Car brands that cost the least to repair and maintain, according to Consumer Reports

quick Facts:

• Ongoing repair and maintenance expenses can add thousands to the overall cost of a vehicle, especially one that is used daily.
• Consumer Reports has been conducting research, collecting data and sharing insights to help consumers make purchasing decisions since 1936.
• As of CR’s 2024 report, the cheapest car brands to repair and maintain during the first 10 years of ownership are Tesla ($4,035), Buick ($4,900), and Toyota ($4,900).
• The most expensive brands to maintain are Land Rover ($19,250), Porsche ($14,090), and Mercedes-Benz ($10,525).

Aside from a home, a car is often the most expensive thing a consumer owns. For those Americans who rent rather than own their primary residence (about 34% according to most sources), their car is the most valuable asset they have. Despite this, most of them use their cars on a daily or near-daily basis, increasing wear and tear and reducing resale value in the process.

This is not surprising: vehicles are complex, delicate machines that rely on countless moving parts, and most of us buy them for their utility rather than as an investment. However, repairs can be incredibly expensive, and for those who rely on their cars to drive themselves or their family to work, school or appointments, unexpected maintenance costs can pose a significant financial and logistical hurdle.

This is why it is so important to choose a vehicle not only based on its selling price and features, but also based on the likely cost of ongoing maintenance and repairs over its useful life.

What is the average cost of car maintenance for drivers?

According to AAA, the largest automobile and travel nonprofit organization in the United States, drivers spent an average of $0.0983 per mile on vehicle maintenance and repairs — which amounts to a total of about $1,474.50 annually. That’s up from $0.0968 per mile, or $1,452 per year in 2022. (AAA estimates assume cars are driven about 15,000 miles per year.)

Such averages provide an eye-catching first look at how much repairs and maintenance can add to the overall ongoing cost of owning and driving a car, but in reality, car maintenance costs vary widely depending on the car’s age, make, model and price. And even the driver’s microclimate.

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Whether they are purchasing a new or used car, one factor that consumers can control is the type of car they purchase, as some tend to have higher ongoing maintenance costs than others.

In April 2024, Consumer Reports published a report Eye opening report This helps explain how repair and maintenance costs vary by automaker on average.

What is Consumer Reports and where does its data come from?

Consumer Reports is a nearly century-old nonprofit consumer advocacy company that tests, reviews, and compares vehicles, appliances, and other relatively expensive consumer staples. The organization also conducts surveys and interviews in which its readers can provide feedback about the products they own and use.

In the aforementioned report, which ranks automakers by average repair and maintenance costs, the numbers used to calculate the rankings came from Consumer Reports’ 2023 annual auto survey. This means that real drivers reported how much they spent on repairs and maintenance (not including collision-related repairs), and CR totaled these costs and averaged them by the vehicle manufacturer.

It is important to note that the sample size for this survey was not specified, and since the data was self-reported, there may not be an equal number of participants for each car brand. However, the results provide at least some degree of anecdotal insight into which car brands tend to cost consumers the least in ongoing repair expenses.

It’s also worth noting that maintenance and repairs are often covered by warranty within the first few years of car ownership, so most reported costs tend towards years 5-10 of car ownership.

Here’s what the survey found:

The 10 least expensive car brands in maintenance and repair

1. Tesla

• Average cost for 10 years: $4,035
• First 5 years: $580
• Years 6-10: $3455

2. Buick

• Average cost for 10 years: $4900
• First 5 years: $900
• Years 6-10: $4000

2. Toyota

• Average cost for 10 years: $4900
• First 5 years: $1,125
• Years 6-10: $3,775

3. Lincoln

• Average cost for 10 years: $5,040
• First 5 years: $940
• Years 6-10: $4100

4. Ford

• Average cost for 10 years: $5400
• First 5 years: $1100
• Years 6-10: $4300

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5. Chevrolet

• Average cost for 10 years: $5,550
• First 5 years: $1200
• Years 6-10: $4,350

6. Hyundai

• Average cost for 10 years: $5,640
• First 5 years: $1,140
• Years 6-10: $4500

7. Hyundai

• Average cost for 10 years: $5,640
• First 5 years: $1,140
• Years 6-10: $4500

8. April

• Average cost for 10 years: $5700
• First 5 years: $1300
• Years 6-10: $4400

9. Mazda

• Average cost for 10 years: $5800
• First 5 years: $1400
• Years 6-10: $4400

10. Honda

• Average cost for 10 years: $5,834
• First 5 years: $1,435
• Years 6-10: $4400

The 10 most expensive car brands for maintenance and repair

1. Land Rover

• Average cost for 10 years: $19,250
• First 5 years: $4,250
• Years 6-10: $15,000

2. Porsche

• Average cost for 10 years: $14,090
• First 5 years: $4000
• Years 6-10: $10,090

3. Mercedes Benz

• Average cost for 10 years: $10,525
• First 5 years: $2850
• Years 6-10: $7,675

4. Audi

• Average cost for 10 years: $9890
• First 5 years: $1900
• Years 6-10: $7990

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5. BMW

• Average cost for 10 years: $9500
• First 5 years: $1700
• Years 6-10: $7800

6. Volvo

• Average cost for 10 years: $9,285
• First 5 years: $1,785
• Years 6-10: $7500

7. Infinity

• Average cost for 10 years: $8500
• First 5 years: $2,150
• Years 6-10: $6,350

8. Acura

• Average cost for 10 years: $7800
• First 5 years: $1800
• Years 6-10: $6000

9. Mini

• Average cost for 10 years: $7,625
• First 5 years: $1,525
• Years 6-10: $6,100

10. Subaru

• Average cost for 10 years: $7200
• First 5 years: $1700
• Years 6-10: $5500

Ready meals

For daily drivers on a limited budget, the expected ongoing expenses of owning and operating a vehicle are just as important as the price offered when deciding what type of vehicle to purchase.

And while the above rankings are by no means set in stone — individual maintenance costs can vary slightly between different automaker models — they provide a general sense of the factors that are least likely to significantly drain your savings when it comes time to pay for repairs and routine maintenance.

For the record, CarEdge, a different company that provides resources and data to car buyers, also confirms this List of car brands that cost the least to repair and maintain, although their list is not dated, and the classification methodology has not been clarified. The ratings on this list differ significantly from those in Consumer Reports.

However, Toyota holds the top three spots on both lists, so the Japanese automaker is definitely one to consider when shopping for a car with lower ongoing maintenance and repair costs.

These are CarEdge’s picks for the 10 least expensive brands based on their expected 10-year maintenance cost:

1. Toyota: $5,996
2. Mitsubishi: $7,787
3. Honda: $7,827
4. Mazda: $8,035
5. Nissan: $8,088
6. Mini: $8,155
7. Volkswagen: $8,166
8. GMC: $8,429
9. Amount: $8,442
10. Hyundai: $8,714