Your customer has either paid or is still paying for his or her vehicle, but now has to think about the cost of repairing it.

With pothole season upon us — and the threat of damage to a number of a car’s systems should you happen to meet up with one — the RepairPal Institute has compiled lists of the most and least expensive car models to repair.

The results, in a nutshell, show that the Lincoln MKZ tops the “most expensive” list with an average repair cost of $2,649, while the Nissan Sentra tops the “least expensive” list with an average repair cost of $931.

The RepairPal Institute Auto Service Cost Index draws upon RepairPal’s proprietary list of auto repair pricing across the United States. Researchers analyzed the cost of four common repairs (water pump, alternator, brake pad replacement and oil change) in 40 models across four categories: compact, midsize, luxury and SUV.

Some of the researchers’ key findings:

• Two compact cars – the Volkswagen Jetta (average repair $2,114) and the Mitsubishi Lancer ($1,931) – were among the Top 8 most expensive cars to repair. Researchers found this surprising, given these cars’ relatively low sticker prices and air of affordability. At around $2,000 per average repair each, these two models came in higher than many luxury models and all SUVs.
   
• SUVs ranked highly among the most affordable models. The Mazda CX-7 (No. 3) and the Ford Explorer (No. 5) has repair costs roughly 30 percent below average. Other SUVs populated both lists, with the Chevrolet Equinox bearing the highest average repair cost at $1,604.
   
• Of the top 3 most expensive models to repair, the highest — the Lincoln MKZ at $2,649 — actually has the lowest sticker price.

20 most expensive car models to repair:

1. Lincoln MKZ (luxury): $2649

2. Audi A4 (luxury): $2259

3. Lexus IS250 (luxury): $2234

4. Volkswagen Jetta (compact: $2,114

5. Volkswagen Passat (midsize): $2,087

6. BMW 328i (luxury: $1,965

7. Mercedes Benz C300 (luxury: $1,960

8. Mitsubishi Lancer (compact): $1,931

9. Infiniti G37 (luxury): $1,725

10. Chevrolet Malibu (midsize): $1,633

11. Chevrolet Equinox (SUV): $1,604

12. GMC Acadia (SUV): $1,603

13. Volvo S80 (luxury): $1,600)

14. Chrysler 300 (luxury: $1,578

15. Acura TL (luxury): $1,537

16. Nissan Murano (SUV), $1,503

17. Honda Pilot (SUV): $1,480

18. Toyota Forerunner (SUV): $1,480

19. Kia Sportage (SUV), $1,469

20. Kia Optima (midsize), $1,454.

20 most affordable car models to repair:

1. Nissan Sentra (compact): $931

2. Nissan Altima (midsize): $986

3. Mazda CX-7 (SUV): $988

4. Mazda6 (midsize): $1,026

5. Ford Explorer (SUV): $1,052

6. Honda Accord (midsize): $1,060

7. Ford Focus (compact: $1,064

8. Mazda3 (compact): $1,068

9. Hyundai Elantra (compact: $1,088

10. Ford Fusion (midsize): $1,093

11. Honda Civic (compact): $1,120

12. Hyundai Santa Fe (SUV): $1,179

13. Hyundai Sonata (midsize): $1,188

14. Kia Forte (compact): $1,190

15. Subaru Impreza (compact): $1,191

16. Subaru Legacy (midsize) ($1213)

17. Toyota Camry (compact): $1,244

18. Toyota Corolla (midsize): $1,323

19. Jeep Cherokee (SUV): $1,406

20. Cadillac CTS (luxury): $1,429