MRK Publications

Kinsey Reports

        Kinsey Report Introduction

The Kinsey Reports on car parts prices have been around since 1990 – probably conjuring up visions of great piles of spark plugs, radiators, headlights and fenders, - all of which are duly price tagged and compared in a large chart. It has become the yardstick for pricing comparison for both the general public and the fleet operator and has become a regulator within the motor industry itself.

The report expanded in 1998 for the first time to a survey on servicing and general running costs, which took over a year to complete. It was originally planned as a theoretical exercise using the manufacturers’ recommended service costs up to 100,000km. But so many variables were encountered on the way that it eventually went the “real life” route, using figures from Full Maintenance Leasing Companies which have huge fleets of vehicles. The combined database resulted in an operating cost per kilometre.

Unfortunately this was not feasible as an annual survey, due to costs and time restraints, so the Kinsey report thereafter reverted back to parts prices comparisons, using popular and vehicles and the most common parts which require replacement. This year, for the first time, the vehicles have been divided into categories on separate charts.

Each year’s Kinsey Report gives details of how the figures are gathered so it is not necessary to repeat the methodology here.