Drivers in North Carolina pay more when the check engine light comes on than motorists in other states.
That's according to a survey from the organization Car M.D. The annual state-by-state ranking found the average car repair cost came out to about $426 in the Tar Heel State.
"We believe that one of the reasons it's so high in North Carolina is if your car is getting inspected and your check engine light was on or comes on during the inspection, the vehicle cannot pass inspection until that problem with the check engine light is fixed," says Tom Crosby of Triple A Carolinas.
Crosby says maintaining your vehicle and getting it into the shop as soon as the check engine light comes on can help reduce the price of repairs. Vehicle owners in Nebraska paid the least with an average repair cost of $323.