Good luck searching for an inexpensive auto mechanic; fixing cars is getting more expensive, and whether you drive a gas car or an EV, we're all paying for it.
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The Detroit Bureau Chief for Bloomberg, David Welch told KNX News the days of low-cost repairs may very well be behind us.
"I can't remember the last time I walked into a body shop, and they didn't quote me at least 500 bucks just to walk in the door," Welch half-jokingly told KNX's Charles Feldman.
He said the cost increase is due to a few reasons, and when it comes to internal combustion vehicles, a big one is all the fancy new technology.
For example, the lane departure and blind-spot warning indicators require "lots of sensors, lots of electronics... If any of those electronics have been damaged in the wreck or even in a minor accident, all that costs a lot more money," said Welch.
Welch also mentioned more stringent fuel economy rules placed on car manufacturers causing them to use lightweight materials which are more costly than previously used materials.
"I went once, with slight damage on a hood, and it ended up being not too bad to fix because the hood was steel, but the body guy told me that if it's aluminum, they'd probably have to replace the whole hood," Welch said.
As for electric vehicles, it may come as no surprise, but the big issue here is the battery.
According to Welch, the repairs on an EV with damage to the battery are so expensive that "insurance companies are actually totaling them more often because of the cost... [and] give the owner a check to buy something new."
If you're hoping that costs will come down in the future, Welch doesn't see that happening any time soon.
He said it might be partly due to EV popularity significantly outpacing available competent repair shops and, "if the repair shops and the companies that make repair parts can get the money, they will."
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