Your next car repair could take a bigger chunk out of your wallet. Cars are more high tech than ever before but fixing those cars when there is an accident could run up the bill.
According to one study, one in four drivers can not pay $500 for a surprise car repair. But that $500 bill could double or triple with today's new high tech cars.
Our cars today are like computers on four wheels. It's not just plastic and steel that keeps us safe, it's also a collection of sensors.
"You have sensors in the front and rear bumpers," said Doug Shupe with Automobile Club of Southern California, "You have sensors actually in the windshield."
Dime size sensors are part of a car's Advance Driving Assistant System (ADS). Sensors warn drivers about potental crashes, when there is a car in a driver's blind spot and help with crash and back up warnings. The cars are looking at what's happening all around them at all times.
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Shupe says this technology has the potential of cutting traffic accidents down by 40 percent, but also double the cost of your next car repair. Even a simple fender bender.
"Can cost you $3,000 more to repair compared to a vehicle without the Advance Driver Assistance Systems," said Shupe.
That's because today's bumpers are home to a collection of sensors and high tech electronics. The same is true with a car's sideview mirror. A simple bump of your mirror with a trash can or mail box can cost a lot of money to repair. Even replacing your windshield could cost a lot more since it now has embedded sensors.
Not only do sensors have to be replaced but also calibrated. That often has to be done by the dealership which can drive up costs. But the Auto Club is not trying to steer people away from the extra safety features.
"It's so important that we educate ourselves and we talk with our insurance providers to make sure we are going to be covered," said Shupe.
