Car Maintenance Schedules & Costs by Brand
By CarWhere Research · Updated
The average new car costs about $1,656 a year to maintain and repair, tires included (AAA 2025, 15,000 miles a year). Of the 11 brands with at least 3 models we price, Toyota, Mazda and Volkswagen come out cheapest; hybrids are the cheapest type of car at about $1,463 a year. Factory schedules for 25 brands are linked to the manufacturer's own documents.
Maintenance schedule & costs by brand
- Toyota maintenance
- Honda maintenance
- Hyundai maintenance
- Kia maintenance
- Mazda maintenance
- Subaru maintenance
- Nissan maintenance
- Ford maintenance
- Chevrolet maintenance
- GMC maintenance
- Ram maintenance
- Jeep maintenance
- BMW maintenance
- Mercedes-Benz maintenance
- Audi maintenance
- Lexus maintenance
- Porsche maintenance
- Land Rover maintenance
- Volvo maintenance
- Tesla maintenance
- Acura maintenance
- Volkswagen maintenance
- Genesis maintenance
- Cadillac maintenance
- Lincoln maintenance
Brands ranked by maintenance cost
| # | Brand | Est. per year | Median complaints / 1,000 | Included maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tesla | $1,511 | — | None confirmed |
| 2 | Toyota | $1,463–$1,769 | 0.182 (5 models) | ToyotaCare: 2 years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first, for model years 2026 and earlier |
| 3 | Mazda | $1,535–$1,746 | 0.317 (4 models) | None confirmed |
| 4 | Volkswagen | $1,535–$1,769 | 0.337 (2 models) | Carefree Maintenance (part of Carefree Coverage): 2 years — covers the 10,000- and 20,000-mile scheduled services, or scheduled services for two years, whichever occurs first |
| 5 | GMC | $1,704 | 0.867 (2 models) | GMC First Service Visit: First scheduled service visit for new GMC owners |
| 6 | Ram | $1,704 | 0.968 (1 model) | None confirmed |
| 7 | Hyundai | $1,535–$1,769 | 0.759 (4 models) | Hyundai Complimentary Maintenance (HCM): 3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| 8 | Subaru | $1,619–$1,769 | 0.405 (2 models) | None confirmed |
| 9 | Honda | $1,535–$1,787 | 0.497 (5 models) | Honda Maintenance Program: 1 year / 12,000 miles on 2026 models |
| 10 | Chevrolet | $1,704–$1,769 | 0.517 (3 models) | Chevrolet Complete Care — covered first maintenance visit: One visit within the first 12 months of ownership |
| 11 | Ford | $1,704–$1,769 | 0.672 (2 models) | None confirmed |
| 12 | Kia | $1,746–$1,769 | 0.756 (4 models) | None confirmed |
| 13 | Jeep | $1,746–$1,769 | 1.19 (4 models) | None confirmed |
| 14 | Nissan | $1,746–$1,787 | 0.355 (6 models) | Nissan Maintenance Care: Up to 3 oil changes within 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| 15 | Porsche | $1,824–$2,168 | — | Included First Service: First scheduled service at 1 year/10,000 miles on new internal-combustion Porsches |
| 16 | Lexus | Not priced | 0.202 (1 model) | LexusCare complimentary maintenance: First two scheduled services: 6 months/5,000 miles and 12 months/10,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| 17 | Acura | Not priced | 0.874 (2 models) | Acura Maintenance Program: 1 year / 12,000 miles |
| 18 | Audi | Not priced | — | Audi Signature Care Scheduled Maintenance: Included with every new model-year 2026 Audi: scheduled services in the first 3 years/30,000 miles, whichever occurs first |
| 19 | BMW | Not priced | — | BMW Ultimate Care Scheduled Maintenance: 36 months or 36,000 miles, whichever first, from original in-service date |
| 20 | Cadillac | Not priced | — | Cadillac First Maintenance Visit: First service visit at a participating dealer within the first year of vehicle delivery |
| 21 | Genesis | Not priced | — | Genesis Complimentary Scheduled Maintenance (with Service Valet): 3 years / 36,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| 22 | Land Rover | Not priced | — | None confirmed |
| 23 | Lincoln | Not priced | — | Lincoln complimentary scheduled maintenance: 4 years / 50,000 miles |
| 24 | Mercedes-Benz | Not priced | — | None confirmed |
| 25 | Volvo | Not priced | — | Volvo Complimentary Factory Scheduled Maintenance: MY2026 gas mild-hybrid/plug-in hybrid: first two scheduled services |
Maintenance cost by type of car
| Category | Cents per mile | Per year | 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | 9.75¢ | $1,463 | $7,315 |
| Electric vehicle | 10.07¢ | $1,511 | $7,555 |
| Small sedan | 10.23¢ | $1,535 | $7,675 |
| Subcompact SUV | 10.79¢ | $1,619 | $8,095 |
| Half-ton crew-cab pickup | 11.36¢ | $1,704 | $8,520 |
| Midsize pickup | 11.44¢ | $1,716 | $8,580 |
| Compact SUV (FWD) | 11.64¢ | $1,746 | $8,730 |
| Medium SUV (4WD) | 11.79¢ | $1,769 | $8,845 |
| Medium sedan | 11.91¢ | $1,787 | $8,935 |
| All-vehicle weighted average | 11.04¢ | $1,656 | $8,280 |
Cheapest cars to maintain
| # | Model | Category | Est. per year | 5 years | Complaints / 1,000 sold | Included maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota Camry | Hybrid | $1,463 | $7,315 | 0.156 Best | ToyotaCare (2 years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first, for model years 2026 and earlier) |
| 2 | Toyota RAV4 | Hybrid | $1,463 | $7,315 | 0.182 Best | ToyotaCare (2 years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first, for model years 2026 and earlier) |
| 3 | Toyota Prius | Hybrid | $1,463 | $7,315 | — | ToyotaCare (2 years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first, for model years 2026 and earlier) |
| 4 | Tesla Model 3 | Electric vehicle | $1,511 | $7,555 | — | — |
| 5 | Tesla Model Y | Electric vehicle | $1,511 | $7,555 | — | — |
| 6 | Toyota Corolla | Small sedan | $1,535 | $7,675 | 0.18 Best | ToyotaCare (2 years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first, for model years 2026 and earlier) |
| 7 | Mazda Mazda3 | Small sedan | $1,535 | $7,675 | 0.291 Best | — |
| 8 | Volkswagen Jetta | Small sedan | $1,535 | $7,675 | 0.336 Above average | Carefree Maintenance (part of Carefree Coverage) (2 years — covers the 10,000- and 20,000-mile scheduled services, or scheduled services for two years, whichever occurs first) |
| 9 | Hyundai Elantra | Small sedan | $1,535 | $7,675 | 0.364 Average | Hyundai Complimentary Maintenance (HCM) (3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first) |
| 10 | Honda Civic | Small sedan | $1,535 | $7,675 | 0.406 Below average | Honda Maintenance Program (1 year / 12,000 miles on 2026 models) |
Is it high maintenance? Every model
Toyota
Honda
Hyundai
Kia
Subaru
Ford
Chevrolet
Jeep
Mercedes-Benz
Tesla
Volkswagen
Frequently asked questions
How much does car maintenance cost per year?
The average new car costs about $1,656 a year to maintain and repair, tires included (AAA 2025, 15,000 miles a year). Of the 11 brands with at least 3 models we price, Toyota, Mazda and Volkswagen come out cheapest; hybrids are the cheapest type of car at about $1,463 a year. Factory schedules for 25 brands are linked to the manufacturer's own documents.
What is the cheapest car to maintain?
On our ranking, the Toyota Camry, Toyota RAV4, Toyota Prius (about $1,463 a year each, AAA's hybrid benchmark). See the full list at /research/cheapest-cars-to-maintain.
Which car brands include free maintenance?
16 of the 25 brands here include some scheduled maintenance with a new car, per their U.S. sites: ToyotaCare; Honda Maintenance Program; Hyundai Complimentary Maintenance (HCM); Nissan Maintenance Care; Chevrolet Complete Care — covered first maintenance visit; GMC First Service Visit; BMW Ultimate Care Scheduled Maintenance; Audi Signature Care Scheduled Maintenance; LexusCare complimentary maintenance; Included First Service; Volvo Complimentary Factory Scheduled Maintenance; Acura Maintenance Program; Carefree Maintenance (part of Carefree Coverage); Genesis Complimentary Scheduled Maintenance (with Service Valet); Cadillac First Maintenance Visit; Lincoln complimentary scheduled maintenance. Terms range from a single first visit to several years; each brand page has the details and source.
Where do the maintenance costs come from?
Dollar estimates for mainstream models use AAA's 2025 Your Driving Costs "maintenance, repair & tires" cost per mile for the model's vehicle category × 15,000 miles a year. AAA's figure includes retail parts and labor for routine maintenance specified by the vehicle manufacturer, a comprehensive extended warranty, repairs to wear-and-tear items that need service during 5 years of operation, and one set of replacement tires; it averages five top-selling 2025 models per category, new, 15,000 miles a year for 5 years. The all-vehicle weighted average is 11.04¢ a mile ($1,656 a year). These are category benchmarks, not model-specific quotes. Porsche figures are Porsche's own Service Maintenance Plan MSRPs. Other luxury brands don't publish service prices and aren't priced. Complaint rates are NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (CarWhere analysis).
Sources and method
Brand pages list each manufacturer's maintenance guides and owner's manuals as sources, row by row.
- Your Driving Costs 2025 (brochure: cost per mile by vehicle category) — AAA (maintenance cents per mile by category)
- Your Driving Costs 2025 fact sheet (methodology) — AAA (what the maintenance line includes)
- NHTSA vehicle owner complaints database — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (complaints per 1,000 sold is a CarWhere calculation)