Monthly Repair Price Index
Car repair and maintenance prices rose 5.8 percent in the year to September 2026. All consumer prices rose 3.7 percent.
- Index, Sep 2026
- 468.5
- Change in 12 Months
- +5.8%
- Change in 1 Month
- +0.7%
- Change in 10 Years
- +70%
Repair Prices Against All Prices
The Missing Month
The October 2025 value does not exist. BLS marks it as data unavailable because of the 2025 lapse in appropriations. We leave the gap open and do not fill it with an estimate.
Two more cells are blank because of that one month. November 2025 has no 1 month change. October 2026 will have no 12 month change.
The next CPI report is set for November 10, 2026. It will carry the October 2026 value. There will be no 12 month change for that month, because the value it would compare against does not exist.
Month by Month
| Month | Index | 1 Month Change | 12 Month Change | All Items, 12 Months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 468.491 | +0.7% | +5.8% | +3.7% |
| August 2026 | 465.136 | +1.1% | +5.2% | +3.4% |
| July 2026 | 460.185 | +0.6% | +6.6% | +3.4% |
| June 2026 | 457.313 | +1.1% | +7.0% | +3.5% |
| May 2026 | 452.383 | +0.8% | +6.1% | +4.2% |
| April 2026 | 448.821 | -0.2% | +5.1% | +3.8% |
| March 2026 | 449.675 | +1.3% | +6.1% | +3.3% |
| February 2026 | 444.107 | +0.9% | +5.6% | +2.4% |
| January 2026 | 440.175 | +0.1% | +4.9% | +2.4% |
| December 2025 | 439.752 | -1.3% | +5.4% | +2.7% |
| November 2025 | 445.325 | Not Available | +6.9% | +2.7% |
| October 2025 | Not Published, Federal Funding Lapse | |||
| September 2025 | 442.843 | +0.2% | +7.7% | +3.0% |
| August 2025 | 441.987 | +2.4% | +8.5% | +2.9% |
| July 2025 | 431.604 | +1.0% | +6.5% | +2.7% |
| June 2025 | 427.256 | +0.2% | +5.2% | +2.7% |
| May 2025 | 426.264 | -0.1% | +5.1% | +2.4% |
| April 2025 | 426.849 | +0.7% | +5.6% | +2.3% |
| March 2025 | 424.012 | +0.8% | +4.8% | +2.4% |
| February 2025 | 420.480 | +0.3% | +5.8% | +2.8% |
| January 2025 | 419.417 | +0.5% | +5.9% | +3.0% |
| December 2024 | 417.312 | +0.2% | +6.2% | +2.9% |
| November 2024 | 416.418 | +0.2% | +5.7% | +2.7% |
| October 2024 | 415.598 | +1.1% | +5.8% | +2.6% |
| September 2024 | 411.276 | +1.0% | +4.9% | +2.4% |
Yearly Averages
| Year | Average Index | Change From Prior Year |
|---|
What a $500 Bill From Back Then Looks Like Now
This table moves a $500 repair forward by the index. It is our own math and a worked example, not a price for any real job.
| Month of the $500 Bill | Same Job at September 2026 Prices |
|---|---|
| September 2016 | $851 |
| September 2021 | $731 |
| September 2023 | $597 |
| September 2025 | $529 |
What This Means for a Shop
This index tracks what drivers pay. It does not track what a shop earns. Parts cost, rent and pay can move faster or slower than the bill.
Use it as a yardstick for your own prices. The index rose 19.4 percent in the last 3 years. A $150 labor rate set 3 years ago would be about $179 today if it had kept pace. Compare that with the rate on your wall.
Use it with customers too. A driver who says repair costs have jumped is right, and the government number backs that up.
How This Number Works
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes this index as series CUUR0000SETD. It covers motor vehicle maintenance and repair for all urban consumers in U.S. cities. It is not seasonally adjusted, and 100 stands for the average of 1982 to 1984.
An index shows change over time. It is not a dollar price. A reading of 468.5 does not mean a repair costs that much. It means prices are about 4.7 times the 1982 to 1984 level.
We pulled these values from the BLS public API on November 3, 2026. The 12 month and 1 month changes are our own math from those values, so they can differ by a tenth from figures BLS rounds itself.
Record and Data Links
- Series CUUR0000SETD, Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Repair, Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Public Data API Values and the Missing Month Footnote, Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Public Data API Values for All Items, Series CUUR0000SA0, Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Consumer Price Index Release Schedule, Bureau of Labor Statistics