How Much Does Car Maintenance Cost?

Average car maintenance costs about $1,475 annually or $123 monthly, varying by vehicle type and driving conditions. Costs include routine tasks and unexpected repairs. The right insurance coverage can help mitigate expenses.

By Nathan Paulus

Edited by Rae Osborn

Updated: December 29, 2025

Advertising & Editorial Disclosure

You'll spend about $1,475 per year or $123 per month keeping your car running, according to AAA's driving cost data. That works out to nearly 10 cents per mile over five years and 75,000 miles. Your actual costs depend on what you drive, the brand and how you drive.

Car maintenance breaks down for two reasons: regular upkeep you can budget for and unexpected repairs that catch you off guard. You know when you'll need oil changes, new brake pads or tire rotations. But a failing transmission or broken catalytic converter can cost thousands and happen without notice. Set aside money for these surprises and review your car insurance policy to know what's covered.

Car Maintenance Cost by Vehicle Type

Electric cars are cheapest to maintain at about $1,218 per year. Medium sedans cost the most at $1,628 annually. The table below shows maintenance costs across different vehicle types based on driving 15,000 miles per year.

Vehicle Category	Cost Per Mile	Monthly Maintenance Cost	Annual Maintenance Cost
Small Sedan	9.11 cents	$113.88	$1,366.50
Medium Sedan	10.85 cents	$135.62	$1,627.50
Subcompact SUV	9.51 cents	$118.88	$1,426.50
Compact SUV (FWD)	10.39 cents	$129.88	$1,558.50
Medium SUV (4WD)	10.57 cents	$132.12	$1,585.50
Midsize Pickup	10.35 cents	$129.38	$1,552.50
1/2 Ton/CrewCab Pickup	9.42 cents	$117.75	$1,413.00
Hybrid Vehicle	9.09 cents	$113.62	$1,363.50
Electric Vehicle	8.12 cents	$101.50	$1,218.00

10 Cheapest Car Brands to Maintain

Some car brands cost way more to maintain than others. Toyota and Honda are usually your cheapest bets for long-term upkeep. When you're shopping for a car, factor in the total cost of car ownership along with the price of a new car.

CarEdge tracked maintenance and repair costs for popular car brands over five years. Here are the 10 cheapest brands to maintain if you want to keep your repair bills low.

Rank	Brand	Five-Year Maintenance Cost
1	Toyota	$1,605
2	Mitsubishi	$2,019
3	Honda	$2,090
4	Volkswagen	$2,107
5	Nissan	$2,118
6	Mazda	$2,118
7	Kia	$2,167
8	MINI	$2,178
9	GMC	$2,238
10	Hyundai	$2,280

Types of Routine Car Maintenance Costs

Routine car maintenance runs from simple jobs like $10 windshield wipers to pricier tasks like $200+ tire replacements. Check your owner's manual for when to do each service so you can budget ahead and avoid bigger problems later.

Here's what you'll spend on common maintenance tasks:

Routine Maintenance Service	Frequency	Cost Range
Basic Inspection	Annually	Varies by service provider
Oil Changes	Every 5,000–7,500 miles for conventional oil; every 10,000–15,000 miles for synthetic oil	$35–75 for conventional oil; $65–125 for synthetic oil
Tire Rotation	Every 5,000–8,000 miles	$25–50
Brake Pad Replacement	Every 30,000–70,000 miles	$100–300 per axle
Cabin Air Filter Replacement	Every 15,000 miles	$20–100
Fuel Filter Replacement	Every 20,000–40,000 miles	$50–175
Engine Filter Replacement	Every 30,000–45,000 miles	$20–70
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement	Every 6–12 months	$10–25
Battery Replacement	Every 3–5 years	$100–250

Unexpected Car Repair Costs

Unexpected repairs range from $50 for a flat tire to over $10,000 for a new engine. Keep an emergency fund and check what your insurance and warranty cover.

Shop around for repair quotes and don't skip regular maintenance.

Car Repair Type	Average Cost Range	Explanation
Dead Battery	$50–200	Happens in cold weather or when cars sit unused
Flat Tire	$50–150 per tire	Caused by punctures or rough roads; needs immediate repair or replacement
Wheel Alignment	$75–200	Keeps your car handling properly and prevents uneven tire wear
Tire Replacement	$100–200 per tire	Necessary when severe damage from road hazards makes repair impossible
Brake Pad Replacement	$100–300 per axle	Critical safety component that wears down with normal use
Alternator Replacement	$400–1,000	Powers your car's electrical system; when it fails, your battery dies and engine stops
Suspension Replacement	$500–2,200	Maintains vehicle stability and smooth ride as parts wear out
New Timing Belt	$500–1,000	Essential for engine timing; replaced according to manufacturer's schedule
Catalytic Converter Replacement	$950–2,500	Required for emissions compliance; costs vary by vehicle model and labor rates
Transmission Repairs	$1,800–3,400	Expensive due to major wear or failure; sometimes needs complete replacement
Engine Repairs	$200–4,000+	Wide cost range from simple fixes to major overhauls or full replacement
Engine Replacement	$3,000–10,000	One of the most expensive repairs; needed when engine fails completely
Body Damage	$500–4,000	Results from accidents or collisions; costs depend on damage extent and location

Using Car Insurance for Maintenance and Repairs

Car insurance won't pay for maintenance but it'll cover repairs from accidents, theft and weather damage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for repairs from theft, vandalism and natural disasters. Collision coverage handles accident damage, while extended warranties and mechanical breakdown insurance can cover you for expensive component failures.

Collision Coverage

Designed to cover damages from accidents, collision coverage is for repairs following a crash, regardless of who is at fault, helping to pay for the expenses of fixing your car.

Extended Warranties

Extended warranties extend the duration of the manufacturer's warranty and typically cover the repair or replacement of specific car parts after the original warranty expires. This can be a valuable investment for covering costly repairs on major vehicle components that are not typically covered by standard insurance policies.

Mechanical Breakdown Insurance (MBI)

MBI or car repair insurance functions similarly to a car warranty and is offered by some insurers. It covers the costs of certain repairs that are not related to accidents, such as electrical or mechanical failures, providing coverage beyond what standard warranties offer.

Shop for car insurance that provides the right coverage. Learn more about car insurance with the following MoneyGeek resources:

Additional Resources for Car Owners

These websites and apps can help you save money.

AAA (American Automobile Association): Get roadside assistance, maintenance advice and repair shop discounts if you're a member.
RepairPal: Find certified repair shops in your area and get cost estimates based on your car and location.
Kelley Blue Book: Beyond car pricing, KBB also estimates what maintenance and repairs should cost.
CarMD: This device plugs into your car and alerts you to potential problems before they become expensive repairs.
YourMechanic: Book certified mechanics to come to your home or office.
CarCareKiosk: Watch free video tutorials for maintenance tasks specific to your car's make and model.

About Nathan Paulus

Nathan Paulus is Head of Content and SEO at MoneyGeek, where he leads content strategy, produces original data research, and oversees the site's coverage across insurance, consumer costs, transportation safety, housing, public policy, and personal finance. He also performs expert reviews of published studies, assessing methodology, source quality, and factual accuracy before content reaches readers.

Research and Analysis

In nearly six years at MoneyGeek, Paulus has published more than 100 original studies and explanatory guides. His data work ranges from insurance rate analyses to broader consumer and public policy research. On the insurance side, his studies include 50-state comparisons of health care outcomes, costs, and access; an analysis of how uninsured rates track with state Medicaid expansion decisions and electoral patterns; full-coverage auto rate analyses across major insurers in all 50 states; and an examination of how premium trends relate to industry underwriting losses using combined ratio data from Fitch Ratings, AM Best, and Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI figures. Beyond insurance, his research covers vehicle pricing trends across the U.S. new car market, summer traffic fatality rates by state, homeowner underinsurance ratios using mortgage and policy data, and housing affordability across all 50 states.

His research has been cited by Bloomberg, the Los Angeles Times, Forbes, Fast Company, the San Francisco Chronicle, USA Today, and NBC Los Angeles, and referenced by leading universities including Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and Yale.

Career

Growing up, Paulus developed an early interest in personal finance through his grandmother, who emphasized saving over earning as the foundation of financial stability. That perspective shapes how he approaches making financial data accessible to general audiences.

Paulus joined MoneyGeek in July 2020 as Director of Content Marketing, leading the content team and directing data journalism production across insurance and personal finance verticals. He was promoted to Head of Marketing and Communications in December 2023, taking on broader responsibility for digital PR and communications strategy. He has held his current role as Head of Content and SEO since January 2025. Before MoneyGeek, he served as Director of Content Marketing and SEO at Ventrix Advertising, where he was part of a small team that built two content sites from the ground up, contributed to link-building programs that secured more than 1,500 unique referring domains within a year, and helped manage a marketing team of more than 20 people. Earlier, he spent two and a half years at ABUV Media progressing from Marketing Research Analyst to Senior Marketing Tactics Analyst, building his foundation in audience research, content strategy, and SEO.

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Sources

AAA. "Your Driving Costs: Brochure." Accessed February 4, 2025.
AAA. "Your Driving Costs: Factsheet." Accessed February 4, 2025.
CarEdge. "Ranking the Least Expensive Cars to Maintain After Five Years." Accessed February 4, 2025.