Auto Repair Pricing & Cost Estimates | Kelley Blue Book

According to Kelley Blue Book’s Brand Watch study, reliability is the top concern for car buyers, even above price, safety, or fuel efficiency. Ultimately, consumers want to know that they can count on their car and not have to worry about frequent repairs costing them time, money and aggravation.

Unfortunately, reliability is notoriously hard to measure. Car repairs happen across many different locations – from branded dealerships and independent auto shops to do-it-your-selfers. No one has access to all of that repair data.

You may also often hear about a car’s expected reliability from friends and family. Other websites even use surveys and polls to try to predict reliability.

But word of mouth can have its problems. Public opinion takes a long time to change. Just because a brand has had a reputation for quality, that doesn’t necessarily mean that all of their vehicles are destined for a long life. On the other hand, some lesser-regarded brands may not get their due for more recent improvements in quality and reliability.

Kelley Blue Book always prefers to focus on data. To help you compare, every new vehicle has a Kelley Blue Book 5-Year Cost to Own, which factors in maintenance costs and repair data, along with larger items like fuel costs and depreciation. Once a year, we even give 5-Year Cost to Own Awards to the top performers in a variety of categories.