The Lemon Index$1,200 middle bill · most between $550 and $2,800
598 owner reports on 139 models
Toyota Sienna, Lexus IS, Jeep Cherokee
Owners reported paying a median of $1,200 for a wiring harness repair, with the middle half of bills between $550 and $2,800. That's 598 owner reports on 139 models (596 complaints to NHTSA and 2 YouTube videos). Costs vary by shop and region.
What owners paid
- Under $50019%
- $500–$1,00022%
- $1,000–$2,50028%
- $2,500–$5,00022%
- $5,000 and up8%
Share of the 598 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Sienna | 32 | $2,600 | $2,200–$3,000 |
| Lexus IS | 20 | $3,200 | $2,500–$3,500 |
| Jeep Cherokee | 18 | $461 | $400–$675 |
| Honda Civic | 17 | $1,000 | $500–$1,300 |
| Chevrolet Silverado | 16 | $1,400 | $438–$2,400 |
| Chrysler Town & Country | 14 | $1,300 | $400–$2,500 |
| Ford F-Series | 13 | $2,000 | $1,000–$2,300 |
| Hyundai Sonata | 13 | $751 | $635–$1,300 |
| Nissan Altima | 13 | $531 | $450–$579 |
| Ford Explorer | 12 | $963 | $639–$1,100 |
| Honda Ridgeline | 12 | $950 | $650–$1,300 |
| Toyota Prius | 12 | $1,900 | $775–$4,000 |
| Ford Escape | 11 | $1,100 | $542–$2,200 |
| GMC Acadia | 11 | $656 | $406–$950 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee | 11 | $1,400 | $600–$2,000 |
| Volkswagen Jetta | 10 | $650 | $502–$1,200 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan | 9 | $700 | $310–$1,100 |
| Tesla Model 3 | 9 | $800 | $484–$2,100 |
| BMW 3 Series | 8 | $852 | $741–$1,300 |
| Ford Focus | 8 | $922 | $625–$1,500 |
| Honda Accord | 8 | $675 | $256–$2,800 |
| Honda Odyssey | 8 | $6,000 | $4,100–$7,000 |
| Subaru Forester | 8 | $1,700 | $1,200–$2,400 |
| Honda CR-V | 7 | $800 | $565–$961 |
| Ram pickup | 7 | $1,200 | $650–$2,000 |
| Toyota RAV4 | 7 | $3,800 | $1,100–$4,200 |
| Chevrolet Colorado | 6 | $1,800 | $1,300–$2,000 |
| Chevrolet Impala | 6 | $950 | $379–$1,200 |
| Chevrolet Malibu | 6 | $406 | $288–$500 |
| Chevrolet Traverse | 6 | $500 | $395–$1,300 |
| Dodge Neon | 6 | $443 | $306–$950 |
| Kia Optima | 6 | $4,800 | $4,000–$5,800 |
| Nissan Rogue | 6 | $4,200 | $1,600–$4,600 |
| Subaru Outback | 6 | $474 | $374–$500 |
| Toyota 4Runner | 6 | $3,900 | $1,200–$5,900 |
| Chevrolet Aveo | 5 | $1,200 | $315–$1,300 |
| Chrysler 200 | 5 | $2,500 | $1,800–$2,500 |
| Dodge Charger | 5 | $600 | $500–$729 |
| Nissan Versa | 5 | $2,000 | $1,100–$2,000 |
| Toyota Camry | 5 | $3,100 | $1,900–$3,800 |
| Toyota Tacoma | 5 | $2,300 | $1,400–$3,000 |
| Acura MDX | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Chevrolet Bolt | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Chevrolet Equinox | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Chevrolet Volt | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Chrysler 300 | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Ford Fusion | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Ford Mustang | 4 | too few for a range | |
| GMC Sierra | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Hyundai Santa Fe | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Hyundai Tucson | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Jeep Compass | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Jeep Wrangler | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Mercedes-Benz M/GLE | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Mini Cooper | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Nissan Armada | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Volkswagen Passat | 4 | too few for a range | |
| BMW X5 | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Chrysler Pacifica | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Dodge Challenger | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Dodge Durango | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Ford Windstar | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Kia Forte | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Kia Sorento | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Kia Sportage | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Kia Telluride | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Nissan Titan | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Toyota Tundra | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Toyota Yaris | 3 | too few for a range | |
Models with 3+ reports. A model gets its own page and a range at 5+ reports. 69 more models with 1–2 reports count in the totals above.
Related repairs
ECM (engine computer) replacement $1,200 · TIPM replacement $1,100 · Airbag module and clock spring replacement $590 · Car battery replacement $317 · Radio and infotainment screen repair $1,500 · Alternator replacement $800 · Window regulator replacement $400 · Starter replacement $788
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): 11777263, 11776421, 11776395, 11775327, 11773933, 11768254, 11766716, 11766174, 11764829, 11763683, 11763027, 11762384 and more.
Quick answers
How much does a wiring harness repair cost?
Owners reported a median of $1,200, and the middle half paid $550 to $2,800, from 598 owner reports on 139 models. Costs vary by shop and region.
Which cars need a wiring harness repair most?
The most owner reports come from the Toyota Sienna, Lexus IS, Jeep Cherokee. These are raw counts: popular models get more reports, so this isn't a failure rate.
Why do wiring harness 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 596 complaints to NHTSA and 2 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.