Most Expensive Car Repairs: Halloween Franken-car

By: Motor Easy

29th October 2019

This Halloween Franken-car is every motorist’s worst nightmare when it comes to terrifying repair bills.

We’ve combed through stats for more than 15,000 years of car ownership to uncover the most eye-watering repair bills seen over the last twelve months - using this composite image.

The shriek-worthy mash-up motor features ghastly elements from cars such as the Ford Focus, Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz S-Class and a BMW 5 Series.

And the repair bill on the mechanical monstrosity runs to a staggering £65,249.

That’s more than double the average UK salary of £29,009, according to the Office for National Statistics.

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MotorEasy founder Duncan McClure Fisher said being able to afford a car meant much more than just the initial purchase cost.

He said: “This car is more terrifying than Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, Jason Vorhees and Pennywise the Clown put together!

“It represents the very worst that car ownership can throw at you.

“And our advice, whether you’re leasing or purchasing a vehicle outright, is to make sure you’re not at the very limit of your budget - because hefty repair bills can, and often do, sideswipe you.”

Duncan says “it’s important to remember that not all leasing deals come with a repair package - meaning lessees still have to foot the bill.

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He adds: “We’re seeing more and more motorists financed to the hilt in order to get their dream car.

“And yet when something goes wrong, they can’t afford to actually keep their car on the road.

“The same goes for tyres, too. Some vehicles with large or unusual rim sizes can run to £500 per tyre - that’s £2,000 to keep the car road legal. It can be nasty surprise to many.

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The list of repairs includes a £1,061 bill to repair the braking system on a humble 2012 Ford Focus, while the owner of a Citroen C4 Picasso was hit with a £999 electrics invoice. Other repairs are even more eye-watering.

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One 2014 Jeep Cherokee required a new gearbox at a cost of £12,400 while the owner of a 2012 BMW 5 Series was left facing a £22,655 bill for a new engine.

Meanwhile Range Rovers hit motorists in the pocket for a variety of reasons - a new clutch costing £2,796, a fuel system costing £3,143, repaired suspension totally £4,901, and a new turbo for a 2013 Range Rover racking-up a colossal £9,419 bill.

Duncan adds: “Prestige cars, such as Range Rovers, are clearly desirable for many motorists.

“And used examples can be picked up relatively cheaply, with examples from 2007/2008 costing around £5,000.

“But while that might sound affordable, you have to factor in the potential cost of repairs, which can be astronomical.

“One example we found concerned a £4,901 suspension repair for a 2008 Range Rover.

“That’s almost as expensive as the value of the car itself and proves why it pays to be protected with an extended warranty.”