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In order to arrive at an annual repair cost for a vehicle, you have to take into consideration several factors. For instance, the age of the vehicle and whether it is a new car recently purchased or a used vehicle that has outlived its warranty can largely determine what your annual cash outlay will be. American domestic cars and foreign made vehicles may vary on annual repair and maintenance costs.

Maintenance and Repair Coverage

New and limited car warranties and the frequency of car maintenance can have a bearing on annual repair cost. For instance, new car warranties will cover tires and electrical and mechanical system problems, and theore limit repair costs for owners. Yet, eventually, cars owned between three and five years can see an average annual maintenance and repair cost of $600 per year. These repair costs can include, heating, air conditioning, cooling system or engine and transmission problems. Some new car warranties may cover these repairs for 36 months, but, "with most new cars youre on your own in covering these repair costs," according to the website Safe Car Guide.

Vehicle Reliability Rating

The vehicle reliability rating that Consumer Report provides for car owners can help to determine what the average repair cost may be for your vehicle. Consumer Reports bases its reliability rating upon at least five years of repair-cost data, along with a combination of other measurements, such as crash protection, airbags and accident avoidance. It is important to examine just where your vehicle falls on the reliability rating list, because car-brand cost is not necessarily a determining repair factor. What is certain is that the lower the reliability car rating, the higher the cost of annual repairs.

Age of the Car

The age of the car has a lot to do with the average cost for repair of the vehicle. Typically after three to five years, the factory warranties have expired and the cost will escalate as the car ages. A car that is five years or slightly older and has more than 80,000 miles on it, can cost about $900 a year in repairs, according to the website Safe Car Guide. Yet, there can be a difference is annual repair costs between makes and models. For instance, The five-year old Range Rovers maintenance and repair cost is approximately $2,000, while the Toyota Land Cruiser was lower, at $600 per year.

Cost of Car Parts

The cost of your vehicles car parts can determine whether or not you will spend several hundred dollars a year for repairs or a couple thousand. There are several Japanese and European car models that will cost more for similar repairs that are performed on a domestic American car because of higher foreign car-part costs. For instance, if you were going to replace the brake pads, rotors or small front-suspension parts on a domestic model like a Ford Taurus, the annual cost could be as low as $600, instead of possibly $2,000 for a similarly aged Audi A4, according to Safe Car Guide.

The tailpipe of your vehicle extends off the muffler. It is not uncommon to see smoke coming from the tailpipe, which is the last component and exit of a vehicles exhaust system. Smoke is not always a cause for concern, but always note the color. Color and odor of the exhaust smoke are sometimes the first clues in diagnosing problems with the vehicles exhaust and cooling systems.

White Smoke

Every vehicle is likely to show a small amount of white smoke when first started, especially on cold mornings. As long as the smoke disappears as the engine warms up, there is no need to worry. Its the result of cold fuel and steam as the manifold heats up, and the white is actually the steam burning off.

Coolant Leaks

Theres a more serious problem if your vehicle continues to emit white smoke after it is fully warmed up. This indicates the presence of either water or coolant antifreeze in the combustion chamber. Since these substances are not supposed to be burned during internal combustion, they can cause serious problems with your engine -- often indicating a damaged head gasket -- that are costly to repair.

Checking for Leaks

The odor of the smoke can indicate if you have a coolant leak. If antifreeze is present in the combustion chamber, the white smoke will have a sweet smell. Also check your oil. Milky oil indicates the presence of coolant but can also mean nothing; heavy humidity can cause moisture to form in the crankcase, resulting in a similar symptom. Do not attempt to drive your car if the oil looks more like a milkshake than motor oil, as this is a sign of excessive water or coolant in the oil.

Moisture

Water coming from the tail pipe is usually nothing to be concerned about. It indicates condensation buildup, or is the byproduct of the steam when first starting the vehicle. Most exhaust systems dispel small amounts of water through the tail pipe. Water from the muffler itself is also a normal occurrence, and is likely coming from the weep hole. This water is a byproduct of the catalytic converter, which helps control the vehicles emissions.

Floods, hurricanes and other disasters can result in cars partially or totally covered with water. In some cases, the price of restoring a drowned car to serviceable condition would eclipse the value of the car, so you or your insurance company should just scrap it. In other cases, it is possible to dry out a flooded vehicle, enabling it to provide many additional miles of safe, comfortable driving. Though drying out the interior upholstery and seats is a challenge, its more important to remove all the water-contaminated fuel, oil and fluids to ensure the systems they control or lubricate operate correctly and safely once the rest of the vehicle is rehabilitated.

Instructions

1

Drain the engine oil by removing the drain plug in the oil pan and allowing the oil to run into a drain pan. Change the engine oil filter, then replace the engine oil with fresh oil.

2

Drain the engines cooling system by loosening the hose clamp on the lower radiator hose and disconnecting the hose allowing the coolant to drain into bucket. Reconnect the hose then refill with fresh antifreeze/water mixture.

3

Drain the transmission oil by removing the bottom pan on the transmission by unbolting the bolts around the perimeter of the pan. Drain the fluid into an oil drain pan. Replace the transmission filter located under the transmission pan, reattach the pan then refill the transmission with the specified amount of transmission fluid.

4

Drain the brake fluid from the brakes, master cylinder and brake lines. Use a wrench to open the bleeder valves located on each wheel the pump the brakes until all the fluid is expelled. Add new brake fluid to the master cylinder, then bleed each brake individually to remove all the air from the brake system. Capture as much used and purged brake fluid in plastic containers, then clean up the fluid that dripped onto the tire, wheel supports or floor.

5

Remove all the gasoline from the fuel tank either using a siphon hose or by removing the gas tank and dumping out the gasoline into a bucket. Refill the gasoline tank and add gas-line antifreeze to absorb any residual moisture in the system.

6

Drain the power-steering reservoir by removing one of the hydraulic hoses, then rotating the steering wheel back and forth until all the fluid is pumped out. Capture the used oil in an oil drain pan. Refill the power steering reservoir with power steering fluid.

Plugging of the catalytic converter is a frequent problem experienced by many vehicle owners. Many individuals choose to remove the converter completely or hollow the inside of the honeycomb out.

Purpose of the Converter

The catalytic converter serves to reduce harmful emissions that automobiles release into the air. The primary pollutant that is minimized is carbon monoxide, which is reduced to incredibly low levels to have a smaller impact on the environment. Many states have emissions inspections that are conducted on a yearly basis to ensure the catalytic converter is working correctly.

Impact of Removal

When a catalytic converter is damaged or removed, a few different clues signify it. The fuel economy of a vehicle will drop without a converter, along with a lack of power. If pressure is excessive due to the converter being plugged, you may experience frequent stalling or rough idling.

Detrimental Effects

Other impacts of removing the converter include risking damage to the other components, primarily the oxygen sensor, which works in conjunction with the catalytic converter. This may also cause the check engine light to come on, which will cause the vehicle to fail an emissions test.

Safety and cost of repair are major factors determining whether a vehicle is a total loss. Vehicles can be totaled under the law of the state or designated as a total loss by the insurance company under the terms of its policies according to the Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Safe Repair

A fender bender on the outside can involve frame damage on the inside that cannot be repaired in a cost effective manner. A vehicle with damage so severe that it cant be repaired safely, can be considered a total loss.

Repair Expense

The car is totaled if the insurer determines that repairs will be more expensive than the replacement value of the vehicle as decided by the age, condition and damage to the car before the accident.

State Regulations

State regulations may require a vehicle to be considered a total loss dependent on the nature of the damage and the severity. Check with your insurance carrier for specifics to your state or visit the DMV.org site for a state-by-state list.