Top 10 Most Common Check Engine Light Repairs and Cost to Fix
We can’t leave April behind without sharing CarMD’s annual overview of check engine light-related car repair costs and trends. The list is published every April during Car Care Month.
The latest CarMD Vehicle Health Index finds that overall, check engine related repair costs are down 3% from calendar year 2024, with a slight increase in average labor costs and flattening in parts costs. The priciest repair on this year’s list: “replace catalytic converter”.
Also with consumers holding onto their cars longer than ever before and tariffs looming, CarMD is urging divers to stay on top of regularly scheduled maintenance to reduce the likelihood of needing expensive parts and repairs.
“The check engine light is designed to come on when a vehicle’s on-board diagnostic system sees a problem that impacts emissions or drivetrain issues,” said David Rich, CarMD technical vice president. “With uncertainty about how tariffs will impact replacement part prices, it’s particularly important for drivers to address their car’s dashboard warning lights. Catching problems early can reduce the likelihood of a snowball effect from additional repairs.”
Rich adds that there are many resources to help drivers monitor their car’s health and diagnose check engine lights. They include free vehicle health scans at your local auto parts store. CarMD says it’s also working to develop new products and solutions to help consumers keep their families safe and their car healthy
The following is a breakdown of the 10 most common check engine light-related repairs in 2024 and the average cost (including parts and labor) to make that repair:
Top 10 Check Engine Light Causes
- Replace catalytic converter(s), $1,348
- Replace oxygen sensor(s), $254
- Replace ignition coil(s) and spark plug(s), $400
- Replace mass air flow sensor, $323
- Replace EVAP canister purge control valve, $144
- Replace ignition coil(s), $218
- Tighten or replace fuel cap, free to tighten; $28 on average to replace
- Replace fuel injector(s), $464
- Replace thermostat, $254 – New to list this year
- Reprogram powertrain control module, $108
Other findings from year’s CarMD Vehicle Health Index Check Engine Report:
• Aging vehicles contribute to more expensive repairs. The most common check engine-related car repair in 2024 was “replace catalytic converter(s),” which is back atop the list after a year hiatus. Researchers say catalytic converters usually don’t fail on newer vehicles unless a related root cause – like a faulty spark plug or O2 sensor – is ignored. As consumers keep their cars longer, vehicles will outlast parts like catalytic converters. CarMD says it’s not surprising to see this repair more frequently as drivers hold onto their vehicles longer than ever before with the average vehicle age at an all-time high of 12.6 years.
• Parts costs down. Labor costs up. In 2024 check engine light-related car repair costs dropped nearly 3% to $415.31 from their all-time high of $427.56 the previous year. Labor rose slightly – up 1.4%. But parts costs were down 5% in 2024 – likely a flattening after an 8% rise in parts costs the previous year. CarMD says it will be interesting to monitor whether tariffs impact parts costs in the coming year. Researchers also note that while an increase in labor costs could be partially due to wage increases across the U.S., it’s most likely that labor costs are up because of more difficult, time consuming repairs.
About the 2025 CarMD Vehicle Health Index
The index analyzes more than 31 million failures and recommended repairs for dashboard warning lights on vehicles in the U.S., over the past calendar year. The data comes directly from each vehicle’s OBD2 system, reported by millions of vehicle owners and the professionals who service them. The failure and fix data are validated by CarMD’s network of Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)-certified technicians. CarMD’s Vehicle Health Index has been published annually since 2011.
Photo credit: BLKstudio/Shutterstock.com.
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