Cheap vs expensive fixes: how repairs escalate
Why some problems snowball and others don’t — and when to stop driving.
Repairs become expensive when a fault causes secondary damage: overheating warps heads, misfires kill cats, low oil kills turbos, rich running washes bores.
If you’re unsure, prioritise faults with high escalation risk first.
- Misfire → unburnt fuel overheats catalytic converters.
- Coolant loss → overheating → head gasket / warped head.
- Oil leaks/low oil → turbo bearing damage / engine wear.
- Charging faults → low voltage → random module errors and no-start.
- DPF/EGR issues → limp mode, soot buildup, turbo stress (diesels).