RepairPal released its America’s Best and Worst Cities for Auto Repair study. In the report, Jacksonville, Florida, ranked as the best city for car repair, and Honolulu ranked as the worst.
California star: It’s not surprising that several California metros made the naughty list, but one that did pretty well is San Diego. A low overall average price total, an abundance of mechanics and overall decent roads put this sunny city toward the middle of the pack.
The recently released study combines a local view of the realistic expectation of the availability of mechanics, how often cars might need to be taken in for repairs and what it costs to fix a car. For the report, RepairPal used information from multiple sources, including its own internal data from shops nationwide:
According to the data, the East Coast overall is most affordable for car owners while the West Coast is most expensive. Areas such as Jacksonville, Florida; Greensboro, North Carolina; and Richmond, Virginia, fared best when taking into account repair bills, mechanic availability and road conditions.
In fact, the best 13 cities for car repair are east of the Mississippi. Hawaiians and Californians can expect the highest car repair bills, with 6 of the 10 worst cities for car repair located in California. There were few bright spots in the Golden State, other than San Diego which has better-maintained roads and plenty of mechanics to offset higher repair costs.
20 worst metro areas for car repair
1. Honolulu, Hawaii
2. San Jose, California
3. Oxnard, California
4. New Orleans, Louisiana
5. Los Angeles, California
6. Tulsa, Oklahoma
7. San Francisco, California
8. Denver, Colorado
9. Bakersfield, California
10. Fresno, California
11. Riverside, California
12. Colorado Springs, Colorado
13. Memphis, Tennessee
14. Sacramento, California
15. Dallas, Texas
16. Houston, Texas
17. Des Moines, Iowa
18. Madison, Wisconsin
19. Las Vegas, Nevada
20. Seattle, Washington
1. Jacksonville, Florida
2. Greensboro, North Carolina
3. Richmond, Virginia
4. Winston-Salem, North Carolina
5. Knoxville, Tennessee
6. Dayton, Ohio
7. Charleston, South Carolina
8. Raleigh, North Carolina
9. Charlotte, North Carolina
10. Providence, Rhode Island
11. Sarasota, Florida
12. Columbia, South Carolina
13. Tampa, Florida
14. Omaha, Nebraska
15. Deltona, Florida
16. Virginia Beach, Virginia
17. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
18. St. Louis, Missouri
19. Boise, Idaho
20. Salt Lake City, Utah
Joseph Audette, head of Product at RepairPal, states: “We found that California car repairs are generally much more expensive and road quality there suffers. Meanwhile, on the East Coast, car repair bills were significantly lower, and road conditions are often better.
“This is the most comprehensive view of what we think car owners can expect. About 90% of American households own a car, yet too many car owners are frustrated not knowing whom to trust to fix their car or what is fair to pay. We feel it’s important to provide as much helpful information as possible to help people gain comfort when looking for a local mechanic and get back on the road.”