Gadget-heavy Vehicles and Technology Cause Car Repair Costs to Sky Rocket
Most of us have a love / hate relationship with technology. We love the way it keeps us connected to friends and family but not so much the way it keeps us tethered to our jobs after hours. We love being able to access information at any time but don’t like how Instagram feeds and photos distract us from what’s going on around us.
When it comes to driving and automotive repair, technology is no different. In many ways car safety and overall capabilities have been enhanced greatly because of technology. There are fewer accidents on the road and less serious injuries from accidents thanks to advanced safety features. Both Mercedes Benz and BMWs have a stellar record for using technology features to reduce accidents and damage caused from those accidents. The downside to this, however, is advanced technologies have driven up the prices of automotive repair in San Diego across the board.
With Embedded Technology Auto Repairs Are No Longer Simple
Minor auto repairs and fixes are becoming a thing of the past due to technology. With every component in the vehicle connected to every other component, a simple part replacement has become a major, labor intensive repair. For instance, according to a to recent report by Triple A, front and rear-end fender benders, which were once small fixes, have become complicated automotive repairs in the several hundred dollars or even thousand-dollars range.
This increase in car repair costs is because your bumper is no longer just a bumper, particularly for BMW, Audi or Mercedes Benz vehicles. Now the bumper is a unit that holds complex computer instruments, radars and sensors. When you bump or damage it, even in a small way, you now need to replace these sensors and all their wiring instead of just the bumper. It’s likely that automobile designers haven’t thought about the implications of embedding high cost and complex sensors into vehicle components such as fenders, guards, mirrors, and screens that are commonly bumped, dented, or otherwise banged.
Mercedes Benz and BMW Feel Steep Rise in Auto Repair Costs
Moreover, while cars have never been safer to drive, increased vehicle safety comes at a high price, quite literally. Luxury vehicles today such as BMWs, Mercedes Benz and Lexuses have driver assistance technology such as emergency braking, distracted driving awareness and blind spot monitoring. While these advanced features may make driving safer, they make it more expensive in ways many drivers may not realize.
In addition to paying for these safety features when you purchase the car, paying for their repairs is very costly. What’s more, a broken side mirror, windshield or damage to your vehicle’s front end can result in unexpected and hefty auto repair bills.
Replacing Windshields Has Become Complex Job
Windshield replacements, which were once fairly simple and could be performed by a trained technician rather than an advanced mechanic, have become expensive and complex. With so many radar sensors embedded in the windshields, replacements have become a major repair job costing as much as a few thousand dollars instead of a few hundred.
Insurance Rates Are Climbing along with Costs of Auto Repair
As auto repair costs overall have increased, so have insurance rates. Drivers today are meeting their deductibles along a much different time frame than expected. When purchasing a new car, drivers may want to think about how rising auto repair costs will affect their insurance policy and adjust accordingly. That is, drivers may want to review their auto insurance policy with care to make sure it covers all auto repair costs related to technology.
Mechanics Must Stay Educated on New Auto Repair Tools
As vehicles become more like computers with a steel frame on wheels, auto mechanics must continuously train and stay current on this high tech automotive repair for BMWs, Mercedes and VWs. Today’s mechanics are part monkey wrenches and part IT guys. While advanced diagnostics tools can pinpoint and provide a lot of insight into problems and fixes, the auto repair itself has become more complicated. Because of interconnectivity of systems, a transmission repair may involve adjustments to other components as well. As such, repairs are becoming more labor intensive.
So next time you’re backing out of a parking lot and ding that lamppost or parked vehicle, be advised that you could be in for a lot more than a simple dent removal. BMWs, Mercedes Benz, Audis and VWs with their safety rich features and advanced capabilities are especially vulnerable to high cost auto repairs.
