The 5 Most Expensive Car Parts

The dreaded trip the mechanic is an exercise akin to Chinese water torture. The long wait to know “what’s the damage”. The “damage” itself not being the issue with the car, but the inevitable damage to your wallet and a bank account that comes with any major car repairs. Sometimes, it’s just not worth it, and the best bet is to scrap and move on. So in this blog, we explore the top 5 most expensive car parts. We aren’t focusing on supercars. If you’ve got one, you can afford the spares, we’re focusing on good ole’ Joe Bloggs family cars and saloons. 

Cylinders and Engines

So, just give up basically. If you hear “significant engine damage” then it’s going to be a very bad day. Depending on the type of damage, the cost of repair or replacement can exceed $10,000, and depending on the car it can be significantly more than that. Within the engine are “cylinders”. Imagine cylinders as long tubes with fists pumping through them at an insane speed. Well, when those long tubes or those fists have issues, the velocity at which they move creates an almighty mess of debris. These are probably the most expensive of the repairable engine issues you could have. 

Car Batteries for Hybrid Cars

So no doubt the shift towards battery-powered and hybrid cars is a blessing for the driver, the environment and the planet. But you have to consider a hybrid car battery in the same vein as a car engine, it is the core mechanic of the vehicle, and therefore the most expensive part. Hybrid car batteries can cost up to $6,000, but unlike engines, where core mechanics haven’t changed dramatically in 4 decades, car batteries are evolving yearly. They’re becoming more efficient, cheaper, and critically easier to replace. So over the years, the cost of a replacement should reduce. 

Transmission

The car’s transmission is possibly one of the most complex parts of the car. As the engine burns fuel to generate energy, the transmission transfers this energy into the driveshaft which in turn moves the wheels. If you’ve ever seen a transmission, you’ll notice it’s made of hundreds of intricate parts. The intricacy of these parts means that should one fail, then often, they all do. And when that happens expect to pay between $3,000-$5,000 to replace the transmission. 

Airbags

Airbags are a marvel of modern engineering. Their evolution has been quite staggering, from the simple steering wheel airbag to the complex cacoon type structures that exist in some vehicles. However, when the airbags go, they tend to take certain things with them such as the steering wheel, dashboard, interiors and other elements too. Changing your airbags can cost between $2,500 – $4,000 depending on the type and extent of the release. 

Suspension

Finally comes the suspension. Whilst the suspension is made up of multiple parts and replacing one part isn’t too expensive, replacing the entire system can cost up to $3,500. Good suspension shouldn’t be noticed by the driver, after all, it is the part of the car that prevents you from feeling every crack in the road and every marble you drive over, but when it is broken, it’s incredibly obvious to the driver. If you think the drive is uncomfortable, then the visit to the mechanic might be even more uncomfortable. A complete overhaul of your suspension can cost anywhere between $2,000 and $3,500.

In The End

At some point, you’re better off just selling the car and getting a new car. SellYourMotors.com can help. We’ll buy your car in just 30 minutes and pay you in cash. It’s often a much better deal than part exchange. Try our free online car price estimator here, and we’ll take it from there.