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<\/a><\/p>\nAn average repair bill can set a driver back between $500 and $600, a figure that is expected to grow as vehicles become more advanced. Complex vehicle systems are more costly to fix. Additionally, the technical skill and specialized equipment necessary to execute repairs are also more expensive.<\/p>\n
\u201cNewer cars come equipped with systems to make driving more safe and comfortable, but this technology also makes them more expensive to repair,\u201d said John Moreno, spokesperson for AAA Northern California. \u201cMany consumers struggle with costs associated with auto repair as a result of failing to set aside a car care fund to pay for the upkeep of their vehicles.\u201d<\/p>\n
Repair costs soar when a vehicle has been poorly maintained. A previous AAA survey found that one-third of U.S. drivers skip or delay recommended service or repairs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile car payments eventually end over the lifetime of a vehicle, operating costs do not,\u201d Moreno said. \u201cA small savings plan can go a long way in reducing the anxiety of unexpected auto repair costs.\u201d<\/p>\n
To avoid an unexpected car repair, AAA recommends vehicle owners follow the manufacturer\u2019s recommended maintenance schedule and identify a repair shop they trust.<\/p>\n
If faced with an unexpected repair, AAA suggests drivers:<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Get a written estimate for the repair and clarify with the shop the work that needs to be done on the vehicle. Consider getting a second opinion to confirm the diagnosis.
\n\u00b7Negotiate the repair bill. Ask if the shop offers any discounts or payment plans that can reduce immediate out-of-pocket costs. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Emeryville, CA…f you don\u2019t have an automotive emergency fund, you\u2019re not alone. According to a new AAA survey, 64 million American drivers \u2013 or 1 in 3 motorists \u2013 would not be able to pay for an unexpected vehicle repair without going into debt. An average repair bill can set a driver back between $500 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1599,"featured_media":35320,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,20,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-communities","category-featured","category-news","last_archivepost"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/csaa.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1599"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=36812"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36812\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/35320"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=36812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=36812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=36812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}