What are the Most Expensive Car Parts to Replace?
With the introduction of more and more technology into the basic models of cars today, the price it costs to repair them seems to be on the rise. But which car parts are the most expensive to replace? This blog will explore this question to aid you in finding out what parts they should be on the lookout for in a breakers yard.
As cars can be expensive to replace or repair, the motor insurance industry is beginning to fear that the point at which a car is declared uneconomical or a write-off is arriving earlier than it ever has in the past. In some cases, repairs far exceed the value of your car. This is because while car parts can be cheap, the manual labour to fix a car can often be the reason for high costs. That is the beauty of U-Pull-It.
You can take a look at our price lists to find out how much car parts at our breakers yards cost. But to give you an idea of what parts to look out for, we have compiled a list of what are often the most expensive car parts to replace, how to try to prevent damage and what to look out for if you think a certain part may be the issue.
Clutch
It is common for clutches to wear out; the best way to try and prevent this is by not ‘riding’ the clutch.
ECU
Similarly to the Catalytic converter, a car’s ECU should last the lifetime of a car. Your ECU shouldn’t fail, but in the unfortunate circumstance that it does, it can be pricey to replace.
Alternator
Your car’s entire electrical system dies when the alternator does, and they can be expensive to replace.
Head gasket
Head gasket failure tends to affect older, infrequently used cars. The part itself is relatively cheap – it is the labour involved in getting the head off and skimming it that’s costly.
Timing belt
The engine can be wrecked if the timing belt fails or skips teeth on the cogs: this is not something you should neglect to replace.
Radiator
If your car gets a front-end knock or you neglect to use the right antifreeze mix when you fill them, a radiator can fail and will need replacing.
Starter
If you turn your key in the ignition and the car doesn’t start, this can often be the battery (if you’re lucky). If not, it may be the starter motor which is more expensive to replace.
Water pump
Keeping the coolant system well-maintained and topped up with antifreeze is a way to improve the odds of the water pump staying healthy. If it does fail, the coolant no longer pumps around the engine and through the radiator – this will result in a very hot and damaged engine.
Dual mass flywheel
A troublesome flywheel can damage the clutch, and vice versa. Some signs that may indicate a flywheel replacement is needed are vibration through the clutch, difficulty changing gear, shuddering at low speed or unusual transmission noises when you use the clutch.
Automatic gearbox
Signs of a faulty automatic gearbox that may need replacing are a burning smell, slipping gears, fluid leaks and unusual grinding noises. A more modern auto may produce a warning light on the dashboard and go into ‘limp home mode’.
Turbo
Regular oil and filter changes are important to prevent failure because most turbos fail gradually due to oil starvation, contamination or leaks. Smoke from the exhaust when accelerating may be a sign of the turbo failing.
Built-in sat nav
Most car manufacturers charge a fee just to keep your sat-nav updated with the latest mapping software. If it starts malfunctioning, a replacement can be costly on top of this already expensive feature.
Air conditioning
Depending on the model of the car and the level of fault, air conditioning units can be complex and expensive to replace. A lot of the cost can be the labour involved in their replacement, rather than the part itself.
U-Pull-It is a unique self-service parts and breaker company offering thousands of vehicles and car parts ready for you to take away. We can help you by providing exceptional value for money recycled parts if you do end up with car troubles.
If you need to pull parts, search stock at our Edinburgh and York breakers yards online, browse our price lists for all our great value parts or call us at either of our breakers yards:
U-Pull-It York Breakers Yard
Sutton Industrial Estate, Stamford Bridge, York, YO41 1HS
U-Pull-It Edinburgh Breakers Yard
Belleknowes Industrial Estate, Inverkeithing, Fife, KY11 1HZ
