No matter what some people would like you to believe, a car is never an investment; with a very few exceptions, necessary expenses that can become very expensive when they require certain auto repair services. We see drivers who must deal with the uncomfortable reality of having to pay for costly auto repairs. What many of these drivers fail to realize is that these expensive repairs could have been avoided in many cases.

Accountants and economists will tell you that cars are depreciating assets; hence, they cannot be classified as investments. Proper auto maintenance, on the other hand, is a smart expense that can almost qualify as an investment. First of all, it prolongs the lifespan of your vehicle so that it does not depreciate so quickly. Second, and most importantly, it can keep you away from having to shell out for expensive auto repair services.

In this article we are going to review some of the costliest repairs you never want to deal with. Some are unavoidable once your car goes into high mileage. Most of them can be preventable with regular maintenance. If you live in North Raleigh or in the North Hills area, the CarMD analytic service has some good news. Drivers in at least 10 other states are stuck with having to pay considerably more for these major repairs. California is the most expensive state, and it is followed by Wyoming, Maryland, North Dakota, and New Jersey. At least 10 others before we get to North Carolina. Even with this relative financial advantage, you will want to prevent the following auto repair services:

Full Engine Replacement

Depending on your car, this repair could cost between $6,000 and $10,000 including parts and labor. The cylinders are the core of internal combustion engines. However, it is usually cheaper to replace the entire head than just the cylinders. Believe it or not, the most common cause of complete engine failure is related to improper oil change frequency. When you follow the oil change schedule on your vehicle owner’s manual. You can count on the engine lasting well over 500,000 miles.

Major Transmission Repairs

Which do you think is more likely to fail: A performance manual gearbox or a modern automatic transmission? Believe it or not, automatic transmission technology has advanced to the point that it is difficult to envision complete failure. However, things can definitely go wrong from time to time if certain issues are not addressed in a timely manner. The last thing you want for your car is to have it sit in the shop for a few days in order to replace the automatic transmission system, which for certain luxury model could run as high as $7,000 in parts and labor.

If you hear a humming noise or detect a burning odor0 that does not come from the tires, the best thing to do is bring your car to our shop. Gear slippage and clutch dragging issues can be solved with reasonably priced auto repair services, but you really do not want things to get worse.

Airbag System Replacement

Once these lifesaving devices deploy, they can be very complicated and expensive to put back into working shape. The costs can add up to about $4,000 if the glove box and steering wheel were bent out of shape during the collision. There is really nothing other than safe driving that can prevent airbag deployment; comprehensive auto insurance can provide some coverage in this regard, but you just have to thank your lucky stars that the device worked to prevent fatal trauma in case of an accident.

Full Suspension Overhaul

When you see a classic car such as a 1964 Mustang being elegantly driven down North Raleigh roads, chances are that its suspension system has been completely changed a few times. You can’t reasonably expect the suspension system to last forever; its numerous components will have to be adjusted and replaced after a certain time depending on the conditions of the road surfaces you routinely drive on. You do not want to put off changing the shocks for too long after the auto service technician recommends replacement because other parts could be damaged. Once you have to replace shocks, struts, springs, tie rods, control arms, and assort bars, you could be looking at an auto repair service near $4,000.

Electric Vehicle Battery Pack

There will be a time when EV sales will become ubiquitous to the point of lowering the high cost of replacing battery packs. In hybrid cars, the cost is about $6,000. In plug-in EVs such as the Tesla, you are looking at more than $10,000. The only things you can do to prolong the lifespan of your battery pack is to minimize the use of air conditioning and heating systems, constantly recharge over 90% of capacity, and following the automaker’s recommendations on power management. We hope this article will help you to avoid an expensive auto repair.