While cars are often used as status symbols, at the end of the day, the most important thing a vehicle can be is reliable. You need to get from point A to point B without getting stranded or stuck, and if something does go wrong with your car, you shouldn’t have to worry about the cost of repairs depleting your bank account.
Unfortunately, many auto manufacturers happily indulge in the practice of planned obsolescence, a practice that purportedly dates back to the early days of the light bulb business: designed only to last a certain amount of time.
The concept of planned obsolescence with car makers is simple: companies intentionally design automobiles with specific parts designed to fail after a certain amount of time, necessitating consumers to visit service centers for high-cost repairs.
These repairs often require the purchase of specialized tools designed to only work for certain model years to open specific compartments of the vehicle.
There’s a reason why there are tons of right-to-repair laws circulating the country, as oftentimes a high-cost item, like a vehicle, can become a financial continuous problem.
With manufacturers recalling millions of vehicles for design flaws, it’s no wonder why folks are pining for info on what are the most reliable car brands.
The TikTok account for Royalty Auto Service (@royaltyautoservice) is helping viewers out in a clip where they detail some of the five most expensive vehicles to repair.
The clip begins with an auto shop employee listing the cars people should stay away from if they want to stay out of the shop. Or, if you’re intent on driving one of these cars, make sure to get an extended, all-encompassing warranty on them, or look into mechanical breakdown insurance plans with well-reviewed companies.
“I went over all the data for the last two years, just to see what the average repair order would be on the most expensive cars and we got the most expensive and the least expensive which we’re gonna do in a future video,” the man says. “So the most expensive though, starting with number five, is Volkswagen.”
The mechanic shares why the popular German auto manufacturer has vehicles that are so pricey to maintain. “Every one of these vehicles, the average repair order, meaning every time the vehicle comes in, the average repair order is over a thousand dollars,” he says. “So what I did was take two years worth of data, crunched it up, that’s what it comes out to be. Now…some of them are gonna be two hundred but some of them are gonna be six thousand, but the average is over a thousand. So that’s quite expensive.”
The fourth most expensive car brand the shop sees to maintain is a BMW. “What do these things have in common so far? They have oil leaks,” he says. “That’s those two biggest issues are oil leaks on those two vehicles. But, they’re pretty common on European vehicles.”
Next up are Dodge Ram trucks. “These things have got motor problems, they leak oil,” he explains. “They have lifter issues. There’s just a ton of issues with these vehicles. They’re expensive to fix.”
The second most expensive type of car to maintain and repair, according to the mechanic, is a Land Rover. The mechanic and the guy behind the camera comment on a large number of videos they’ve posted warning about the high costs often associated with these cars, warning customers against purchasing them at all costs.
@royaltyautoservice This could vary shop to shop, but this is what we see here! Hope it helps! #usedcar #dealership #ram #bmw #volkswagen #vw #landrover #jaguar #jaguarlandrover #cartok #help #buyingacar #automotive #viral #advice #duet #stitch #fyp #foryou ♬ Storytelling – Adriel
The mechanic then continues to number one, saying, “The Land Rover’s sister: Jaguar. That average repair order is actually over $1,500. So, a lot of money in these things. Again, those two oil leaks, engine problems, electrical problems…suspension issues.”
He rounds out the video by stating that these are the five most expensive vehicles to repair and maintain at least in his shop, leaving the door open for the possibility of other shops charging less money for the repairs.
Viewers shared some of their favorite car brands to purchase for the least amount of headaches in the comments section.
“Just buy Toyota or Honda,” one person wrote.
Another penned, “I’ll always be a Toyota/Lexus owner!”
Others jokingly agreed with the mechanic’s assessment. “Every time I see a Land Rover speeding down the road I say ‘let me let this dude over he’s late for his mechanic appointment,’” another said.
And while Royalty Auto Service hasn’t appeared to have shared its compilation of least expensive cars to maintain, folks who work in the business weren’t afraid to share their clear favorites.
“In my 20 yr experience as a automotive technician, best brand is Toyota & Honda,” one commented.
Some folks pushed back on the idea that Ram trucks were poorly made and expensive to maintain, however, with one writing, “My rams take more abuse then a stepdad in a six pack.”
Another replied, “I’ve had four Rams in the last 20 years. None of them leaked the drop of oil 400,000 miles out of my 09 500,000 out of my 92. No oil leaks.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Royalty Auto Service via TikTok comment.
