The five most expensive breakdowns that can happen to you

What are the five most expensive faults that can happen to you? If you fear visits to the workshop more than anything, find out what the five most expensive causes would be that you are interested in (especially, to try to avoid them) ..

What are the most expensive faults that can happen to you ? The answer is as clear as distressing: timing belt, injectors and turbo , among the most expensive faults to repair . As you well know, not all car refills are equally expensive; but, the replacement of these three in particular can range between 1,000 and 2,000 euros.

Holidays, trips and vacations are approaching, and the set-up of the car seems essential. In fact, according to Endado.com March, June and July are the months when most spare parts for the vehicle are purchased. 

A basic review : oil + oil filter + air filter for a mid-range car like the Seat Leon , could cost around € 40 if the user does it on their own, whereas if they take it to a workshop it could mean the double. Endado.com recommends checking the car before each trip to avoid more expensive breakdowns than a simple revision, and in this context has prepared a list of the most expensive and common faults. 

"Gasoline cars suffer more than diesel," says José Antonio Sánchez, co-founder of Endado.com. Among the most frequent breakdowns stand out those that have to do with the condition of the tires and brakes. However, although these may be the most common, the list of expensive faults is headed by the turbo.

The malfunction of the turbo can be due to a defect in the manufacture or to circulate with the engine too revolutionized or to an excess of temperature or lack of greasing, etc. The repair, depending on the make and model of the vehicle, can range between 1,000 and 5,000 euros .

2. Timing belt

The timing belt has the function of synchronizing the rotation of the crankshaft pulley with the camshaft sprocket so that the valves open and close at their exact point. When it breaks , there is no synchronization, so the piston touches the valves and they bend. To avoid this costly damage, the best thing to do is to maintain maintenance according to mileage and time of use . It is best to replace it every 80,000 km or three years. Its replacement will range between 250 and 2000 €.

3. Injectors

The injectors also cause major breakdowns. These are responsible for supplying the correct fuel at all times, depending on the engine speed and load. The problems are usually caused by its use and sometimes by the poor quality of the fuel or by dirt chips lodged in the circuit, which causes its obstruction making it impossible to clean it. In this case, the logical thing is that they break down individually , although several can also be damaged at the same time; which will indicate a progressive wear of the same. " The average cost of replacing all the injectors depends on the type of engine , but it would be around 2,000 euros, " says José Antonio Sánchez. You should not overlook these 10 symptoms in the spark plugs to detect faults in the engine .

4. Motor control module

The module is responsible for managing all the information of the sensors and actuators of an engine either diesel or gasoline. It is a totally electronic element and the most correct repair is the replacement by a new or second hand in good condition.

The breakdown of this element can arise among other things, due to a general failure in the tension of the vehicle, to the water in its interior, to deteriorated internal elements or to a general failure of some independent system. If this happens, the module must be replaced since its malfunction causes the engine to malfunction or stop working completely. The estimated repair price is between € 650 and € 2,500.

5. Oil pump - high pressure pump

This element is responsible for supplying the correct pressure to the injectors of a diesel engine at the exact moment. Therefore, it is a piece of high precision and works with high pressures, from 100 bar to 2050 bar, depending on the type of motor.

Among the main reasons for this failure is the poor quality of the fuel , the water in the fuel, the metal shavings caused by improper friction, failure of the internal electrical and electronic elements. In this case, the repair could be between 600 and 2,000 €. 

"In the budget of these repairs we do not include in any case the workforce, which usually average around € 50 per hour , that is why more and more users who buy the spare online and dare themselves with the repairs" , concludes the co-founder of Endado.com.