I have owned only new GM or Ford cars since 1964.
On average I have traded them in for another new car every 5-7 years. My total repair cost over 59 years is less than $750!
But I have a degree in mechanical engineering and I diagnose the exact problem before walking into a repair shop and tell them exzactly what needs repaired. That has saved me many 4 figure repairs.
I quit taking my vehicles to repair shops because they screw it up even when you tell them exactly what to do. And anymore the fact that there is a high likelihood of the new (chinesium) part being bad right out of the box hasn’t helped.
And they try to charge exorbitant amounts of money for trivial tasks. The last time I tried to take a vehicle to a shop they wanted $500 in labor for a repair that involved four bolts.
On the rare occasion I find a decent mechanic they always seem to be mere months from retirement and the next time I go in its “Larry, Moe, and Curly Automotive” all over again.