Average Maintenance Costs for Cars Ranked by Manufacturer

Buying a car is only half the financial picture. The other half shows up slowly, in oil changes, brake jobs and the occasional gut-punch repair bill that lands the same month as your kid’s dentist visit.

If you’ve ever wondered why your buddy’s German sedan seems to be perpetually “in the shop” while your neighbor’s Toyota just keeps running, the answer usually comes down to the brand on the hood. Here’s how the numbers actually break down, and what you can do about it, no matter what you’re driving.

Which Manufacturers Cost the Least (and Most) to Maintain

Every year, Consumer Reports surveys hundreds of thousands of owners about what they actually paid out of pocket for maintenance and repairs, then ranks brands by total cost over a decade. The results split cleanly into three tiers.

At the cheap end, domestic and mainstream Asian brands dominate. Buick had the lowest cumulative maintenance costs among all automakers, with Lincoln close behind. Toyota, Hyundai and Tesla round out the top five, all landing well under $6,200 over 10 years.

At the other extreme, European luxury brands run up the tab fast, with 10-year maintenance costs ranging from a low of $4,035 for Tesla up to $19,250 for Land Rover, and Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW filling out the rest of the priciest five. That means owning one Land Rover can cost roughly what it takes to maintain three or four Toyotas over the same stretch.

That gap isn’t just a decade-long trend either. AAA’s 2025 Your Driving Costs analysis puts the average annual cost of owning and operating a new vehicle at $11,577, and maintenance and repairs are one of the categories driving that number up or down, depending on the brand you choose.

A quick snapshot of where the major names land:

• Cheapest to maintain: Buick, Lincoln, Toyota, Hyundai, Tesla
• Mid-pack: Honda, Mazda, Subaru, Kia, Chevrolet
• Priciest to maintain: BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Land Rover

Why the Gap Between Brands Is So Wide

Once you understand what’s actually driving these numbers, the pattern makes a lot more sense.

Parts availability and pricing

Mainstream domestic brands often share components across multiple models and even sister brands, which keeps parts cheap and widely stocked. Lincoln, for example, borrows heavily from Ford’s parts bin, so a repair that would be a specialty order on a luxury import is a same-day fix on a Lincoln.

Engineering complexity

European luxury vehicles pack in more sensors, air suspension systems, turbochargers and proprietary electronics than a typical sedan. Every extra system is another thing that can eventually need attention, and specialized components command specialized prices.

Dealer network and labor rates

Luxury brands typically funnel work through dealership service departments, charging premium labor rates, while mainstream brands have a much larger network of independent shops competing on price.

Driving conditions

How you actually drive matters, too. A 2025 AAA Southern California study found that most drivers regularly operate their vehicles in demanding conditions such as stop-and-go traffic, extreme temperatures, or frequent short trips. Manufacturers classify this as “severe” driving and recommend shorter service intervals, which quietly inflates your annual costs, no matter what badge is on the car.

What This Means for Your Wallet, Whatever You Drive

None of this means you should panic-sell your BMW or assume a Toyota will never see a wrench. It does mean you should budget accordingly, since maintenance is only one slice of the overall ownership pie alongside depreciation, insurance and fuel.

The good news is that brand isn’t destiny. A disciplined maintenance routine narrows the gap between “expensive” and “affordable” brands considerably, because most catastrophic repair bills trace back to a small maintenance item that got skipped. Staying ahead of fluid changes, filter swaps and tire rotations with a solid seasonal maintenance checklist catches small problems before they turn into four-figure repairs, regardless of what you drive.

A few habits make an outsized difference:

• Stick to the manufacturer’s schedule, not a generic one. Severe-driving intervals exist for a reason, and ignoring them is one of the fastest ways to turn a $40 service into a $400 one.
• Get a pre-purchase inspection on used luxury vehicles. An independent mechanic can flag the exact issues that make certain models expensive down the line before you sign anything.
• Build a separate repair fund if you’re eyeing a luxury or performance brand. Treat the difference between a Camry’s maintenance budget and a 3 Series’ as a real line item, not an afterthought.
• Shop labor rates before you commit to dealership service. An independent specialist familiar with your brand can often match dealer-level expertise at a fraction of the cost.

Comparing the Numbers Brand by Brand

Here’s how the major manufacturers stack up when you line up their 10-year maintenance totals side by side.

Figures reflect Consumer Reports’ 2025 Annual Auto Survey and are meant as directional guidance rather than a guarantee for any individual vehicle. 

Answering Your Biggest Maintenance Cost Questions 

A few questions come up again and again as drivers start comparing brands based on cost rather than just curb appeal.

Does a car’s country of origin affect maintenance costs? 

Broadly, yes. European luxury brands consistently rank among the most expensive to maintain, largely due to complex engineering and premium-parts pricing, while domestic and mainstream Asian brands tend to run more cheaply.

Are electric vehicles cheaper to maintain than gas cars? 

Generally, yes. Electric vehicles skip oil changes, timing belts and exhaust systems altogether, which is a big reason Tesla lands near the top of the affordability rankings despite being a relatively new automaker.

Should maintenance cost be a dealbreaker when buying a car? 

It shouldn’t be the only factor, but it deserves real weight. Comparing 10-year maintenance estimates alongside sticker price gives you a much more honest total cost of ownership before you sign a loan.

Making Your Next Car a Smart Long-Term Bet

At the end of the day, the brand badge sets the baseline, but your habits behind the wheel and in the garage decide how close you come to that number. Pick a car you actually want to own, then treat the maintenance schedule like a nonnegotiable appointment rather than a suggestion.

Oscar Collins

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Modded

With almost 10 years of experience writing about cars, gear, the outdoors and more, Oscar Collins has covered a broad spectrum of topics during his time as a blogger and freelancer. Oscar currently serves as the editor-in-chief of Modded, which he founded to spread his love of cars with an international audience.

Read full bio