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How driver-assist tech can result in a $5,000 fender-bender

Minor repairs aren't so minor when you've got to think about cameras and sensors.

Parking assist in action in a BMW 640i GT.
Enlarge / Parking assist in action in a BMW 640i GT.
Eric Bangeman

You know all that safety stuff on new cars? Lane-keep assist? Adaptive cruise control? It has a downside... if you get in an accident.

Cars with advanced driver-assistance technology are more expensive to repair than their less-autonomous counterparts, according to a study by AAA. What would have been relatively inexpensive bodywork due to a fender bender may end up costing two and a half times as much to repair, due to the location of cameras along with ultrasonic and radar sensors.


It's not just the parts, either. A rock hitting your windshield will require the camera used for adaptive cruise control to be recalibrated. And you'll likely have to pay more for the replacement windshield, as some manufacturers have more stringent standards for optical clarity. What would otherwise be a $500 windshield replacement can end up costing as much as $1,500.

AAA has broken down some of the extra costs for cars with advanced driver-assist technology:


As someone whose personal vehicles are a decade old at this point, I love when review cars have the full suite of safety features. The technology is extremely cool, and I feel more secure with an extra set of senses monitoring the road and traffic around me. But those safety features come at a price—not only when you buy the car, but when you have to get it repaired.

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Channel Ars Technica