Advanced Tech Increases Repair Costs

A recent study by AAA found advanced driver assistance systems, or ADAS, like automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-departure warning, can add up to about 38% to total repair costs after a crash.

The high cost of replacing and calibrating the sensors that operate the systems leads to increased costs, AAA sais. Even slight damage to front radar or distance sensors can incur repair expenses up to $1,540.

AAA says the cost of repairing ADAS can be influenced by various factors, such as vehicle make and model, sensor type and location, and repair facility. The organization reviewed four repair scenarios - front-end collision, side mirror replacement, rear collision and windshield replacement - to understand the costs of repairing the sensors.

Its research found radar sensors and cameras damaged in a front-end collision contribute to the highest repair cost for ADAS components. However, replacing a side mirror represented the largest proportion of repair costs of the three scenarios.

For the three 2023-model vehicles evaluated in this report, AAA also found:

• On average, the ADAS camera in the side mirror assembly contributed to 70.8%, or $1,067, of the repair cost.
• Replacing ADAS components in a minor rear collision repair cost an average of $684, or 40.9% of the total repair estimate of $1,698.
• The average cost of windshield glass replacement attributed to ADAS components was 25.4%, or $360, of the total repair cost.

Individual ADAS component costs - part and specific labor/calibration - over the four repair scenarios ranged from $290 to $1,596. AAA’s research calculated the following ranges for typical ADAS repair expenses.

• $500 to $1,300 for front radar sensors used with automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control systems
• $600 to $800 for front camera sensors used with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assistance, excluding the cost of a replacement windshield
• $740 to $1,600 for mirror mount, side mirror used with around-view systems
• $900 to $1,200 for a windshield camera sensor used with lane-keeping assistance, traffic sign recognition and pedestrian detection
• $300 to $1,000 for front or rear ultrasonic sensors used with parking-assist systems.