How much it costs to service your car in South Africa – compared to 10 years ago

 ·26 Mar 2018

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.


Read: These are the most reliable car brands for 2018

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