Prices for original spare parts in the domestic car insurance basket have risen since the start of the year, according to a study conducted by the marketing agency NAPI. The organization analyzed recommended retail prices for common auto components used in the insurance industry and found a noticeable uptick in several key items.
From January to the reporting period, the average price for spare parts linked to Russian cars, as shown in the NAPI table, grew by between 1% and 8.7% when excluding windshields, which actually showed a slight decrease of around 1%. The researchers highlight that this trend reflects broader pricing dynamics in the automotive after-sales market and may be influenced by factors such as material costs, logistics, and local market demand.
The term spare parts basket refers to a curated set of components essential for restoring a vehicle after an accident. Within this basket, certain items drove the most notable price increases in the first half of 2023, according to the study. In June, the price of a rear fender rose by 8.7% versus January, reaching about 26.2 thousand rubles. Airbags also climbed by 3.8% to around 15.4 thousand rubles, while taillights increased by 3.4% to roughly 6.3 thousand rubles. These shifts suggest that structural body parts and safety-related components are seeing stronger price pressures.
Other components contributed to the overall rise as well. Rear bumpers averaged a 2.8% increase, climbing to approximately 7.9 thousand rubles. Hood prices moved up by about 2.7%, with the average June price standing at 18.3 thousand rubles compared with 17.9 thousand rubles in January. Windshield pricing, in contrast, showed a small decrease of 1%, sliding from 15 thousand rubles to about 14.9 thousand rubles.
These price dynamics are part of a broader discussion on how currency exchange movements and market conditions affect the cost of repairing and maintaining vehicles in Russia. Analysts note that depreciation pressures on the ruble can influence the cost of imported components and production inputs, which in turn can alter the pricing of insurance repair parts. The findings from NAPI align with ongoing monitoring of consumer automotive costs and help insurers and car owners anticipate potential budget impacts when planning maintenance or filing insurance claims. (Attribution: socialbites.ca)