

The report, released Monday, shows which companies' cars have both the fewest and the least expensive repairs. Hyundai, whose U.S. sales have surged this year, finished second in the rankings, published by auto diagnostic and repair website CarMD, which collects repair data from its network of 3,000 U.S. mechanics. Rounding out the top 5 were  Honda, Ford and General Motors -- followed by Mitsubishi, Nissan, Kia, Volkswagen and Chrysler.

The report covers a wide range of model years, from 2001 to 2011, but focuses on repairs made only in the most recent year ending Oct. 1. While ranking individual car models, the CarMD Vehicle Health Index also grades manufacturers on a combination of all their brands. For example, the Toyota ranking includes Lexus and Scion cars, while General Motors includes Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC.

Based on data from mechanics, the CarMD report differs from car-owner surveys, such as the Consumer Reports reliability survey. The CarMD index ranks individual car models as well as manufacturers, combining both frequency of repairs and repair cost for an overall rating.

The top-ranked model, the 2009 Toyota Corolla, had not only infrequent trips to the shop but an average repair cost of just $45.84. (Repairs picked up by this system cover everything with a check-engine light sensor, including engine, transmission and pollution control devices. Only items like belts and tires are not included.)

Here are some other findings  from the CarMD study:

• Luxury brands generally fared worse because of repair frequency, not high costs. Lexus, for instance, rated more poorly than corporate stablemate Toyota. This conflicts with high owner ratings for Lexus in surveys like that from J.D. Power and Associates. The Mercedes-Benz parent company and BMW ranked below the top 10 in this report, though CarMD did not give ranking details beyond the top 10.
  
• Hyundai has made great strides in low repair frequency. The company originally launched its 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty to reassure potential buyers. But Hyundai's rating was boosted by strong performances from recent models of the Elantra and the 2011 Sonata, which ranked sixth among all models.
• Ford got an especially strong performance from its Edge crossover SUV, which had three different model years ranked among the top 100 vehicles. But Ford's Windstar minivan, discontinued in 2003 but still going to repair shops, hurt its ranking.
• Among General Motors brands, Buick was a standout. If Buick had been ranked individually instead of wrapped into GM, it would have topped the list. Its Lucerne model had three different years in the top 100 cars.

As part of its Vehicle Health Index package, CarMD also cites which repair problems occur most frequently for individual car brands. If you want to check your car, go to this CarMD page and put in the make and year.

CarMD is a service aimed at letting car owners know what is wrong with their car and what it should cost to fix the problem. Its $119 CarMD device plugs into the diagnostic system on your car to discover the problem; users can then feed that data into their website to identify the problem and the likely repair cost, based on data the company collects regularly from mechanics at both dealer service departments and independent shops. Its database since 1996 includes about 500,000 repair reports.

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[[e-mail]]

Our current vehicles - the Smartfor2 and Smartfor4 - are 12 and 5 years old respectively, and both are still going strong. The Smartfor2, my especial favorite which we bought when the model first appeared, looks brand-new. No one I talk to can believe this car is 12 years old. Can you imagine driving an American car for 12 years with no problems?

All the cars I mentioned were serviced regularly. That's it. Period.

[Angel_M_G]

I completely disagree with the comment about Buick. I own a 2009 Buick Enclave and the repairs are nothing like my experience with my Honda's. My right taillight is out for the second time in less than a year. One month ago I had to replace the front headlight (at only 70,000 miles) and the final cost was $500; $300 was for the headlight alone. The remaining $200 was labor costs due to the fact that the front bumper must be removed to change the bulb. If I hadn't just invested $1,000 in new tires I would be getting rid of it. In addition I have had repeated problems with my electronic tailgate and the dealer claims they cannot fix it. I will not be buying another Buick.

[xterra4554]

Miata is #1

[rhiebert]

In my opinion it's not the brand, make or OEM but whether or not synthetics have been installed and effectively used and maintained. To expand on this, it's my experience and opinion that petroleum based products are defended by many dealer service departments and drive-thru oil changers because they need the customers to survive.

[Carl I Am]

I have a 2007 Honda Civic 4 door sedan with navigation system and it is a good car. Having work done at the local dealer in Greenville, SC is more costly than a competing locally owned independent Honda service shop. In 2009 Honda sent a notice to their dealer shops about a defect in rear suspension, but it wasn't a recall. Thus I just recently learned of it and it will cost plenty to get the suspension parts replaced. I'll need to replace the damaged tires also. Since the tires have plenty of rubber I'll keep as long as I can, then get the work done at one of the independent shops and replace the tires.

[Carl I Am]

I have a 2007 Honda Civic 4 door sedan with navigation system and it is a good car. Having work done at the local dealer in Greenville, SC is more costly than a competing locally owned independent Honda service shop. In 2009 Honda sent a notice to their dealer shops about a defect in rear suspension, but it wasn't a recall. Thus I just recently learned of it and it will cost plenty to get the suspension parts replaced. I'll need to replace the damaged tires also. Since the tires have plenty of rubber I'll keep as long as I can, then get the work done at one of the independent shops and replace the tires.

[Osprey4]

tsigli,

Are you serious? You obviously never owned a car in the 60s, 70s or 80s.

Oh, I get it, you must drive a Chrysler. LOL!

[tsigili]

Today, there are no cars that can be said to be well built. None that don't require significant repair costs.

The entire industry is building cars so badly today, that there isn't a single car maker who hasn't had a major recall, in the last year.

The auto industry simply produces mediocre products, built to minimum standards of quality and reliability.

[sullyfahs]

We drive a Nissan Leaf. Electric cars are so simple! When we have our 6 month warranty work, the repair person fills the water in our windshield wiper resevoir rotates our tires and says good bye. This car is an engineering marvel.

[[e-mail]]

You must be talking about American cars.

We've owned Japanese and German cars for well over 30 years, with rarely a problem.

Our VW bug was never in the repair shop. Our Toyota Tercel was never in the repair shop. Our Toyota MR2 was never in the repair shop. Our Smartfor2 was in once for a broken turn signal, our Smartfor4 never.