Car manufacturers and dealerships take great pains to announce the sticker prices of their vehicles. Although this is important, another big factor is maintenance costs. If one car brand or model costs $3,000 less to purchase than another option, but you end up paying $5,000 more for maintenance and repairs while owning it, then you’re out an extra two grand.
Expenses for individual cars vary widely, but some brands tend to have lower ownership costs than others. As part of its Annual Auto Survey, Consumer Reports collects maintenance and repair data for major car brands. The 2025 edition, released in December, is a comprehensive guide to the costs of maintaining 29 different marquees over their vehicles’ first 10 years.
Such information is crucial when deciding to buy a vehicle. As such, I decided to take a deep dive into the study and what it means. There were definitely some unexpected outcomes, and they may well influence your choices on the car market.
The Top Five
To rank automakers in the study, Consumer Reports used three sets of numbers: repair costs for years one through five, six through ten, and one through ten. The full dataset is most relevant to new car buyers, since they usually plan to hold onto their vehicles for a while. Years one through five matter more for leasing, while years six through ten are vital to those on the used-car market.
The brands with the lowest totals might surprise you. Buick, a premium GM brand and America’s oldest active nameplate, was the least expensive to maintain over a ten-year span at $5,260. Another high-end American brand, Lincoln, came in second at $5,620. The luxury division of Ford Motor Company also posted the lowest number for years one through five at $920, while Buick was best for years six through ten at $4,100.
Positions three and four are more in line with traditional thinking. Toyota and Hyundai, two brands known for affordable and dependable vehicles, came in at $5,950 and $6,110 for ten-year maintenance costs. Completing the top five is another name you might not expect. EV manufacturer Tesla averages $6,125 in maintenance and repair costs over ten years.
The Bottom Five
If astonishment is the word for the least expensive brands to maintain, predictable is the word for the most expensive. Each slot is occupied by a European prestige brand known for luxury and/or sports cars. Here they are, along with the staggering price tag for ten years of routine maintenance and repairs.
- Land Rover, $19,460
- Porsche, $17,900
- Mercedes-Benz, $12,630
- Audi, $11,350
- BMW, $11,000
Interestingly, Porsche and Audi are both owned by the Volkswagen Group, which also owns the unrated Bentley, Lamborghini, and Bugatti brands. While the main VW brand was in the middle of the pack at 17th, the conglomerate makes its fair share of expensive-to-maintain cars.
Other Notable Rankings
Some of the brands that didn’t make the cut for the top or bottom of the list are worth discussing as well. Positions six through ten in the least expensive department generally meet expectations. Nissan, Chevrolet, Ford, Mazda, and Mitsubishi all have good reputations for affordability, and this also applies to maintenance.
A major shock to me was that Honda, one of the most distinguished brands in reliability, missed the top ten. Honda sedans like the Civic and Accord are well-known for inexpensive maintenance, but the rest of Honda’s lineup drags the final number down, as it sits at number 11.
As for those just missing the “most expensive” five, you’ll find two more European brands, Volvo ($10,330) and Mini ($10,200). BMW owns Mini, making it the second conglomerate with multiple five-figure marques. The final name in the five-figure category was Infiniti ($10,020), while the most expensive domestic nameplate was Ram ($8,650).
Also noteworthy is that some brands performed well in the year one through five or six through ten rankings, but not both. For example, Mitsubishi was 26th in years one through five with costs of $2,220, but second only to Buick in years six through ten at $4,200. This indicates Mitsubishi vehicles are a great option for used-car buyers.
On the flip side, Jeep tied for third in years one through five with average maintenance costs of $1,150. However, its year six through ten price tag of $6,045 is a 426% increase that drags Jeep down to 14th overall. You’re probably better off buying a new Jeep for long-term ownership or leasing one for short-term use.
Other Factors Affecting Car Maintenance Costs
Based on these raw dollar amounts, you can get off to a good start on a vehicle search. But what goes into car maintenance costs beneath the badge? Here are some of the elements that impact maintenance and repair bills.
Parts Availability and Cost
The easier you can make high-quality parts and the less you can charge for them, the lower the maintenance costs will be. You can see this when looking at the list. The top five automakers have a large U.S. presence, making many of their vehicles and replacement parts domestically. This means parts are cheaper and more readily available, since they don’t incur additional shipping or tariff costs.
Conversely, the bottom five make almost all their vehicles and parts overseas. In addition, they are niche brands by automotive standards, so parts are manufactured on a smaller scale, resulting in higher relative costs and scarcity.
Type of Vehicle
The bigger and more complex a vehicle is, the more upkeep it requires. This applies not only to the cost of parts, but also to the labor for installation and replacement. The national average rate for a mechanic is currently over $142 an hour, so another hour or two for a task adds up fast.
Generally speaking, sedans, hatchbacks, and small crossovers are the cheapest vehicles to maintain. Large body-on-frame SUVs, trucks, and sports cars have the highest upkeep. Hybrids and PHEVs also have higher maintenance costs since they use multiple power systems.
This ties to the Consumer Reports list with brands like Ram, which exclusively makes full-size trucks, and Jeep, whose flagship vehicles are the off-road Wrangler and the luxury Grand Wagoneer. Conversely, Buick offers only on-road crossovers in the U.S., while brands like Toyota, Hyundai, and Tesla still sell many sedans.
Driving Style
Finally, there’s how one uses the vehicle. The more aggressively you drive, the faster you will wear out parts and fluids. Even an SUV designed to go off-road, or a sports car meant for track days, will go through components faster than if you’re using the same vehicle for long-distance highway cruising. I’m specifically thinking of Land Rover and Porsche as I write this.
Conditions also matter. A study by AAA of Southern California found that 62% of drivers mostly drive in extreme conditions, including stop-and-go traffic, very high or very low temperatures, and short distances. Manufacturers recommend that “extreme drivers” perform maintenance more frequently, which affects brands like Honda and Kia, known for urban commuter vehicles.
Lowering the Cost of Car Ownership
While not the be-all and end-all, the Consumer Reports study on brand maintenance costs is a relevant guidepost. The hidden costs of owning a vehicle have caught many people off guard, as a seemingly great deal at the time of purchase later leaves them snowed under with unexpected bills. Knowing which car brands cost the most and least to maintain adds a little more certainty to the shopping process. If you still want to proceed with a brand that’s proven to have middling or high repair expenses, you’ll at least understand what you’re getting into. If every penny matters on a new or used car, you know where to start your search.