The sticker price of a car is only the beginning. Over 5 years of ownership, the average American spends $4,000–$9,000 on repairs and maintenance — and that number varies dramatically by manufacturer and model. Here is what the data actually shows about the cheapest vehicles to own long-term.
What drives repair costs
Three factors determine how expensive a vehicle is to repair:
- Parts availability and cost — Japanese and domestic brands have widely available parts with strong aftermarket competition, keeping prices down. European luxury brands often require dealer-only parts at 2–3x the price.
- Labor time — a straightforward engine layout where spark plugs take 30 minutes to replace costs far less than a transversely-mounted V6 where the same job takes 4 hours.
- Reliability frequency — a car that breaks down rarely has lower total repair costs even if individual repairs aren't cheap.
Lowest average annual repair costs by make
Toyota — industry standard for reliability
Toyota consistently leads reliability surveys across all major studies. The Toyota Camry, Corolla, and RAV4 average $400–$550 per year in repairs — roughly half the industry average of $652. Toyota's simple, proven engineering means fewer electronic complications and well-understood failure patterns.
Honda — close behind Toyota
Honda's Civic, Accord, and CR-V average $400–$600 annually in repair costs. Parts are widely available, aftermarket support is excellent, and labor times are reasonable. The 1.5L turbocharged engine in newer Civics has had some oil dilution issues in cold climates — worth checking your specific year.
Mazda — the underrated choice
Mazda vehicles are consistently underrated in reliability discussions. The Mazda3, CX-5, and CX-50 average $450–$600 per year in repairs and have some of the best driving dynamics in their price segments. Mazda's SkyActiv engines are notably simple and reliable.
Subaru — good reliability, some caveats
Subaru's AWD reliability is excellent but the brand has known head gasket issues on older models (specifically the 2.5L EJ25 engine in 2000–2011 Outbacks and Foresters) and oil consumption issues on some 2013–2017 models. Newer FA/FB engine Subarus are significantly more reliable.
Most expensive vehicles to repair
BMW and Mercedes-Benz
German luxury vehicles consistently top repair cost surveys — averaging $1,000–$1,700 per year in repair costs. Parts are expensive, dealer labor rates are high, and many repairs require specialized tools. A BMW water pump ($150 for a Civic water pump) costs $400–$800+ in parts alone.
Cadillac and Lincoln
Domestic luxury brands aren't as expensive as German alternatives but still run $850–$1,200 per year in average repair costs.
Ram trucks
Despite strong truck capability, Ram trucks average higher repair costs than comparable Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado competitors — particularly for transmission and electrical issues on the 2013–2018 generation.
The code frequency metric — a useful reliability proxy
One practical way to evaluate a specific used vehicle: look at how many OBD-II codes it has thrown over its lifetime. A vehicle with 8 stored historical codes has had 8 separate fault events. A vehicle with 1 or 2 codes has had a more trouble-free history. When buying used, always ask to scan the OBD system before purchasing — historical and pending codes tell you more than a test drive.
Use MyOBDCode to look up any codes you find during a used car pre-purchase inspection.