Preventing The Five Most Common Auto Repairs Recently, CarMD Corp. conducted a study and compiled the findings into what they called their Vehicle Health Index. CarMD is a device that plugs into your vehicle and then downloads vehicle repair data, letting you know what's wrong with your car. Among the findings of the study were the top five most common repairs you can avoid through proper maintenance. 1. Engine Misfire Each spark-plug on your car is electrically timed to fire at precise timing to deliver power from the engine. If the spark fires at the incorrect time or not at all, it is considered a misfire. Misfiring of a cylinder can happen for numerous reasons. Here are the most common causes and related costs of the misfire condition: • Carbon or oil fouled sparkplugs: $100 to $300 depending on cost of plugs and labor to replace. (Bear in mind that oil of carbon fouled plugs are the result of a deeper problem with the engine and to get to the bottom of such case will c ... Read more »