Most common auto repairs

The 12 most common auto repairs?

There’s a big difference between auto maintenance and auto repairs

Consumers tend to regard anything they do to their cars as a repair. Not true. When you fix something that is expected to wear out and be replaced when worn out, that’s maintenance.

Most common auto repairs

Oxygen sensor replacement

Older style oxygen sensors had an average life of around

Flange mount oxygen sensor

80K-100K miles. The newer air/fuel ratio sensors have a much longer life of up to 200K miles.

Early oxygen sensor failure is caused by contamination like a coolant leak or using sealants containing silicone.

Evaporative emissions repairs

The evaporative emissions system is designed to prevent fuel evaporation into the atmosphere during refueling and to minimize fuel evaporation after refueling. The most common failures/repairs involve failed purge and vent valves and failed charcoal canisters or rubber hoses

The most common auto repairs can vary depending on the age

MOPAR 4891739AA purge valve

of the vehicle, driving conditions, and maintenance practices. However, some repairs tend to be more prevalent across a wide range of vehicles. Here are some of the most common auto repairs:

Catalytic converter failures

Catalytic converters don’t wear out. Catalytic converter fail because of continued driving with improper air/fuel mixtures, contamination from coolant and oil, and impact and thermal shock.

Overheated catalytic converter viewed from the outside

Sensor failures

MAP, MAF, CMK, CKP sensors can fail over time. Except for the MAF sensor, which can be contaminated, there is nothing you can do to prevent failure in any of the other sensors.

What are the most common repairs that are actual normal maintenance?

Brake System Repairs

All brake components wear out over time and use. You should expect to replace worn brake parts, so brake repair is actually normal maintenance.

Serpentine belt and timing belt replacement

Belts, belt tensioners and idler pulleys in drive belt systems are wear items. You should expect to replace these as they wear.

Tires are a wear item

No matter how well you maintain the air pressure in your tires, they will wear out over time and mileage. Tire replacement is not considered a repair, it’s normal maintenance.

Shocks and strut replacement

Shocks and struts are wear items and are considered normal maintenance.

Battery Replacement

Car batteries have a average life of around 4 years. You should expect to replace your battery as it reaches the 4-year mark.

Spark Plug Replacement

Spark plugs wear out at varying rates based on the type of engine and the ignition system. Some turbo charged lean-burn engines require spark plug replacement every 30K-60K miles, while other engine designs can go as long as 100K -120K miles on a set of spark plugs.

Alternator and starter replacement

Generally speaking, an alternator and starter should last around 150K miles. However, if you’ve intalled a high powered stereo system, leave lights on that drain the battery, take short trip that keep the battery in a constant state of discharge, you can wear out the alternator earlier than than. Premature starter failure is almost always due to underlying problems like worn spark plugs or fuel related issues that cause extended engine cranking.

Cooling System Repairs

Coolant contains anti-corrosion additives that wear out over time and mileage. If you don’t replace coolant when recommended by the carmaker, it can lead to internal corrosion and premature failure of the radiator, water pump, heater tubing, and heater core.

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©, 2023 Rick Muscoplat