How much it costs to service your car in South Africa – compared to 10 years ago
With cars and fuel expected to become more expensive with the introduction of new taxes from 1 April, motorists can also expect to pay more than ever before to fix their vehicles.
According to the 2017 Kinsey report, by renowned motor journalist Malcolm Kinsey, it will currently cost up to R44,000 for a basket of parts for an entry level vehicle in South Africa – based on a Datsun GO 1.2 LUX. This equates to 34.97% of the vehicle’s selling price of R126,900.
This is in stark comparison to the entry-level class winner of 2008, the Volkswagen Sport 1.4 i, with a parts basket of just over R16,000 – equating to just 19.92% of the vehicle’s R82,000 purchase price.
BusinessTech looked at how much it costs to repair an entry-level and executive sedan vehicle in 2017 compared to a decade ago.
These vehicle classes were selected as they provided the most transparent vehicle class comparison, and part comparison. The vehicles are also among the most popular on the road today. The outcome is not a like-for-like comparison, but should provide a general idea of how maintenance costs have increased over the last 10 years.
Also included is the full 2008 and 2017 Kinsey reports which contain the parts list for each available class.
Entry-level maintenance costs
2008 entry-level vehicles with retail prices:
- Volkswagen Citi Golf Sport 1.4 i – R82,200
- Chery QQ3 0.8 TX – R65,900
- Opel Corsa Lite Sport – R94,380
- Tata Indica 1.4 LX – R93,995
- Daihatsu Sirion 1.5 Sport – R125,995
- Chana Benni 1.3 Exclusive – R89,900
- Peugeot 107 X Line – R112,700
- Toyota Yaris T1 – R109,200
- Citroen C1 10i Play – R112,995
2017 entry-level vehicles with retail prices:
- Datsun GO 1.2 LUX – R126,900
- VW Polo Vivo 1.4 Conceptline H – R173,800
- Hyundai i10 1.1 Motion – R154,900
- Ford Figo 1.5 Trend Hatch – R187,900
- Toyota Etios 1.5 XS Hatch – R172,200
- Honda Brio 1.2 Comfort – R166,300
- Renault Kwid 1.0 Expression – R124,900
- Suzuki Swift 1.2 GL Hatch – R167,900
- Tata Bolt 1.2 TXT Hatch – R167,995
- VQ Move UP 1.0 3 Door – R180,400
Component | Average cost across class in 2008 (rands) | Average cost across class in 2017 (rands) |
---|---|---|
Oil filter | R84.46 | R111.65 |
Spark plug | R142.91 | R105.16 |
R/H wiper blade | R126.75 | R346.12 |
Front brake pad | R529.78 | R1 165.61 |
Front shock absorber | R820.21 | R1 817.79 |
Fan belt | R304.45 | R427.83 |
Cam belt | R818.82 | R1 296.99 |
Clutch plate | R964.83 | R2 077.51 |
Radiator | R1 925.55 | R3 685.19 |
Bonnet | R1 798.67 | R4 176.73 |
Grille | R471.07 | R1 539.17 |
Click on images to enlarge.
Sedan maintenance costs
2008 executive-level vehicles with retail prices:
- Toyota Avensis D4D Excl – R285,800
- Lexus IS 250 – R311,500
- Mazda 6 2.3 Individual – R266,600
- Volvo S40 2.0 D – R277,000
- BMW 320 D – R318,000
- Merceddes C220 Cdi – R333,000
- Jaguar X Type 2.2 D SE – R310,000
- Audi A4 1.8 Fsi – R285,000
2017 executive-level vehicles with retail prices:
- Volvo S60 T4 Momentum – R486,996
- BMW 320i Auto – R547,956
- Jagua XE 2.0D Prestige – R657,500
- Audi A4 2.0 TFSI Auto – R494,500
- Mercedes C200 Auto – R544,742
Component | Average cost across class in 2008 (rands) | Average cost across class in 2017 (rands) |
---|---|---|
Oil filter | R146.51 | R252.30 |
Spark plug | R223.44 | R298.00 |
R/H wiper blade | R272.67 | R767.75 |
Front brake pad | R1 110.19 | R2 425.50 |
Front shock absorber | R1 898.20 | R5 942.35 |
Fan belt | R525.50 | R539.75 |
Cam belt | R1 144.99 | R1 670.77 |
Clutch plate | R2 928.05 | N/A |
Radiator | R3 361.17 | R6 012.21 |
Bonnet | R4 920.86 | R11 081.01 |
Grille | R1 807.83 | R7 043.89 |
Click on images to enlarge.