Car Insurance Adjuster Warns: 7 Models With Shockingly High Repair Claims
Today’s vehicles are safer and easier to drive than ever, but the complex and highly technical systems that make them that way are easy to break and expensive to fix.
“Most people don't understand that modern cars are assembled so tightly that when one part is replaced, it will require the entire system to be recalibrated,” said auto expert Marco Maggiore, chief strategy officer at Ship Your Car Now. “This happens all the time with our transport and acquisition services. A car arrives in good condition on the exterior while having an estimate for repair that makes your heart sink.”
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MoneyLion spoke with Maggiore and another industry veteran who estimates vehicle values and repair costs for a living, and found that several models — and one brand in particular — stand out for having exceptionally high repair claims when insurance adjusters gauge the cost of getting a damaged vehicle back on the road.
They revealed that a handful of models have average repair claims that can approach 500% above average. If you’re in the market for any of these models, it’s important to understand how expensive they can be to repair — and how that reality can affect your insurance premiums.
Rivian R1T
The 2026 Rivian R1T starts at just under $80,000, with the cheapest leasing option leaving drivers with a $1,229 monthly payment — but the EV truck is also incredibly expensive to repair.
In 2025, OCRV, a specialty vehicle body shop in Orange County, California, released that year’s Rivian Auto Repair Costs Guide. It said that the R1T’s hybrid chassis, 12 ultrasonic sensors and 10 cameras can quickly push comparatively minor collision damage to $15,000 and beyond.
Facebook and Reddit are replete with well-documented, albeit anecdotal, evidence of R1T fender benders with $40,000-plus repair claims — but at least one industry pro can back up those numbers.
Patrick Peterson, a former professional auto appraiser and current lead automotive analyst and content head at NMVTIS-approved vehicle history provider GoodCar, recently saw a Rivian R1T with an initial collision damage estimate of $1,600.
“However, after a Rivian-certified shop took apart the rear of the truck, the final repair bill reached $42,000,” he said. “While the rear looks like just one area of damage, there can be much more affected. Also, there are fewer repair shops certified for Rivian repairs.”
BMW M3 — and BMWs, in General
The BMW M3 starts at $62,300, and the midsize luxury sedan’s repair bills can be just as shocking as those of the Rivian R1T.
“Its claims are not only expensive, but also quite frequent,” said Peterson, who cited the most recently updated IIHS-HLDI insurance loss database.
“The total collision losses for the all-wheel-drive M3 are 483% above average,” he said.
That’s No. 2 behind only the Lamborghini Huracán — and BMW dominates the list of vehicles with the highest collision losses, claiming five of the top 10 spots and three of the top five, including the following models:
M3 four-door 4WD (483% above average)
M4 two-door 4WD (449% above average)
M8 four-door 4WD (430% above average)
M8 two-door 4WD (343% above average)
7 Series four-door (305% above average)
If you’re not convinced, just look at the company the brand keeps — the only non-BMWs in the top 10 are models from Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Aston Martin.
Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Maggiore confirmed the high costs of a notorious BMW and added an equally popular luxury vehicle from another German automaker.
“BMW's 7 Series and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class have been, without question, the leading two in vehicle repairs,” he said. “One fender bender could cost as much as $8,000 to $14,000 for reasons such as the trunk sensors, shock absorber modules and camera systems built into the bumper assembly.”
The IIHS-HLDI database shows that the Mercedes-Benz S-Class has typical collision losses 171% higher than average — not quite as bad as the BMW 7 Series (305%), but nothing that’s going to convince your insurance carrier to cut you any slack on your premiums, either.
Editor’s note: Photos are for representational purposes only and might not reflect the exact year, make or model of the vehicle(s) listed in this article.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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