What Should Car Maintenance Cost You?

In 2023, the average new car on the American market is better than ever. The technology, available options, safety features, engine performance and fuel efficiency are fantastic.

But partly because cars are better, the average maintenance cost for a car is also going up. Replacing a windshield that is fitted with the latest sensor technology, for example, is far more expensive than the simple glass windshield of just 10 years ago. So how much should you budget for car maintenance in 2023?

What’s The Average Maintenance Cost For A Car?

Typically, automotive consumer advocacy groups like AAA have encouraged drivers to budget $50 per month, or $600 a year, to meet both expected and unexpected car maintenance costs. Keep in mind that this is an average that must take into account a lot of unknowns, such as the age and model of your car, how much you drive and when routine and emergency issues arise.

Further, in 2023 there are other factors affecting the cost of car maintenance. A 2022 study by Kelley Blue Book showed that car owners are putting off paying for repairs for unique economic reasons. For instance, lingering supply chain issues that spiked during the pandemic have made repair parts more expensive and repair appointments harder to get. A scarcity of mechanics further drives up the cost of repairs, and rising overall inflation since 2020 has made car maintenance costs tough for consumers to justify in their budgets.

All of these factors and more go into determining what car maintenance should cost you. The best way to approach car maintenance, then, is to know which repairs are likely to come next and how much they will cost, so you can factor them into your budget.

Annual Maintenance Costs

The best way to avoid being blindsided by expensive car repairs is to plan for them ahead of time. Your auto manual should have detailed information on when parts will need replacing (usually expressed in number of miles). If you lost your vehicle’s owner’s manual, contact the manufacturer and ask for a new one, or look online.

A note about leasing: One way to avoid having to worry about replacing parts is to lease your vehicle. Most leases expire before key parts need replacement around the 30,000 – 50,000-mile range. During your lease, you’ll need to do regular oil changes and perhaps replace an air filter, but you’ll avoid the more expensive maintenance and repairs that come later.

Here’s a general idea of when certain parts need replacing and how much you can expect to pay.

Additional Maintenance Costs

Certain vital car parts begin breaking down in the 30,000 – 50,000 mile range. Parts generally break down faster if you do a lot of city driving, a little more slowly if you drive on rural highways and freeways. The recommendation is to take your car to your dealer or a trusted mechanic for a general inspection at 30,000 miles.

Factors That Influence How Much Car Maintenance Costs

There are some things you can do to reduce your car maintenance costs, but some expenses are unavoidable. Here a few key factors to consider while budgeting:

Your Car

Generally, the more expensive the car, the more it costs to maintain. This is because replacement parts are more expensive. Newer cars may cost less to maintain because the original parts are still in good shape and you can get by with routine maintenance, such as oil changes, for the first 2 – 3 years. Cars with 50,000 miles and more begin to require routine maintenance, such as replacing the tires, brake pads, battery and more.

The closer the car gets to 100,000 miles, the more likely the car develops serious problems with engine parts like the alternator, camshaft, head gasket, radiator or fuel pump. These repairs can be closer to $1,000 or more and, perhaps more importantly, leave you without a car for a week or two while it’s in the shop.

These expensive repairs are easier to justify (and budget for) if you own the car outright and are no longer making payments. In this case, you might want to up your monthly repair budget to $100 or more to cover sudden expensive car repairs.

How Much You Drive

There’s an old saying that goes something like this: “It’s not the years, it’s the mileage.” When applied to cars, this means that the more you drive and pile up miles, the faster parts break down. This is why you should anticipate car maintenance costs based on miles driven, not just the age of the vehicle.

Your Driving Environment

Where you drive affects the life of the vehicle, as parts break down faster in extreme environments. Here are a few driving environments that affect car life:

• City vs. rural/highway driving: City driving involves more braking and turning, while highway driving puts less stress on brakes and suspension
• Road quality: Bumpy roads place more stress on the car’s suspension, wheels and tires
• Weather: Extreme hot or cold temperatures can stress car parts; cold weather also leads to potholes in the roads; in some regions salt or other chemicals that are corrosive to car parts are spread on the roads to melt ice

Budgeting Tips

Because some car maintenance and repairs are not fixed costs, they can be easy to overlook when budgeting. But when they do come up suddenly, they can drain your savings quickly. This is why it’s a good idea to budget for car maintenance. A few things to consider:

• Allocate money each month: AAA recommends you put aside at least $50 a month to cover even the basic car maintenance expenses you’ll experience each year, such as routine oil changes – which on new cars that require synthetic oil can now cost more than $100. Even if you have $400 left in your budget at the end of the year, leave that money where it is because your next repair might run several hundred dollars.
• Establish an emergency fund: Especially for people on a tight budget, it can be difficult to save for potential disasters when regular expenses are so demanding. Alas, life happens, and having an emergency fund can be a real lifesaver for unexpected car fixes like replacing a windshield or a blown tire.
• Look for savings hacks: A lot of people now have several monthly subscription charges for things like streaming services, Amazon Prime or Spotify. You can save on many of these by paying a one-time annual fee. Or cancel the ones you don’t really use. You can also unsubscribe from emails from online retailers that tempt you to spend.

FAQs About Car Maintenance

Should I go directly to the dealership for car maintenance?

Especially for larger repairs, a dealership might be the best option because they will have original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts and their technicians will be certified by the manufacturer. However, you can often save money by using a good local mechanic. And a trustworthy independent mechanic might be less likely to sell you unnecessary parts and services. Ask people you know who are knowledgeable about cars if they have a good mechanic they trust.

What is the most common maintenance on a car?

The most common maintenance on a car is your regular oil change. You should get an oil change every 5,000 – 7,500 miles. Your dealership will do a scheduled oil change and a routine service check, but many of the independent quick oil change businesses are very good and cost less. These businesses can also check your oil and air filters, tire pressure, taillights and more.

What is the most expensive car maintenance?

A complete engine replacement is the most expensive car maintenance. An engine replacement can easily cost $5,000 to $10,000 depending on its size. Most cars are protected from this disaster by a powertrain warranty that covers the engine for the first 5 years or 60,000 miles. Some warranties will go up to 10 years/100,000 miles.

What is the best way to save money on car maintenance?

Routine maintenance, especially regular oil changes, can add many miles to the life of a car. Choose the proper engine oil for the car and time of year. You can also improve engine life and performance by using the more expensive premium fuel. Another way to avoid costly car maintenance is to drive a leased vehicle. Most major repairs come after 36,000 miles, which is about the time you turn in your leased vehicle.

The Bottom Line: Plan For Car Maintenance

Budgeting for car maintenance is a lot like buying insurance. You don’t know when a major repair is going to come up, but when it does, you’ll be covered if you have a plan. Having your vehicle’s oil changed regularly is a kind of preventative maintenance. Clean engine oil can prevent major problems from happening, or at least delay them for tens of thousands of miles.

Just as budgeting for car maintenance is a good idea, you can also plan, save and budget for fun things like travel or even a mortgage on a house. The Rocket Money℠ app helps you manage your savings, expenses and budgeting for whatever life has in store.