The Lemon Index$915 middle bill · most between $602 and $1,600
787 owner reports on 132 models
Chevrolet Cavalier, Volkswagen Jetta, Ford Focus
Owners reported paying a median of $915 for a fuel pump replacement, with the middle half of bills between $602 and $1,600. That's 787 owner reports on 132 models (760 complaints to NHTSA and 27 YouTube videos). Costs vary by shop and region.
What owners paid
- Under $50013%
- $500–$1,00041%
- $1,000–$2,50031%
- $2,500–$5,0006%
- $5,000 and up10%
Share of the 787 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Cavalier | 73 | $700 | $600–$875 |
| Volkswagen Jetta | 40 | $7,000 | $4,900–$9,000 |
| Ford Focus | 34 | $700 | $591–$1,400 |
| Ford F-Series | 31 | $3,200 | $576–$10,500 |
| Chevrolet Equinox | 27 | $961 | $712–$1,200 |
| Volkswagen Passat | 24 | $1,600 | $611–$6,000 |
| Chevrolet Cobalt | 23 | $600 | $540–$740 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee | 23 | $1,300 | $640–$1,600 |
| Chevrolet Malibu | 22 | $800 | $612–$1,100 |
| Ram pickup | 22 | $1,000 | $878–$1,700 |
| Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 19 | $2,000 | $1,200–$3,200 |
| Hyundai Sonata | 17 | $800 | $605–$1,200 |
| BMW 3 Series | 15 | $1,800 | $984–$2,900 |
| Chevrolet Corvette | 14 | $3,000 | $1,800–$3,000 |
| Honda Odyssey | 14 | $1,300 | $712–$1,900 |
| Chevrolet Blazer | 13 | $400 | $350–$890 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan | 12 | $500 | $375–$854 |
| GMC Envoy | 12 | $800 | $480–$913 |
| Nissan Quest | 11 | $750 | $718–$880 |
| Toyota Corolla | 11 | $1,500 | $994–$1,500 |
| Honda CR-V | 10 | $1,400 | $1,100–$1,700 |
| Chevrolet Suburban | 9 | $800 | $700–$900 |
| Hyundai Santa Fe | 9 | $1,000 | $750–$1,200 |
| Volkswagen Golf | 9 | $4,500 | $943–$6,500 |
| Audi A4 | 8 | $800 | $538–$1,600 |
| Chevrolet Silverado | 8 | $1,400 | $1,200–$4,400 |
| Chrysler Town & Country | 8 | $838 | $550–$1,000 |
| Ford Expedition | 8 | $633 | $475–$1,100 |
| Chevrolet Tahoe | 7 | $1,000 | $748–$1,300 |
| Ford Escape | 7 | $600 | $504–$636 |
| GMC Sierra | 7 | $1,000 | $867–$1,200 |
| Honda Accord | 7 | $1,200 | $1,200–$1,700 |
| Kia Sorento | 7 | $1,200 | $950–$1,300 |
| Volkswagen CC | 7 | $998 | $912–$1,500 |
| Volvo XC90 | 7 | $1,100 | $792–$1,400 |
| Chrysler Pacifica | 6 | $900 | $488–$975 |
| Dodge Charger | 6 | $1,100 | $750–$1,500 |
| Dodge Durango | 6 | $1,100 | $825–$1,500 |
| Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 6 | $950 | $750–$1,400 |
| Nissan Pathfinder | 6 | $550 | $500–$878 |
| Nissan Sentra | 6 | $750 | $696–$1,000 |
| Nissan Xterra | 6 | $600 | $525–$706 |
| Kia Optima | 5 | $964 | $900–$1,000 |
| Volvo S60 | 5 | $810 | $795–$1,000 |
| Ford Explorer | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Ford Flex | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Kia Soul | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Mazda3 | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Nissan Altima | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Nissan Frontier | 4 | too few for a range | |
| BMW 5 Series | 3 | too few for a range | |
| BMW X5 | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Chevrolet Colorado | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Chevrolet Traverse | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Chrysler 300 | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Ford E-Series | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Honda HR-V | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Honda Pilot | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Jeep Cherokee | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Jeep Patriot | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Kia Rio | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Mercedes-Benz M/GLE | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Nissan Versa | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Volkswagen Tiguan | 3 | too few for a range | |
Models with 3+ reports. A model gets its own page and a range at 5+ reports. 68 more models with 1–2 reports count in the totals above.
Engine codes that can lead here: P0087 P0191. A code is where a shop starts, not proof the part failed.
Related repairs
Engine replacement $8,000 · Throttle body replacement $600 · Timing chain replacement $2,500 · Fuel injector replacement $1,700 · Spark plug replacement $865 · Head gasket replacement $3,000 · Ignition coil replacement $715 · Engine mount replacement $900
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): 11776284, 11774711, 11773203, 11771687, 11771165, 11769620, 11769033, 11766801, 11762368, 11761159, 11760167, 11757801 and more.
Said out loud on YouTube: $129 ▶ · $130 ▶ · $130 ▶ · $150 ▶ · $175 ▶ · $200 ▶ · $200 ▶ · $200 ▶
Quick answers
How much does a fuel pump replacement cost?
Owners reported a median of $915, and the middle half paid $602 to $1,600, from 787 owner reports on 132 models. Costs vary by shop and region.
Which cars need a fuel pump replacement most?
The most owner reports come from the Chevrolet Cavalier, Volkswagen Jetta, Ford Focus. These are raw counts: popular models get more reports, so this isn't a failure rate.
Why do fuel pump replacement 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 760 complaints to NHTSA and 27 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.