Escalating gas prices and “green” cars are the most hotly discussed topics in the automotive industry. But there’s an equally important issue for car owners. It’s the determining factor for some new/used car buyers, while other consumers buy brands regardless of resale value and cost of operation. The factor, most expensive to repair goes to the Dodge Viper.

Forbes.com does a lot of keen reporting in the auto industry, and its latest effort is no exception. It’s the list of the most expensive cars to repair.

Using 2008 repair estimates calculated over a five-year period and tabulated by Vincentric did the study. It’s an auto industry data-analysis company that examines the cost of zero-deductible, bumper-to-bumper extended-warranty claims to calculate the average cost owners can expect to pay, according  to Forbes.com. Maintenance costs are part of a different analysis.

The most luxury and non-luxury expensive cars to repair after their warranty expires and the average five-year estimate repair costs:

Luxury

Audi A8 ($1,640), Mercedes-Benz C ($1,640), Jaguar XK ($1,629), Land Rover ($1,600), Range Rover ($1,600), Mercedes-Benz C Class ($1,540).

Non-luxury

Hummer 2 ($1,484), Dodge Ram 3500 ($1,282), Hummer 3 ($1,244), Ford Mustang ($1,201), Chevrolet Silverado ($1,094), Mini-Cooper Convertible ($1,093), Subaru Imprezza ($1,006), GMC Yukon ($970), Chrysler Pacifica ($970).

There was also one vehicle that didn’t fall into either the luxury or non-luxury category, the Dodge Viper.

According to the report, a Dodge spokesperson said the brand makes only 1,500 Vipers per year with a starting price of $84,460. The Viper features a low-hanging front spoiler that easily gets damaged. It costs $1,800 to replace.

And thus, the Viper has the highest cost of repair for any car over a five-year period, $1,641.