The Automobile Association (AA) has released the latest pricing guide for spare parts. This is the first time this guide has been fully researched and produced by the AA and it provides valuable information about the cost of ownership for a wide range of cars. As a local automotive component manufacturer, Formex Industries understands the value of quality spare parts for a wide range of vehicle makes and models.
The Inaugural AA Spare Parts Guide outlines how much car owners can expect to pay for servicing their cars. It also gives a pricing guide for body repair and maintenance parts. The AA looked at 63 vehicles and broke down the cost of ownership into these three categories (i.e. service, repair, and maintenance parts). The prices were collected from a range of dealerships in Gauteng, and the prices relate to quotes given in Q3 2021.
The AA chose popular and similarly priced cars for each category of vehicle. From entry-level vehicles and sedans to executive SUVs and adventure 4x4s, the guide is freely available and provides extremely useful advice for those looking to purchase a new vehicle. Electric vehicles were also included in the survey, although the costs were largely estimated because at this time it isn’t possible to know exactly which parts will be needed over the lifetime of electric vehicles.
The categories of vehicles included are as follows:
- Entry-level
- Budget
- Compact family
- Family SUVs
- Executive SUVs
- Luxury SUVs
- Adventure 4×4
- LCV single cabs
- LCV leisure double cabs
- Electric vehicles (EVs)
As a leading supplier of metal car components in South Africa and abroad, Formex wishes to promote this guide as an indispensable resource for consumers looking to buy a new car. This guide gives an indication of how much vehicle owners can expect to pay to keep their vehicles in good shape.
Renault Kwid ©The Drivers Hub
AA Spare Parts Guide
The guide looks at three main costs of ownership, namely the cost of service parts, maintenance parts, and body repair parts. For service components, the AA included eight different parts that are commonly changed during annual services: air filters, oil filters, pollen filters, a set of spark plugs, a set of glow plugs, wiper blades and a set of front and rear brake pads.
For maintenance parts, the guide outlines the pricing for six vehicle parts, including the cam belt, front and back brake discs, shock absorbers and fan belts. There are 17 body repair parts included in the guide, namely the bonnet, bumpers, grille, fenders, wheel rims, front and rear doors, front and rear doors, and radiators. For electric vehicles, a selection of parts was included for reference purposes, such as batteries, charging cables, charging point assembly and onboard charger module.
Service part costs are the lowest, while vehicle body parts are the most expensive. The AA selected the parts based on the most common parts vehicle owners may need to change during the lifetime of their vehicles.
Cars ownership price comparison
Let’s look at some of the findings. First, let’s see how vehicles in different categories compare, from economy automobiles to more luxurious family cars:
- Entry-level vehicles: Datsun Go – R74 024.80
- Budget vehicles: Ford Figo 1.5 Titanium – R53 254.55
- Compact family vehicles: Mazda CX3 – R131 920.18
- Family SUVs: Honda CR-V – R171 790.57
- Executive SUVs: Alfa Romeo Stelvio – R179 210.39
- Luxury SUVs: Range Rover Sport – R367 410.19
- Adventure 4x4s: Ford Everest 2.0 BiT XLT – R117 037.19
- LCV single cabs: Isuzu D-MAX – R79 038.56
- LCV leisure double cabs: Ford Ranger 2.0SiT XLT – R96 083.00
The list above shows the lowest rand value of the total parts. In other words, it is the cost of service, maintenance and repair parts combined. The amounts are based on the cumulative value of these parts, although readers should consider that some cars are also sold with service plans and a selection of service and maintenance parts.
Just looking at the service parts, the guide has a slightly different story to tell, although a few vehicles feature on both lists, namely the Ford Figo 1.5 Titanium, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio and the Ford Ranger 2.0SiT XLT.
- Entry-level vehicles: Renault Kwid 1.0 Dynamique – R4085.84
- Budget vehicles: Ford Figo 1.5 Titanium – R3347.78
- Compact family vehicles: Peugeot 1.2 Active – R6011.94
- Family SUVs: Toyota Rav 4 – R6183.32
- Executive SUVs: Alfa Romeo Stelvio – R9538.53
- Luxury SUVs: Lexus RX – R10 504.97
- Adventure 4×4s: Isuzu MU-X – R7444.50
- LCV single cabs: Ford Ranger 2.2TDCi – R5747.30
- LCV leisure double cabs: Ford Ranger 2.0SiT XLT – R5134.09
- EVs: BMW i3 – R11 806.33
Let’s dive a little deeper into the guide and see how much vehicles can differ in terms of cost of ownership, despite being similarly priced models. Taking the entry-level vehicle and leisure double cabs as examples, we can see just how much vehicles range in how much it costs to service, repair, and maintain them.
Budget vehicles
The cheapest entry-level vehicle was found to be the Datsun Go 1.2 Mid with a total repair cost of R74 024.80. The most expensive vehicle in this category is the Kia Picanto, with a total repair cost of R107 349.29. Here’s how the two vehicles compare:
| Cheapest Entry-level vehicle: Datsun Go 1.2 Mid
Retail price: R183 900 Total Repair cost: R74 024.80
|
Most expensive Entry-level vehicle: Kia Picanto
Retail price: R189 995 Total Repair cost: R107 349.29
|
Leisure double cabs
On the other end of the spectrum, the guide details the cost of ownership for leisure double cab vehicles. These are extremely popular vehicles both in South Africa and abroad. The cost of ownership ranges much more than with the budget vehicles. The cheapest vehicle to own is the Ford Ranger 2.0SiT XLT, with a total repair cost of R96 083.00. The most expensive vehicle to service, maintain and repair is the Nissan Navara 2.5 LE A/T Ranger 2.0SiT XLT, with a total repair cost of R296 424.07.
| Cheapest LCV leisure double cab: Ford Ranger 2.0SiT XLT
Retail price: R704 500.00 Total Repair cost: R96 083.00
|
Most expensive LCV leisure double cab: Nissan Navara 2.5 LE A/T
Retail price: R677 000.00 Total Repair cost: R296 424.07
|
Guide to cost of ownership
The AA Spare Parts Pricing Guide provides important insights that consumers can refer to when selecting a new car. Buyers often do not take the potential lifetime costs into consideration and it is essential to budget for different expenses.
We hope that the guide brings more transparency in the car part market, as well as provides critical information that consumers can use. As more people are keeping their vehicles for longer, it’s essential that they know how much it will cost them to service, maintain and repair their cars. Contact us for more information on our products.
Formex Industries is a metal forming and assembly company that supplies a variety of complex products to the local automotive industry and the export market. The company is based in the Nelson Mandela Bay metropole, South Africa’s foremost region for automotive manufacturing and export.
Formex is a supplier with 69% black ownership, of which 37% are black women. The company is owned by Deneb Investments Limited – a subsidiary of Hosken Consolidated Investments Limited (HCI) – one of South Africa’s biggest true B-BBEE companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).
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