There's no worse feeling than starting up your car and seeing the 'check engine' light come on. You know that you're going to have to take it to the shop, and there's a chance that it's going to be an expensive visit!

A new article from CarMD ranks all 50 states and Washington D.C. on the average cost of check engine light-related car repairs, and Iowa did REALLY well. The Hawkeye State came in 4th place for the least expensive average repair in 2021! The average cost for labor is $145.96 and $214 for parts, adding up to $359.96. The only states to beat us were Michigan, Ohio, and Maine, but only by a few bucks.

If you're wondering which states you should avoid for your car repairs, the top five most expensive ones are:

  1. Connecticut ($418.37)
  2. Colorado ($417.14)
  3. California ($415.66)
  4. Washington D.C. ($411)
  5. Georgia ($407.71)

The technical director of CarMD David Rich said about the study:

“Several factors contribute to a state’s average repair costs, including vehicle year, make and model, the repair difficulty and associated parts cost. 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."

David recommends getting regular maintenance on your vehicle to help prevent these surprise car repairs, and getting your car fixed as soon as possible after your check engine light comes on. You can check out the full article from CarMD HERE.

I can't remember the last time my check engine light came on, but that doesn't mean I haven't had some INCREDIBLY expensive repairs to do these past few years. How much did you spend on your last repair? Is it higher or lower than the average listed? Let us know in the comments!

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