Research Report
The 2026 Australian Auto Repair Cost Index
672 brand × repair estimates across 30 brands and 24 repair types, with 8-state/territory labour rates. All figures in AUD. Compiled June–August 2026.
1. European luxury brands cost 51–64% more to repair than Toyota
Average cost across all repair types, relative to Toyota:
| Brand | Avg repair cost | vs Toyota |
|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz | $1,168 | 1.64x |
| BMW | $1,123 | 1.57x |
| Audi | $1,079 | 1.51x |
| Toyota (baseline) | $713 | 1.00x |
2. Chinese brands are 14–19% cheaper to repair
| Brand | Avg repair cost | vs Toyota |
|---|---|---|
| Chery | $589 | 0.83x |
| MG | $578 | 0.81x |
| BYD | $612 | 0.86x |
| Haval | $598 | 0.84x |
| GWM | $610 | 0.86x |
Caveat: parts availability and wait times are not captured in price — the open trade-off for Chinese-brand buyers.
3. The five most expensive repairs
- CVT Transmission Repair — $3,731
- Head Gasket Replacement — $2,631
- Timing Chain Replacement — $2,398
- Clutch Replacement — $1,317
- Timing Belt Replacement — $1,027
4. Labour rates by state: a 24% spread
The same 4-hour job costs about $100 more in Darwin than in Adelaide — driven purely by postcode. Rates shown are independent-workshop rates; dealership rates typically run $150–210/hr.
| State/Territory | Hourly labour rate |
|---|---|
| NT | $130/hr |
| NSW | $120/hr |
| ACT | $120/hr |
| WA | $118/hr |
| VIC | $115/hr |
| TAS | $112/hr |
| QLD | $110/hr |
| SA | $105/hr |
Methodology
- 672 estimates = 30 brands × 24 repair types (full-coverage brands 24 repairs each, specialist brands 18), each split into parts (min/max) and labour (min/max)
- Baseline pricing grounded in published Australian workshop quotes; brand-level adjustment factors applied
- Full methodology: How we calculate
- Live estimator: free cost estimator
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The underlying dataset (CSV/API) is available for editorial use or commercial licensing.
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