ORLANDO, Fla. — The cost of repairing vehicles equipped with at least some of the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) growing in popularity with consumers can be up to 38% higher than for vehicles without ADAS, AAA Inc. said recently.
AAA attributes the higher repair bill to the cost of replacing and calibrating the sensors that operate these systems. Even minor damage to systems such as front radar or distance sensors can result in additional repair expenses of up to $1,540, AAA said.
"Vehicles equipped with more sophisticated safety systems are much more common now, especially since NHTSA proposed its rule requiring automatic emergency braking earlier this year," Greg Brannon, AAA's director of automotive engineering, said.
"Consumers should know about the repair costs associated with these technologies," he added, noting however they also must understand the importance of fixing them "since improperly functioning systems could result in a deadly crash."
Earlier this year, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety published a study that shows the use of ADAS could prevent nearly 250,000 U.S. road deaths over a period of 30 years.
Among the systems that make up ADAS are automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring and lane-departure warning, AAA said.
Many variables can affect the cost of repairing ADAS, AAA said, including vehicle make and model, the type and location of the sensor and the type of facility where the repair work is performed.
Consumers may not realize it, but the sensors that help ADAS "see" the world around the vehicle are located at the front, side and back.
AAA said it looked at four repair scenarios — front-end collision, side mirror replacement, rear collision and windshield replacement — to understand the costs of repairing these sensors:
The highest repair cost for ADAS components is attributed to radar sensors and cameras damaged in a front-end collision. However, the replacement of a side mirror represented the largest proportion of repair costs of the three scenarios.
For the three vehicles — 2023 Ford F-150, Nissan Rogue and Toyota Camry — evaluated in this report, AAA found that:
- The average cost of replacing ADAS components in a minor front collision repair was $1,540, or 13.2% of the average total repair.
- On average, nearly 71% of the repair cost ($1,067) was attributable to the ADAS camera included in the side-mirror assembly.
- The average cost of replacing ADAS components in a minor rear collision repair was $684, or 40.9% of the average total repair estimate of $1,698.
- The cost of windshield glass replacement attributable to ADAS components averaged 25.4% ($360) of the total repair cost.
Individual ADAS component costs (part and specific labor/calibration) over the four repair scenarios range from a low of $290 to a high of $1,596, AAA said.
For proper ADAS repair, the motor club said it's vital to determine the location where the work is performed (dealership or independent) and that it be done competently, to the highest quality and accuracy.
Finding a reputable repair shop with professionally trained technicians to evaluate cost, quality, and standards guarantees a smoother repair experience.
The detailed report is available for download at newsroom/aaa.com.
