OSAGO Recalculated: Who Faces Repair Cost Increases

Frankly, there have always been many questions regarding various directories and methodologies compiled by office specialists. But when these very documents determine the amount of compensation after an accident, it's impossible to ignore them. Recently, updated directories of average car spare parts costs, prepared by the Russian Union of Auto Insurers (RSA), came into effect. Insurance companies calculate OSAGO payments based on these, meaning any changes directly affect car owners' wallets.

At first glance, the situation seems quite calm. The average cost of components increased by only 2.8%. However, this averaged indicator hides a very heterogeneous picture. For some brands, parts have become noticeably more expensive, while for others, on the contrary, they have become cheaper. Moreover, the most significant growth was recorded not among premium European brands, as one might assume.

Lada Parts Are Getting More Expensive Faster Than Many Foreign Cars

According to updated RSA data, the most significant increase in parts cost occurred for Opel. Components for cars of this brand increased by 6.6% at once. Despite the brand's official departure from the Russian market, the number of such cars on the roads remains significant.

Lada followed, for which the cost of spare parts increased by 6.3%. Honda took third place with an indicator of 6.1%.

An interesting situation emerges. Domestic manufacturer's cars, traditionally positioned as affordable and inexpensive to maintain, have outpaced a number of popular foreign brands in terms of parts cost growth. In particular, the growth was higher than for Toyota, where the increase was up to 3.5%, as well as for BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Among the brands for which components have become cheaper, the situation looks different:

Probably, market saturation and the development of direct supply channels played a role. Car owners will be able to assess how much these calculations correspond to the real cost of repairs when purchasing specific spare parts.

New Recalculation May Be Much More Noticeable

Current changes are only the first part of a larger process. RSA President Evgeny Ufimtsev announced that the current directories do not yet take into account the updated methodology for calculating parts costs, which the Bank of Russia approved in April.

After the registration of relevant changes in the Ministry of Justice, another price review is expected. According to preliminary estimates, the average growth in OSAGO payments for component costs could be about 8.2%.

The most significant changes are predicted for the following brands:

For these cars, the cost of parts in the directories may increase by 10.7–18.6%.

For other popular brands, more moderate growth is expected:

According to preliminary calculations, for them the increase will be from 0.9% to 4.5%.

As a result, owners of many older foreign cars may face a significant increase in the estimated cost of repairs. The reason lies in the new rules for determining prices, which should more accurately reflect the market situation.

In theory, this should lead to a fairer determination of compensation. However, the question remains open as to how noticeably the new calculations will affect real payments and whether the changes will primarily affect the cost of insurance policies.

In an ideal model, price updates should lead to an increase in the amount of insurance compensation or to the allocation of a larger amount of funds for repairs at a service center.

OSAGO Wants to Be Even More Individualized

At the same time, further changes to the compulsory insurance system are being discussed. According to government plans, by 2030–2031, the mechanism for calculating OSAGO tariffs may become significantly more personalized.

Among the factors that are supposed to be taken into account:

From a logical point of view, the idea looks quite clear. The safer the vehicle, the lower the risk of serious consequences of an accident and the more attractive the insurance tariff can be.

However, in practice, many questions arise. While the domestic safety assessment system is still under development, some existing violation detection systems are not always able to correctly determine even the use of seat belts by passengers.

What Awaits Car Owners Next

The desire to link tariffs to the real level of safety seems like a reasonable step. At the same time, any complication of calculation models is traditionally accompanied by additional costs for the end consumer.

That is why the main intrigue of the coming years lies not only in how objective the new methodologies will be, but also in whether they can truly make the OSAGO system fairer for drivers.

Meanwhile, car owners can only carefully monitor the next changes in the RSA directories, as the amount of compensation in the event of an insured event directly depends on them. And the latest adjustments show that the cost of repairs even for mass-produced models can change much faster than many are used to thinking.

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