According to a recent study, 49% of all cars on the road are being driven with one or more dashboardAll vehicles built since 1996 are equipped with what’s called an OBD II system that taps into a car’s electronic control unit on a real-time basis and illuminates either of several warning lights on the dashboard if the car is suffering a mechanical issue.
The problem is the system doesn’t automatically go into detail about why the alert comes to life, and if the vehicle seems to otherwise be running fine, many drivers wind up ignoring it., nearly half of all cars on the road are being driven with one or more dashboard warnings illuminated, with 20% operated specifically with the Check Engine light on.
“Ignoring the Check Engine light can cause a car to fail an emissions test and can result in the need for additional repairs,” cautions David Rich, CarMD’s technical vice-president. “We encourage drivers to address all of their dashboard warning lights to help make sure their vehicle is as reliable and efficient as it can be.
What might a motorist expect if the Check Engine light is illuminated? According to CarMD’s annual Vehicle Health Index, the number one cause during 2023 was to replace the catalytic converter at an average cost of $1,304. The website attributed this to the ongoing increase in the average vehicle age, as converters tend to fail most frequently on older models.