Ignition Coil Replacement Cost (2026): One Coil, a Full Set & the Misfire Diagnosis in NJ

An ignition coil replacement costs $238 to $320 per coil on RepairPal's national average, updated September 3, 2026: $74 to $109 in labor and $164 to $211 for the part, before tax. AutoZone puts the job at $200 to $300 on average, with the part itself anywhere from about $35 to more than $300 depending on the car. Those are national benchmarks, not AutoBlast quotes. What AutoBlast does publish is the first bill on a misfire: a standard check engine light diagnostic is $120 to $180 at our Audubon, NJ shop, and the fee is applied toward the repair if you approve the work (engine diagnostics page).

A bad coil shows up as a shaking engine, a check engine light and a misfire code for one cylinder. In Camden County it tends to show up on the first cold, damp mornings, when a weak coil and tired plugs cannot make a clean spark. This guide covers what one coil and a full set cost, what the diagnosis costs first, how the shop tells a coil from a plug, whether you can keep driving, and what New Jersey adds in inspection and tax. Engine shaking right now? Call (856) 546-8880 or book online.

Ignition Coil Replacement Cost in 2026: One Coil vs. the Set

How to read the table:

• The first two rows are AutoBlast's published diagnostic fees. Every other row is an outside benchmark, not an AutoBlast quote. AutoBlast has not published a coil price; the number that counts for your car is a written estimate after the misfire has been diagnosed.
• RepairPal says its range leaves out taxes and fees and does not factor in your location. AutoZone says the coil is almost always easy to reach, so labor does not add much, though it varies by shop and by how long the diagnosis takes.
• The "set" rows are simple multiplication: RepairPal's per-coil parts price times the cylinder count. A modern car has one coil per cylinder (AutoZone: a V6 has six coils in use at all times). One labor charge usually covers the set when the coils sit on top of the engine. Aftermarket coils bought as a set cost less per coil; dealer coils cost more.
• New Jersey taxes both lines of the bill. ANJ-6 says the charges for parts and labor in repairing automobiles are subject to New Jersey Sales Tax.

Ignition Coil Replacement Cost by Car

RepairPal publishes the same job by model, one coil, before tax, as national estimates updated September 3, 2026:

The spread is the part, not the labor. RepairPal prices the labor at $74 to $109 across the board; the Altima's top end is more than three times the Civic's because of what the coil costs. Give the shop your year, make and engine when you ask for a price, and ask whether the quote is for one coil or the set.

Is It the Coil, the Plug, or Something Else?

A misfire has one symptom and several causes. RepairPal's rule is that proper testing comes first, because spark plugs, plug wires and other components cause the same symptoms, and a coil replaced on a guess is money spent on the wrong part. Here is how the shop narrows it down:

• Read the code. A misfire sets a cylinder-specific code: P0301 for cylinder 1 through P0308 for cylinder 8 (RepairPal lists P0301 to P0303 against this repair). P0300 means a random misfire across cylinders, which points away from a single coil. Our check engine light codes guide explains each one.
• Swap the coil. AutoZone describes the quick test: move the suspect coil to another cylinder and see if the misfire code follows it. If it does, the coil is bad. If the code stays put, the plug, the injector or the cylinder itself is the problem.
• Pull the plug. A worn, fouled or wet plug in that cylinder is the other common answer. Our spark plug replacement cost guide covers plug life by material.
• Check what is behind it. Fuel, compression and vacuum leaks come next if spark checks out. That is the "advanced diagnostic" band on our engine diagnostics page.

Why not just keep driving on it. An unfired cylinder pushes raw fuel into the exhaust. AutoZone says that is what a flashing check engine light means, and that the damage to the catalytic converter can be irreversible if it is left unchecked. A converter is a far bigger bill than a coil; see our P0420 catalytic converter guide.

Why Ignition Coils Fail in Winter

A coil is a transformer. AutoZone says it steps the battery's 12 volts up to 25,000 to 30,000 volts at the spark plug. Three things make that harder on a cold Camden County morning:

• Moisture. Synchrony's guide names dirt, moisture and oil leaks as causes of coil failure. Condensation in the plug wells and a cracked coil boot give the spark an easier path to ground than the plug gap.
• Cold starts. A cold engine needs a strong spark to light a rich mixture. A coil that was borderline in September cannot deliver it in December, and the misfire shows up before the engine warms.
• Old plugs. Synchrony says worn or faulty plugs force coils to work harder and raise the chance of burnout. A wide plug gap needs more voltage every firing, all winter.

Around Audubon the first freeze arrives in November. NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for Philadelphia International Airport, the nearest first-order weather station, put the median first 32°F night on November 10, with a 1 in 10 chance it has come by October 26 and a 9 in 10 chance by November 25. The December-to-February normal low is 27.8°F (NOAA NCEI normals, station USW00013739). If the engine stumbled on a damp morning this fall and smoothed out once warm, that is the time to have the code read, before the cold morning it does not start.

Should You Replace All the Coils at Once?

It depends on mileage and access.

• One coil has failed early. AutoZone says it is fine to change just the one. Keep the receipt; coils on the same engine tend to age together.
• The car is past 80,000 miles. Synchrony's guide puts coil life at 80,000 to 100,000 miles. Once one goes at that mileage, the others are on the same clock, and a second visit means a second diagnostic and a second labor charge.
• The plugs are due anyway. AutoZone says it is not necessary to replace coils as part of a spark plug job, but suggests doing it when the coils are inexpensive and hard to get at. The reverse also holds: if the coils are coming off, new plugs cost little extra. Our spark plug replacement cost guide has the intervals by plug type.
• The rear coils are buried. RepairPal warns that on some engines the rear coil packs are difficult to reach and the engine mounts may even have to be removed. When the shop is already in there, doing the set avoids paying that access labor twice.
• The part quality matters. RepairPal recommends coils built to OEM standards or better, because inferior parts can lead to a repeated repair.

What the Misfire Diagnosis Costs and Whether It Is Credited

The coil is rarely the first bill. The first bill is finding out that it is the coil.

At AutoBlast, a standard diagnostic is $120 to $180: codes, live data and verification of the actual cause. The fee is applied toward the repair if you approve the work. An advanced diagnostic is $180 to $350 when the fault is intermittent or spans more than one system. Both bands, and the European specialty band, are on our engine diagnostics page. A free code read at a parts store tells you the cylinder, not whether it is the coil, the plug or the injector.

Questions to ask before you approve a coil quote:

1. Which cylinder misfired, and how was the coil confirmed as the cause (swap test, scope, or a code alone)?
2. Is the price for one coil or the set, and does it include new plugs?
3. Are the coils OEM, OEM-equivalent, or aftermarket, and is there a part warranty?
4. Is the diagnostic fee applied toward the repair?
5. Will the check engine light be cleared and the car road-tested to confirm the misfire is gone?
6. Is New Jersey sales tax shown on both the parts and the labor?

Can You Drive With a Bad Ignition Coil?

The light tells you.

• Flashing check engine light: no. AutoZone says a flashing light signals a severe misfire that can cause irreversible damage, that it is not safe to drive, and that the car should be pulled over as soon as it is safe and towed to a mechanic.
• Steady light, engine running rough: soon. A dead cylinder costs fuel, raises emissions and keeps the light on. Drive gently, avoid hard acceleration, and get the code read.
• Engine will not start: it may be more than one coil. AutoZone notes an engine with more than one bad coil, or an older distributor system, might not fire at all. Our car won't start guide separates a spark problem from a battery or starter problem.

The New Jersey angle. The NJ Motor Vehicle Commission's vehicle owner tips say a check engine light that stays on will fail inspection, and that passenger vehicles get a biennial emissions-only inspection. A misfiring coil keeps that light on. Our NJ car inspection guide covers what else the inspection checks.

Ignition Coil Replacement in Audubon, NJ

AutoBlast is at 21 S. White Horse Pike in Audubon, NJ 08106. We serve drivers from Audubon, Haddon Heights, Collingswood, Oaklyn, Bellmawr, Barrington, Mt. Ephraim, Haddonfield, Cherry Hill, and nearby Camden County towns.

Engine shaking, light on, or a rough start on a cold morning? Call (856) 546-8880 and tell us which code the light threw if you have it, or book online. The misfire diagnostic is $120 to $180 and is applied toward the repair.

Helpful AutoBlast pages:

• Engine diagnostics and check engine light fees
• Spark plug replacement cost
• Common check engine light codes
• P0420 code and the catalytic converter
• Car won't start: causes
• NJ car inspection guide

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to replace one ignition coil?

RepairPal's national average for an ignition coil replacement is $238 to $320 before tax, updated September 3, 2026: $74 to $109 in labor and $164 to $211 for the part. AutoZone puts the average at $200 to $300 and says the part alone runs from about $35 to more than $300 depending on the vehicle. Those are outside benchmarks, not an AutoBlast quote. At AutoBlast the number that counts is a written estimate after the misfire has been diagnosed.

How much does it cost to replace all the ignition coils?

Multiply the parts price by the number of cylinders, then add one labor charge. Using RepairPal's $164 to $211 per coil, four coils are roughly $656 to $844 in parts and six are $984 to $1,266, before labor and tax. That is arithmetic on a national figure, not an AutoBlast price; aftermarket coils and buying a set bring it down, dealer coils push it up.

What does the misfire diagnosis cost, and is it credited to the repair?

At AutoBlast in Audubon, a standard check engine light diagnostic is $120 to $180, and the fee is applied toward the repair if you approve the work, as listed on our engine diagnostics page. An advanced diagnostic for an intermittent or multi-system fault is $180 to $350.

What are the symptoms of a bad ignition coil?

AutoZone lists a check engine light with a constant misfire in one cylinder, an engine that stumbles or feels about to stall, a raw fuel smell or black smoke from the tailpipe, worse fuel mileage, and in some cases an engine that will not start. Synchrony's guide adds rough running on acceleration and at idle, and backfiring.

Can I drive my car with a bad ignition coil?

If the check engine light is flashing, no. AutoZone says a flashing light usually means a severe misfire that is dumping raw fuel into the exhaust, that it is not safe to drive, and that the car should be pulled over and towed. If the light is steady and the engine runs smoothly, get it looked at soon; a dead cylinder costs you fuel and can still damage the catalytic converter over time.

Is an ignition coil easy to change?

Often, yes. RepairPal says replacing an ignition coil is usually an easy task and that on most vehicles the coils are accessible, but that rear coils on some engines are hard to reach and the engine mounts may even have to come out. AutoZone adds that the check engine light has to be cleared with a scan tool afterward, and that the coil you replace has to be the right one, which is why the diagnosis matters.

How much does it cost to replace an ignition coil at AutoZone?

AutoZone is a parts store, not a repair shop. Its own guide says it sells the coil (about $35 to more than $300, depending on the car) and can refer you to a professional mechanic through its Shop Referral Program if you do not want to do the job yourself.

Should I replace all the ignition coils at once?

Not always. AutoZone says if only one coil has failed it is fine to change just that one. RepairPal recommends parts built to OEM standards or better, because inferior parts can lead to a repeat repair. On a high-mileage engine where the plugs are also due, doing plugs and coils together saves a second labor charge; Synchrony's guide notes that worn plugs make coils work harder.

Will a new ignition coil fix the misfire?

Only if the coil was the cause. RepairPal says proper testing is key because spark plugs, plug wires and other components cause similar symptoms. AutoZone describes the quick test: swap the suspect coil to another cylinder and see whether the misfire code moves with it.

Does a bad ignition coil set off the check engine light?

Yes. AutoZone says a failed coil almost always causes a constant misfire in that cylinder, so the check engine light comes on with the related misfire code, such as P0301 for cylinder 1 through P0308 for cylinder 8 (RepairPal lists P0301 to P0303 as the codes tied to this repair).

How long does an ignition coil last?

Synchrony's guide puts coil life at 80,000 to 100,000 miles, with dirt, moisture, oil leaks and worn spark plugs shortening it. AutoZone notes there is a chance you will never need to replace one.

Will a bad ignition coil fail the New Jersey inspection?

Yes, through the check engine light. The NJ Motor Vehicle Commission's vehicle owner tips say a check engine light that stays on will fail inspection, and New Jersey's passenger-car inspection is emissions-only. A misfiring coil keeps that light on.

Does New Jersey charge sales tax on an ignition coil replacement?

Yes. The NJ Division of Taxation's publication ANJ-6 says the charges for parts and labor in repairing automobiles are subject to New Jersey Sales Tax, at 6.625%. RepairPal's $238 to $320 national range would be about $253.77 to $341.20 with that tax.