Knowing a thing or two about the car repair market – I wrote ASE-certified service at a shop for 15-plus years before diving into media full-time – I was sure that in 2023, the cheapest state for vehicle service probably wasn’t mine.

The five cheapest states to get your car fixed in 2023 are:

1. Ohio
2. Vermont
3. Wisconsin
4. Michigan
5. North Dakota

The Buckeye State is the cheapest place to get your car repaired in 2023

Central Ohio has seen something of a boom in the last few years; traffic isn’t LA- or Atlanta-level, sure, but any time I creep out for errands in Columbus, I’m scratching my head over why there are so many folks on the road. Where are y’all going at 11 am on a Wednesday?

Despite more people moving into some main metro areas than ever and a relatively low unemployment rate, based on a recent MarketWatch guide, Ohio is the most reasonable state to address your CHECK ENGINE light, which was the type of repair MW used in its rating system.

There are obviously tons of contributing factors here that might, upon various data views, change around the order above. I like the idea of evaluating the cost of living versus repair pricing. “Car repair” is a generalized term for the hundreds of different services your car might require at any point, from a dirty mass airflow sensor ($) to heater core replacement ($$$). CHECK ENGINE light diagnosing and fixing is definitely a common (often frustrating) one, and I’m resting better knowing the Midwest generally treats folks well in the event of car trouble.

Do you live in one of the most expensive car repair states?

The five most expensive states to get your car fixed in 2023 are:

1. California
2. Hawaii
3. Maryland
4. New Jersey
5. Virginia

The steepest repair order territory is obvious; try not to break down in Cali. No surprise that, in general, the coasts are costlier.

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