The Lemon Index$2,600 middle bill · most between $1,500 and $3,800
258 owner reports on 72 models
Nissan Titan, Ford Explorer, Ram pickup
Owners reported paying a median of $2,600 for a differential repair, with the middle half of bills between $1,500 and $3,800. That's 258 owner reports on 72 models (255 complaints to NHTSA and 3 YouTube videos). Costs vary by shop and region.
What owners paid
- Under $5005%
- $500–$1,0008%
- $1,000–$2,50033%
- $2,500–$5,00041%
- $5,000 and up14%
Share of the 258 owner reports in each price band.
Cars where it comes up most
Owner reports per model. Raw counts, not a failure rate: popular models get more reports.
Every model, what owners paid
| Model | Reports | Middle bill | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nissan Titan | 58 | $3,100 | $2,500–$3,600 |
| Ford Explorer | 29 | $1,500 | $1,100–$2,000 |
| Ram pickup | 14 | $1,800 | $1,000–$2,900 |
| Jeep Cherokee | 11 | $4,500 | $3,700–$6,000 |
| Toyota Sienna | 7 | $2,000 | $2,000–$3,000 |
| Cadillac CTS | 6 | $3,000 | $2,000–$4,000 |
| Ford Edge | 6 | $3,100 | $2,600–$4,600 |
| Ford F-Series | 6 | $2,800 | $1,200–$4,300 |
| Chevrolet Silverado | 5 | $2,500 | $1,100–$4,800 |
| Toyota FJ Cruiser | 5 | $2,400 | $2,200–$2,500 |
| Chevrolet Trax | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Toyota Tundra | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Acura RDX | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Ford Windstar | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Jeep Liberty | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Kia Sorento | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Mercedes-Benz M/GLE | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Subaru Forester | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Toyota 4Runner | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Toyota Highlander | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Toyota RAV4 | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Toyota Sequoia | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Toyota Tacoma | 3 | too few for a range | |
Models with 3+ reports. A model gets its own page and a range at 5+ reports. 49 more models with 1–2 reports count in the totals above.
Related repairs
Transmission replacement $4,500 · Clutch replacement $1,800 · CV axle replacement $1,000 · Torque converter replacement $2,500 · Transfer case replacement $3,000 · Valve body replacement $1,900 · TCM replacement $1,600 · Driveshaft replacement $1,200
The details
How we count
Every number here is a repair bill an owner reported, never a shop's price list. Two sources: the bills owners wrote in their own complaints to the U.S. government (NHTSA), and the dollar amounts owners said out loud in YouTube repair and ownership videos. A figure counts for a repair when that repair is the part named nearest to it. Left out: purchase prices, payments, rentals, towing, warranties and deductibles, amounts under $50 or over $15,000, parts-only prices ("the part was $80 on Amazon"), bills for two different repairs named together, and money someone else paid. One number per complaint (or video) and repair: the biggest, so it's the bill, not the diagnosis fee.
The range is the middle half of the bills (the 25th to the 75th percentile), so one wild number can't swing it. Owners who complain to the government often had expensive repairs, so a typical bill can be lower. Costs vary by shop and region, by dealer vs independent shop, by parts and by miles. This is what owners reported, not a quote for your car.
Check the bills yourself
NHTSA complaint numbers (search them at nhtsa.gov): 11776007, 11774836, 11774747, 11774428, 11770966, 11768860, 11767862, 11759190, 11750994, 11750876, 11744822, 11744141 and more.
Quick answers
How much does a differential repair cost?
Owners reported a median of $2,600, and the middle half paid $1,500 to $3,800, from 258 owner reports on 72 models. Costs vary by shop and region.
Which cars need a differential repair most?
The most owner reports come from the Nissan Titan, Ford Explorer, Ram pickup. These are raw counts: popular models get more reports, so this isn't a failure rate.
Why do differential repair costs vary so much?
Shop labor rates differ by region, dealers usually charge more than independent shops, new, used and rebuilt parts cost different amounts, and some bills include other work done at the same time.
Where do these numbers come from?
From 255 complaints to NHTSA and 3 YouTube videos: the repair bills owners themselves reported. Owner reports, not a price quote.
Sources: NHTSA owner complaints and YouTube videos (amounts said out loud), sorted by The Lemon Index. Owner reports, not a price quote. Costs vary by shop and region.