There are numerous unknown factors that affect the cost of repairing a car, such as parts availability, labour charges, and the cost of the parts themselves. Labour rates vary between workshops (and between OEM and aftermarket workshops), and parts availability is always in flux (especially given recent supply chain disruptions), so these aspects were disregarded for the sake of simplicity.
Fortunately, Ford products featured in a number of categories in the , which was published in September 2021. We used this report as our primary data source, to help us determine whether these vehicles would be expensive to repair in the event of an accident or a breakdown.
In the “Budget” category, the Ford Figo’s parts prices were compared to those of its opponents, and the Everest XLT 2.0 BiTurbo XLT was one of the contenders in the “Adventure 4x4” category. The Ranger was represented in two categories, with the 2.2 TDCi showing up among in the report’s single-cab comparison, and the 2.0SiT XLT FX4 listed in the “Leisure double-cab” section.
We considered these 4 vehicles’ overall parts basket prices, divided into three categories: Service parts, maintenance parts, and body repair parts baskets were compared to the vehicles with the lowest-priced overall parts baskets in their categories, as well as to the vehicles with the most-expensive overall parts baskets. This should give an indication of the relative costs of Ford repairs, even if we can’t pin-point the labour- and availability variables.
Budget cars
|
|
Ford Figo Titanium |
Volkswagen Polo Vivo 1.6 Highline |
Mahindra XUV300 1.2T W6 |
|
Service Parts |
R 3 347.78 |
R 4 674.75 |
R 8 916.17 |
|
Maintenance Parts |
R 8 699.18 |
R 12 257.28 |
R 21 455.65 |
|
Body Repair Parts |
R 41 207.59 |
R 65 136.67 |
R 87 521.97 |
|
Parts Basket Total |
R 53 254.55 |
R 82 068.69 |
R 117 893.87 |
|
Total Basket as % of New Car Price |
20.82 % |
30.98 % |
45.00 % |
This market segment shows a clear win for the Ford Figo’s parts basket, with each department (Service, Maintenance, and Body Repair Parts) illustrating that the Figo has the least-expensive parts prices in all respects.
It undercuts the second-most-affordable car in this class (the VW Polo Vivo) by more than 25%, and its total parts basket price costs less than half as much as the most-expensive car in its segment. This achievement is particularly noteworthy on account of the Figo’s fully-imported status, because not even the locally-made Vivo can come close to the Figo’s basket prices (and neither can any of the other imports).
Related: Shop for new and used Ford Figo cars for sale here.
Adventure 4x4 (SUVs)
|
|
Ford Everest 2.0 BiTurbo XLT |
Toyota Fortuner 2.8 GD-6 |
Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk 2.0T |
|
Service Parts |
R 8 068.56 |
R 13 726.95 |
R 12 077.89 |
|
Maintenance Parts |
R 21 193.20 |
R 14 237.79 |
R 17 203.11 |
|
Body Repair Parts |
R 87 747.43 |
R 99 365.00 |
R 296 909.43 |
|
Parts Basket Total |
R 117 037.19 |
R 127 329.75 |
R 316 190.43 |
|
Total Basket as % of New Car Price |
15.41 % |
16.04 % |
42.14 % |
Once again, the Ford walks away with the overall laurels, but the Everest 2.0 BiTurbo doesn’t dominate this comparison as much as the Figo dominated its segment. The Everest’s service parts and accident repair (body) parts are still the least-expensive in this group, but the Toyota Fortuner’s maintenance parts basket is cheaper than the Ford’s.
In other words, the Fortuner will cost less on routine maintenance than the Everest but it will be likely slightly more expensive to service or repair after a collision. It’s also interesting to note that the 3 locally-made vehicles in this comparison (the Everest, Fortuner, and Isuzu mu-X) have far more-affordable overall part basket prices, being the only ones in this group to drop below 20% of those vehicles’ new-car prices.
Related: Shop for new and used Ford Everest cars for sale here.
Single-cab bakkies (entry-level)
|
|
Ford Ranger 2.2 TDCi |
Isuzu D-Max 250C Fleetside |
Fiat Fullback 2.4 |
|
Service Parts |
R 5 747.30 |
R 6 321.80 |
R 16 769.92 |
|
Maintenance Parts |
R 13 176.10 |
R 9 706.07 |
R 51 396.85 |
|
Body Repair Parts |
R 64 411.45 |
R 63 010.69 |
R 162 985.99 |
|
Parts Basket Total |
R 83 334.85 |
R 79 038.56 |
R 231 152.76 |
|
Total Basket as % of New Car Price |
24.91 % |
22.72 % |
71.37 % |
In the single-cab field, the Ford Ranger 2.2 TDCi posted competitive parts basket prices, and wins in the basic service part basket price comparison. It is however more expensive than the Isuzu D-Max 250C on both maintenance- and body repair part prices, losing to the Isuzu as well as the Hilux 2.4GD-6 in both these departments. Consequently, the entry-level Ranger ends up third in its category, but is still much less-expensive than the other competitors in this segment.
Related: Shop for new and used Ford Ranger single-cab bakkies for sale here.
Double-cab bakkies (4x2)
|
|
Ford Ranger 2.0 SiT XLT FX4 |
Toyota Hilux 2.8 Raider A/T |
Isuzu D-Max 2.8DT LX A/T |
|
Service Parts |
R 5 134.09 |
R 7 532.80 |
R 7 452.74 |
|
Maintenance Parts |
R 11 433.79 |
R 21 191.88 |
R 12 136.97 |
|
Body Repair Parts |
R 79 515.12 |
R 82 741.37 |
R 83 457.10 |
|
Parts Basket Total |
R 96 083.00 |
R 111 466.05 |
R 103 046.82 |
|
Total Basket as % of New Car Price |
13.64 % |
15.32 % |
14.15 % |
In this department, the Ranger is joined by a Hilux and an Isuzu, a decision taken to enable direct comparison between three locally-made double-cabs. In this category, the Ford has the least-expensive total parts basket price, followed closely by the Isuzu and the Toyota in second- and third places, overall.
This ranking is maintained across all sub-sections, with the most-expensive of this trio not even getting close to costing half as much for a full basket as the fourth-placed VW Amarok. In short, these three local bakkies are far ahead of their imported opponents, with the Ranger having the least-expensive parts of them all.
Related: Shop for new and used Ford Ranger double-cab bakkies for sale here.
Verdict
Ford’s products showed very reasonable parts prices in the 2021 survey, and finished at (or near) the top in each category. Sure, there are some exceptions (Isuzu poses a particularly strong challenge), but that still doesn’t detract from Ford’s excellent performance in the part prices department.
Getting back to the original question: Fords certainly aren’t expensive to repair, in relation to their various class competitors. The Ranger has reasonably-priced parts, and the Figo should be an absolute dream for long-term owners, with some of the least-expensive parts of all the cars in this survey.
