The least expensive car brands to repair & maintain according to Consumer Reports

Fast facts:

• Ongoing repair and maintenance expenses can easily add thousands to the total cost of a car, 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 over the first 10 years of ownership are Tesla ($4,035), Buick ($4,900), and Toyota ($4,900).
• The most expensive makes to maintain are Land Rover ($19,250), Porsche ($14,090), and Mercedes-Benz ($10,525).

Aside from a home, a vehicle is often the most expensive thing a consumer owns. And for those Americans who rent rather than own their primary residence (around 34% according to most sources), their vehicle is the single most valuable asset in their possession. Despite this, most use their vehicles on a daily or near-daily basis, adding wear and tear and decreasing resale value in the process.

This is hardly surprising — vehicles are complicated and delicate machines that rely on countless moving parts, and most of us buy them for their utility rather than as an investment. Nevertheless, repairs can be incredibly expensive, and for those who rely on their cars to drive themselves or their families to work, school, or appointments, unexpected maintenance costs can be a major financial and logistical hiccup.

That’s why it’s so important to choose a vehicle not simply based on its sale price and features but also based on how much its ongoing maintenance and repairs are likely to cost over the course of its useful life.

How much does car maintenance cost drivers on average?

According to AAA, the largest auto and travel nonprofit in the U.S., drivers spent an average of $0.0983 per mile on vehicle maintenance and repairs — which comes to a  total of around $1474.50 annually. This is up from $0.0968 per mile or $1,452 per year in 2022. (AAA’s estimates assume that cars are driven approximately 15,000 miles per year.)

Averages like these provide an eye-opening first look at just how much repairs and maintenance can add to the ongoing cost of owning and driving car in general, but in reality, vehicle maintenance costs vary considerably depending on a car’s age, make, model, and even the driver’s local climate.

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Whether buying new or used, one factor consumers can control is which brand of car they purchase, as some tend to have higher ongoing maintenance costs than others.

In April 2024, Consumer Reports published an eye-opening report that helps break down how repair and maintenance costs vary by automaker on average.

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

Consumer Reports is a near-century-old non-profit consumer advocacy firm that tests, reviews, and compares vehicles, appliances, and other relatively high-priced consumer staples. The organization also conducts surveys and interviews through which its readers can provide feedback about the products they own and use.

In the report mentioned above, which ranks automakers by average repair and maintenance costs, the figures 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 repairs relating to collisions), and CR collated and averaged these costs by vehicle manufacturer.

It’s important to note that the sample size for this survey was not specified, and since the data was self-reported, there likely wasn’t an equal number of respondents for each auto brand. That being said, the results do provide at least some degree of anecdotal insight into which car brands tend to cost consumers the least in ongoing repair expenses.

It should also be noted that maintenance and repairs are often covered by a warranty during the first few years of a vehicle’s ownership, so most of the reported costs skewed toward years 5–10 of a car’s ownership.

Here’s what the survey found:

The 10 least expensive car brands to maintain and repair

1. Tesla

• Average 10-year cost: $4,035
• First 5 years: $580
• Years 6–10: $3,455

2. Buick

• Average 10-year cost: $4,900
• First 5 years: $900
• Years 6–10: $4,000

2. Toyota

• Average 10-year cost: $4,900
• First 5 years: $1,125
• Years 6–10: $3,775

3. Lincoln

• Average 10-year cost: $5,040
• First 5 years: $940
• Years 6–10: $4,100

4. Ford

• Average 10-year cost: $5,400
• First 5 years: $1,100
• Years 6–10: $4,300

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5. Chevrolet

• Average 10-year cost: $5,550
• First 5 years: $1,200
• Years 6–10: $4,350

6. Hyundai

• Average 10-year cost: $5,640
• First 5 years: $1,140
• Years 6–10: $4,500

7. Hyundai

• Average 10-year cost: $5,640
• First 5 years: $1,140
• Years 6–10: $4,500

8. Nissan

• Average 10-year cost: $5,700
• First 5 years: $1,300
• Years 6–10: $4,400

9. Mazda

• Average 10-year cost: $5,800
• First 5 years: $1,400
• Years 6–10: $4,400

10. Honda

• Average 10-year cost: $5,834
• First 5 years: $1,435
• Years 6–10: $4,400

The 10 most expensive car brands to maintain and repair

1. Land Rover

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

2. Porsche

• Average 10-year cost: $14,090
• First 5 years: $4,000
• Years 6–10: $10,090

3. Mercedes-Benz

• Average 10-year cost: $10,525
• First 5 years: $2,850
• Years 6–10: $7,675

4. Audi

• Average 10-year cost: $9,890
• First 5 years: $1,900
• Years 6–10: $7,990

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5. BMW

• Average 10-year cost: $9,500
• First 5 years: $1,700
• Years 6–10: $7,800

6. Volvo

• Average 10-year cost: $9,285
• First 5 years: $1,785
• Years 6–10: $7,500

7. Infiniti

• Average 10-year cost: $8,500
• First 5 years: $2,150
• Years 6–10: $6,350

8. Acura

• Average 10-year cost: $7,800
• First 5 years: $1,800
• Years 6–10: $6,000

9. Mini

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

10. Subaru

• Average 10-year cost: $7,200
• First 5 years: $1,700
• Years 6–10: $5,500

The takeaway

For daily drivers on a tight budget, the projected ongoing expenses of owning and operating a vehicle are just as important as the upfront price when deciding what sort of car to buy. 

And while the rankings above are by no means set in stone — individual maintenance costs can vary quite a bit between an automaker’s different models — they do provide a general sense of which makes are least likely to significantly siphon your savings when it comes time to pay for routine repairs and maintenance.

For the record, CarEdge, a different company that provides resources and data for car buyers, also maintains a list of the least expensive car brands to repair and maintain, although their list isn’t dated, and the ranking methodology isn’t made apparent. The rankings in this list differ significantly from those on Consumer Reports. 

That being said, Toyota notably makes the top three on both lists, so the Japanese automaker is certainly one to consider when shopping for a vehicle with lower ongoing maintenance and repair costs.

These are CarEdge’s picks for the 10 least expensive makes by projected 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. Kia: $8,442
10. Hyundai: $8,714