Ford Maintenance Schedule & Costs
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Ford maintenance costs about $1,704–$1,769 a year across the 4 models we price (AAA's 2025 per-mile benchmarks for each model's vehicle category, 15,000 miles a year), against a $1,656 all-vehicle average. No complimentary scheduled maintenance program was confirmed on Ford's U.S. site. Ford's published oil-change interval: condition-based: Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor shows a message when an oil change is due; do it within two weeks or 500 mi of the message.
Est. per year
$1,704–$1,769
vs $1,656 average
Brand rank
#11 of 25
cost, then complaints
Free maintenance
None confirmed
Models covered
4
4 priced
Ford maintenance schedule
Intervals and items from Ford's own maintenance guides and owner's manuals, linked row by row. Your engine and driving conditions can change them; the manual for your car wins.
| Interval | Service items | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Every oil change (per Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor, max 1 yr/10,000 mi) |
| Ford Explorer Owner's Manual (edition July 2025, file labeled 2026) — Scheduled Maintenance |
| Every 3 years |
| Ford Explorer Owner's Manual (edition July 2025, file labeled 2026) — Scheduled Maintenance |
| Every 20,000 miles |
| Ford Explorer Owner's Manual (edition July 2025, file labeled 2026) — Scheduled Maintenance |
| Every 30,000 miles |
| Ford Explorer Owner's Manual (edition July 2025, file labeled 2026) — Scheduled Maintenance |
| Every 60,000 miles (severe service) |
| Ford Explorer Owner's Manual (edition July 2025, file labeled 2026) — Scheduled Maintenance |
| Every 100,000 miles |
| Ford Explorer Owner's Manual (edition July 2025, file labeled 2026) — Scheduled Maintenance |
| Every 150,000 miles |
| Ford Explorer Owner's Manual (edition July 2025, file labeled 2026) — Scheduled Maintenance |
| At 200,000 miles or 10 years |
| Ford Explorer Owner's Manual (edition July 2025, file labeled 2026) — Scheduled Maintenance |
| No scheduled interval |
| Ford Explorer Owner's Manual (edition July 2025, file labeled 2026) — Scheduled Maintenance |
Oil-change interval
Normal service: Condition-based: Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor shows a message when an oil change is due; do it within two weeks or 500 mi of the message. Never exceed 1 year or 10,000 mi between oil changes. If the monitor resets early or fails, change at 6 months or 5,000 mi.
Severe or special conditions: Same monitor; it shortens the interval with severe use (short trips under 5–10 mi, extreme temperatures, dust, extended idling, heavy loads/towing). Ford gives no separate fixed severe mileage for oil.
Oil: Explorer: Motorcraft SAE 5W-30 meeting WSS-M2C971-A1 (2.3L EcoBoost and 3.0L); SAE 0W-30 (WSS-M2C973-A1) alternative in extreme cold
Source: Ford Explorer Owner's Manual (edition July 2025, file labeled 2026) — Scheduled Maintenance
Free / included maintenance
No complimentary scheduled maintenance confirmed for new Ford vehicles. Checked ford.com and fordprotect.ford.com: no standard complimentary scheduled maintenance for new Ford vehicles found. Scheduled maintenance coverage is the paid Ford Protect Premium Maintenance Plan ($0 for covered services once purchased; must be bought within 3 yr/36,000 mi).
Ford maintenance cost by model
Per-year figures use AAA's 2025 benchmark for each model's vehicle category at 15,000 miles a year; they include repairs and tires. Models in the same category share a benchmark, so compare complaint rates too.
Which Ford has the least problems?
NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (2015–2022 U.S. sales), graded against every model in the same segment. Lower is better.
Ford vs other brands
Ford ranks #11 of 25. Priced brands are ordered by the average of their models' estimates; brands that don't publish service prices follow, ordered by complaint rate.
| # | 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 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Ford expensive to maintain?
Ford maintenance costs about $1,704–$1,769 a year across the 4 models we price (AAA's 2025 per-mile benchmarks for each model's vehicle category, 15,000 miles a year), against a $1,656 all-vehicle average. No complimentary scheduled maintenance program was confirmed on Ford's U.S. site. Ford's published oil-change interval: condition-based: Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor shows a message when an oil change is due; do it within two weeks or 500 mi of the message.
What is the cheapest Ford to maintain?
Of the 4 Ford models we cover, the F-150 has the lowest estimated maintenance cost: about $1,704 a year (AAA 2025 half-ton crew-cab pickup benchmark).
Which Ford has the least problems?
The Ford F-Series has the fewest problems of the 2 Ford models in our NHTSA study: 0.427 owner complaints per 1,000 sold (2015–2022 sales), against Explorer 0.918. Lower is better.
Is Ford a reliable brand?
On owner complaints, Ford is mixed: of the 2 Ford models in our sales-adjusted NHTSA study, 1 grades above average for its segment and 1 below. Fewest complaints: the F-Series (0.427 per 1,000 sold).
How often does a Ford need an oil change?
Ford's published oil-change interval: condition-based: Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor shows a message when an oil change is due; do it within two weeks or 500 mi of the message.
Does Ford include free maintenance?
Not as standard. Checked ford.com and fordprotect.ford.com: no standard complimentary scheduled maintenance for new Ford vehicles found.
Related
Sources and method
Schedules, oil intervals and included maintenance come from Ford's own documents. Dollar estimates are AAA category benchmarks (or, for Porsche, Porsche's plan prices), never invented per-model prices. Complaint rates: NHTSA complaints ÷ published U.S. sales (CarWhere analysis).
- 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)
- Ford Explorer Owner's Manual (edition July 2025, file labeled 2026) — Scheduled Maintenance — Ford (opened 2026-11-06)
- Ford — What is the Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor System? — Ford (opened 2026-11-06)
- Ford Protect — FAQ (paid maintenance plans) — Ford (opened 2026-11-06)