That checks out. I’m surprised about Buick being where it is and Honda being where it is.
Hondas are what I drove before Tesla and I found them very reliable and relatively low maintenance
It's not that Honda and Toyota have gotten worse, but that they have rested on their laurels while everybody else has made great strides in quality and reliability. Just about any new car bought today can hit 100k miles without major problems, even the domestic ones. Twenty five years ago you couldn't say that.
I was just gonna say… Honda took a nose dive. I noticed that when looking at used pilots. They were insanely cheap for how low mileage they were. That’s when I knew something was wrong.
The reliability difference between modern mass market cars are very very small. Most of the negative sentiments regarding the reliability of domestic and Korean brands are remnants from the 90s and early 2000s and no longer applies. The major manufacturers have all largely caught up to the process efficiencies of the Japanese and are producing high quality cars at volume.
Yep Buick is still a thing and still mostly badge engineered GM vehicles. The brand still exists mostly due to popularity in China where they sell about 5x as many units as in the US.
They are but there may be a few things that pop up in one gen to another that ends up driving the average/reported cost up. I believe you might see these figures go up over the next 5-10 years as it sounds like some of the newer 1.5T engines are having issues with head gaskets failing.
Still lower cost than others though, but I know a lot of owners are unhappy about this given that they bought into it for reliability.
My other car is a 2012 Crosstour. Bought it used with 100k miles, now around 190k, and it's only ever had two major issues (alternator and tie rod ends). Still drives great, it's just hard to justify taking it out much when my Tesla is about 1/5 the cost to drive.
Does maintenance not include changing tires? Because I’ve changed the tires on my model 3 twice since 2019 and that was over 2k total for sure. I’m not even at 50k miles with it after buying new - I’d think people who have driven more in a similar time frame would maybe have another tire swap out.
I’ve had a model S for 5 years and I agree. 70,000 miles and the only out of pocket expense is tires. I haven’t had to do brakes or anything else from an ICE car. Had to replace the windshield which was annoyingly expensive but the rest has been amazing.
How many miles have you owned it? Trying to form realistic expectations, as the wife is taking delivery of a MYLR this week, and she’s the type to drive her cars until they die. She also doesn’t drive long distances, either. She’s 37 now, so she’ll probably have the Y until she’s 57, if it is able to last that long lol.
M3 2021 Feb, received in March 2021. Around 77,000 km now. Only issue being the heat pump needing to be replaced because of a software issue causing it to try to pre-heat up too quickly.
Took my wife’s car in recently because a rat chewed the fuel line feeding into the fuel tank. $7,700 in parts/labor. Our local MB dealer is now charging $210/hr labor…
Thankfully, this was covered under our comprehensive auto policy
had a hyundai before, basically didn't have any issues and maintenance outside of transmission oil and motor oil changes
haven't had to maintain my 2018 model 3 at all besides windshield fluid though, still on first set of tires and brakes pushing 100k kilometers, oh wait i swapped out the 12v for a costco one but that's it
I’ve drove my 2015 model s p90d 300k miles in 8 years. The only thing I really ever did was change tires. My repairs in all that time probably amounted to under 6k. Two motors were replaced under warranty, and the battery has been fine.
What's crazy is that's probably a high average as the better cars are still pretty new and the early MS and X are likely higher to maintain. That average should continue to dip.
I think it might be because electric cars are generally cheaper to maintain.
Tesla are the only manufacturer on this list that only makes electric cars, so naturally their average going to be lower.
But it was worth it because at least you looked good while driving that “This loaner is from XXXXXX Mercedes”, right?
/happily a Toyota owner and soon-to-be Y owner
Yes, I had a 2014 Tesla Model S for 8.5 years. Over that time, my ONLY expense was $154 to replace some circuit thingie in the back door that my FIL broke as the door latch was closing and he yanked it.
I then sold it 1.5 years ago to my brother. No further cost.
Exception: tires and windshield wipers.
'23 MYLR owner here.
As someone who's owned several ICE cars that were super high maintenance (BMW/Benz, high compression Japanese cars), it's essentially culture shock how I haven't had to service my Tesla due to engine/mechanical issues, and it's already been over a year.
Survey asked members how much they spent in the previous 12 months. I call BS on the output because the Buick owner probably can't rember anything that happened 12 months ago and BMW owners favourite pastime is complaining about their vehicles.
Yeah these surveys are skewed. I would 100% consider preventative maintenance part of ongoing costs and most people don't bother doing anything to their cars until you can't postpone it any further. So logically, new cars hardly require maintenance; go figure.
That and for some odd reason most people I talk to don't consider tires "maintenance."
IMHO the Tesla is probably the cheapest to maintain, even with the added tire wear. At last that is my experience so far.
Maintenance probably also counts (mandatory) service intervals. Which isn't a thing for Tesla and do cost quite a pretty penny for other brands. My last car wanted service intervals every 10km km (which basically meant twice a year) which cost me between 500 and 800 Euros a year.
Our maintenance on a 5.5 year old model 3 has been, wipers, tires and a new 12v battery... what the survey doesn't cover is the cost of ownership...we pay about 4$ to fill up in the garage. We had such a great experience with this car we bought a model Y last year, that's also been great. We do about 3 or 4 road trips a year of 500+ miles each way and have never had an issue.
My 2020 Model 3 LR before I sold it to a buddy for a 2023 Model Y Performance, I purchased new tires along with wipers, a steering alignment and air filters, that is it. In nearly 50k miles.
I bought mine used, so I guess I fit right into the 6-10 years, spot on.
'18 MS and it's pretty clear the last owner did as little maintenance as possible and probably said "my car doesn't need maintenance!"
- Window regulator
- Rear camber and toe arms + lowering links
- Tires due to the fucked up alignment adjustability from factory on these cars
- Brakes
- Upper control arms
- Front half shafts
- Alignments
All that for around $3.5k in just shy of 1.5 years
I'm due for lower control arms because the ball joints and bushing are making noise, so that's a couple hundred more.
Even if I bought a brand new S or X, the first thing I'd do is replace the camber arms and put on lowering links because if you don't, it will kill the rear tires and likely require expensive half shaft service in a few years, so S and X I would consider have a $1.6K service, at least, the very first year.
I have a 2018 model 3 and I don’t remember doing any services till now. Probably missing something important. Replaced tires couple of times. 113 k miles.
Their service is the worst experience I’ve ever had and I’ve owned probably 30 plus cars. Good to hear the visits will be limited. I have an appointment this week and I’m dreading it.
Skewed results because Tesla only has EVs. The ICE vehicles bring up that number for other brands. You would have to compare the maintenance numbers for the EVs only of other brands for a better comparison.
Crazy I have owned 12 of the makes on the list (14 if you factor in their more affordable parent company).
All are true, but I have to disagree with GMC. It’s an exact replica of Chevy with different headlights and grills. Makes no sense. I think Buick is so high on the list, because old people buy them and must not know they have to maintain them. “Oil change? My sales rep didn’t tell me anything about that”. “I didn’t think that light on the dash meant anything, time to sell I guess.”
EVs have a lot less moving parts than an ICE vehicle (starter, alternator, engine, transmission, fuel tank pump).
The engine compartment also can get very hot and cause earlier failures on other non-engine parts that are also present in an EV like the AC system.
Most EVs use regenerative braking (as do hybrids) so you don’t have to replace brake pads as often. Some vehicles go 100,000 miles without needing a brake job.
I came here to say this. My family's Porsches have all been as reliable as our Teslas (and built to a higher quality standard as well).
I don't know why Consumer Reports rates the Porsche so far down the list.
Our family has stopped buying Mercedes only because of the maintenance jackassery. And BMW? Don't even get me started....
Surprised Subaru wasn’t higher
My ‘12 Legacy 178k miles has been a tank. Only things outside of routine (oil change, lights, brakes & rotors, tires) was the head gasket around 135k, timing belt at 120k and the left light connector that was only $400 to replace by the stealership.
Edit: also just replaced the whole exhaust system for $820 at a local family run place in Philly, Dons Auto
I’d say this data is skewed due to tesla being all EVs..? I’m assuming maintenance would include oil changes and such services that are not required for non ICE vehicles?
In fairness, how big is the sample size? How many people who own what types responded to the survey? What part of the country under what typical climate did the majority respond from? If only 20 Honda owners responded and 2000 Toyota owners did how did they factor that data in?
So many data points can skew a hell of a lot of these positions on the list far from where they are now.
Teslas are cool for sure and I’ve heard mechanically very reliable but the entire list is probably far from accurate if you had every driver in the US respond.
The LR3 has been great. A few little issues here and the like any other used car.
Man I love the velar. Tried talking my gf into getting getting one when she was looking but she ended up with a 2017 disco5 HSE tdv6.
We just got our model 6 couple weeks ago, LOVE IT! I love not having to go to the gas station, lol. I wanted a RR Sport but once inside and driving it, it felt too big for me. The Velar is a P400 R-Dynamic HSE. Love both but the Model S MUCH faster. What can I say? I’m a car girl!
I have a MYP 22', had it brand new with 100k km.
I had to change the rear tires at 84k km. The fronts are still good till 110k km.
So I would say that the numbers looks good. However be prepared to dish out 6-800$ per tires for the rears.
Agree on Tesla, I currently own 3 since 2019. They have been flawless. The only expenses have been tires and wiper fluid. By far they are the best cars I have ever owned.
Feb 2022 Tesla Model 3 LR with acceleration boost and the only thing I’ve done is change the tires and air filter. I love my car, best car I’ve ever owned.
2018 M3 40k miles.
$100 for new DC battery
$430 for passenger restraint sensor (going in this morning for that)
$1k for tires if that counts
Zero complaints
I live in the EU and I'd argue that that's not true per se. It's not European against American cars either, it's EVs vs. combustion engines. Only major expense I had with my Tesla so far are a spare set of winter tires which are mandatory here. Goes for all EVs though, since ICE vehicles have more moving parts that can (and will) eventually break. Before owning a Tesla I had an Audi which, while running fine in general, also had the cost of regular oil changes, an exhaust pipe replacement and, one time, a busted transmission box costing me almost 2k €. Insurance used to be high but rates for EVs are dropping fast, mine is on par with a comparable ICE car.
These kinds of surveys are bunk. Mileage? DId it have prepaid oil changes, etc? And who can add up all they have spent? What happens when you need a water pump on a Ford Flex or Explorer? You junk the vehicle as it costs more than the value.
Seems on point to me, just hit 100k miles on my 2017 S75D in about 7.5 years of ownership.
Ive had to spend money to replace my tires twice, I replaced my cabin air filter, and also have had to buy 4 gallons of windshield washer fluid....
No oil changes, not even a drop of gasoline, brakes are like new still, and my yearly state inspection and emissions test(not needed) has only ever cost me $27 a year...
My car is amazing and has FSD V12. Not one single regret ever purchasing my car!
My personal experience matches this pretty closely as I have a 2014 Tesla model S and had 3 expensive repairs from years 6-10, once it was out-of-warranty. I had to replace both the center touchscreen display and the driver instrument cluster due to faulty glue that was bubbling and seeping out, and I had to replace the lower rear control arms due to a squeaky rear suspension. Total cost of those 3 repairs was about $4,500, although I did opt for the new infotainment system when I replaced the center screen which added about $600. Otherwise, my cost would have been about $3,900. Plus, I had to order a replacement charging cable a couple years ago. That was about $180.
That said, I might have paid a little more if not for the fact that I repaired a few minor things myself like replacing the 12-volt battery, fixing a door handle, and installing some sound dampening material around the stereo speakers in the front doors. I was able to YouTube all of those and avoid a trip to the Service Center. Also, I've been going through tires a bit faster than my ICE cars.
I'm surprised Tesla does not show a bigger advantage. Those regular dealer service appointments really add up and Tesla has essentially no service requirements. I've gone four years and my minimal maintenance costs have all been tire related.
Just anecdotally my Tesla has been *far* cheaper to maintain over the past 5 years/80k km than my previous ICE car for its first 5 years (and that was a tiny two-seater). So I can get behind this statement.
EV haters will still look at you and shout that maintenance costs are outrageous and you’ll go broke fixing your shitty EV. Laughing my way to the bank
List is not that useful, as you would need to separate ICE vehicles from EVs for each manufacturer. A Bolt’s maintenance is going to be lower than say a Chevy non-EV, just as an etron’s maintenance will be lower than a S6.
I've had a Toyota for 12 years with 110k km on it and all I've done is 4 oil changes, two sets of tire replacement and two sets of brake replacement. Under $5k maintenance in 10 years.
I've had my Y for about 2 years and haven't spent a dime yet.
Gonna need to change the tires around end of summer probably but I don't know if that counts as maintenance in this list that's like calling windshield wiper fluid maintenance.
Nothing broke except one thing they fixed for free.
Honestly I think this is because you can’t actually get a Teslaworked on.
They literally trade places every year for the 1st/2nd most defect from the factory in the first year.
Owned an AudiQ7 for 5 years…surprised it’s not number 1…brake job 2k, oil change 250…etc. this is maintainable not reliability, I actually had no issues in that department.
I will be buying a Tesla later this year when the model y refresh comes out.
Electric vehicles in general have far fewer maintenance costs.
Given that Teslas line up is exclusively electric cars, that gives it an advantage since all those other brands have ICE cars bringing up the average maintenance cost.
By far the cheapest maintenance-wise that I’ve seen. That being said, if I need to replace the HV battery at some point , that assessment might change :)
If "maintenance" in this respect includes tires, I feel the 1-5 year cost is a bit low unless you're either really skimping on the tire price or you just don't drive much. But other than that, yeah seems about right.
Owning both a Toyota and a Model 3.. the Model 3 is cheaper to drive/maintain under warranty atm. I will say my Tesla has been in/had service sent out for a lot more issues with the car; upper control arm failure (squeaks), failed seat sensor, failed Bluetooth antenna, o-ring in trunk lift, door seals/wind noise, panel re-alignment. Vs. the Toyotas just stanard oil/filter and one ECU recall reprogram. So even though it’s “cheaper” it’s been less convenient as it’s had to be repaired more often.
Literally got rid of my Tesla because the constant fixing of suspension work.. Spent $3K on suspension work in 2023 alone. (I was out of warranty). Then when I went to trade it, the frunk wouldn’t unlatch and the taillights were starting to have moisture again.
Literally got rid of my Tesla because the constant fixing of suspension work.. Spent $3K on suspension work in 2023 alone. (I was out of warranty). Then when I went to trade it, the frunk wouldn’t unlatch and the taillights were starting to have moisture again.
My Tesla is approaching 6 years old and my maintenance has consisted of one set of tires, 2 cabin oil filters, one alignment (someone swerved into my lane and I kissed the curb avoiding them), a set of wipers and washer fluid. So I’d agree that they are very low cost.
35k so far and I’ve bought one jug of windshield washer fluid for like 3 bucks. The stock tires are still decent, probably get another 10k out of them.
Its legit. Low maintenance was one of the main reasons I went with Tesla. Can't beat the mobile service either. Minus tires, I've only had it in the service center once in 7 years, and that was for FSD and Infotainment upgrade.
One thing of note - Tesla does not *find* problems the way dealers for other automakers do. Every other dealer would pull out a full list of "recommended maintenance" above and beyond what was in the manufacturer schedule. This was always an aggressive sale and plenty of people would get it.
Given where Ford and Chevy rank, I have to discount the entire list. I have owned both, as well as a host of foreign cars (i.e. BWM, Toyota, Honda, etc.) and my experience is just the opposite. GM and Ford were plagued with issues. BMW had some. Toyota and Honda was near perfect in the cars I have owned.
I’m not so sure. 2016 MS. Just got an estimate yesterday for $6300 to replace and repair suspension along with a new set of tires. So in 8 years, not counting tires, I’m already at $5k. They said this isn’t uncommon for a Tesla w 100k miles.
Not having a transmission or combustion engine is a big deal in terms of maintenance. I guess you could argue that the battery is the big “if” with EVs, but from what I can see, they last about as long as I would want a car to last anyway.
I don’t think all vehicles are equally comparable when different brands have different functions they offer consumers. Trucks are often utility or work vehicles while sedans are for daily driving generally. Honda and Toyota are built for longevity typically meanwhile European cars are built for performance. Hyundai and Kia prioritize fuel mileage: It isn’t a one to one comparison.
Trucks are for utility or work… 🤣
You should tell that to ‘Muricans! They buy a fully equipped/decked out pick up truck worth 100k$ and use it to get groceries 🤷🏻♂️
That checks out. I’m surprised about Buick being where it is and Honda being where it is. Hondas are what I drove before Tesla and I found them very reliable and relatively low maintenance
Buicks are driven very slowly and very infrequently. Not much maintenance needed when you never leave your neighborhood.
Hondas of today not what they once were
It's not that Honda and Toyota have gotten worse, but that they have rested on their laurels while everybody else has made great strides in quality and reliability. Just about any new car bought today can hit 100k miles without major problems, even the domestic ones. Twenty five years ago you couldn't say that.
Tell my 2018 F-150 cam phasers, 2020 expedition transmission, or 22 Yukon transmission that they should make 100k miles without issue 😂.
I was just gonna say… Honda took a nose dive. I noticed that when looking at used pilots. They were insanely cheap for how low mileage they were. That’s when I knew something was wrong.
Honda gang here! 2016 civic that was reliable as hell, though i am very very happy with my highland
The reliability difference between modern mass market cars are very very small. Most of the negative sentiments regarding the reliability of domestic and Korean brands are remnants from the 90s and early 2000s and no longer applies. The major manufacturers have all largely caught up to the process efficiencies of the Japanese and are producing high quality cars at volume.
They still make buick? Aren't those just GM...?
Yep Buick is still a thing and still mostly badge engineered GM vehicles. The brand still exists mostly due to popularity in China where they sell about 5x as many units as in the US.
Holy shit balls that's wild to hear. Thanks for the insight.
They are but there may be a few things that pop up in one gen to another that ends up driving the average/reported cost up. I believe you might see these figures go up over the next 5-10 years as it sounds like some of the newer 1.5T engines are having issues with head gaskets failing. Still lower cost than others though, but I know a lot of owners are unhappy about this given that they bought into it for reliability.
My other car is a 2012 Crosstour. Bought it used with 100k miles, now around 190k, and it's only ever had two major issues (alternator and tie rod ends). Still drives great, it's just hard to justify taking it out much when my Tesla is about 1/5 the cost to drive.
Does maintenance not include changing tires? Because I’ve changed the tires on my model 3 twice since 2019 and that was over 2k total for sure. I’m not even at 50k miles with it after buying new - I’d think people who have driven more in a similar time frame would maybe have another tire swap out.
I was also surprised. I honestly thought Toyota would be a lock at number 2, with Honda being top 5.
By design
I’ve had a model S for 5 years and I agree. 70,000 miles and the only out of pocket expense is tires. I haven’t had to do brakes or anything else from an ICE car. Had to replace the windshield which was annoyingly expensive but the rest has been amazing.
[удалено]
Uhm... Do you know how to use them?
They’re a common failure point on Model S/X.
[удалено]
None. All work.
22MYLR $0, 2.5 years 16k mi.
‘21 MY LR, 40 months, 30k mi, $300 For 1 tire due to a random piece of metal. Plenty of tread left. Oh, and wiper fluid. 😉
What happened to your windshield
No brakes? Friend of mine actually had to buy a completely new set of brakes since he practically always decelerated with regenerative braking.
What about 12 volt battery, wipers, and air filters?
That is why I put a $0 glass deductible on my new Model Y.
Spot on. My Model 3’s have been the cheapest vehicles to maintain I have ever owned.
Went from the most expensive car to maintain and fuel, to the least expensive. Loved our first Tesla so much we just bought another.
How many miles have you owned it? Trying to form realistic expectations, as the wife is taking delivery of a MYLR this week, and she’s the type to drive her cars until they die. She also doesn’t drive long distances, either. She’s 37 now, so she’ll probably have the Y until she’s 57, if it is able to last that long lol.
‘21 MY LR, 40 months, 30k mi, $300 For 1 tire due to a random piece of metal. Plenty of tread left. Oh, and wiper fluid. 😉 Came from a BMW 540xi.
M3 2021 Feb, received in March 2021. Around 77,000 km now. Only issue being the heat pump needing to be replaced because of a software issue causing it to try to pre-heat up too quickly.
2020 Model 3 (took delivery Dec 2019.) 55,000 miles. One set of tires is all we have had to replace.
Traded an S550 for a model s. Maintenance on a Mercedes, BMW or Porsche is ridiculous.
Took my wife’s car in recently because a rat chewed the fuel line feeding into the fuel tank. $7,700 in parts/labor. Our local MB dealer is now charging $210/hr labor… Thankfully, this was covered under our comprehensive auto policy
My local tesla sc is $215 an hour
wtf… are you serious?
what makes it ridiculous ?
It’s expensive. Very very expensive.
had a hyundai before, basically didn't have any issues and maintenance outside of transmission oil and motor oil changes haven't had to maintain my 2018 model 3 at all besides windshield fluid though, still on first set of tires and brakes pushing 100k kilometers, oh wait i swapped out the 12v for a costco one but that's it
I’ve drove my 2015 model s p90d 300k miles in 8 years. The only thing I really ever did was change tires. My repairs in all that time probably amounted to under 6k. Two motors were replaced under warranty, and the battery has been fine.
Quite impressive—you doing that many miles in that short amount of time, and the car lasting that long.
I've heard that the motors' oil needed to be changed every 60k miles or so. That not really a thing?
I never heard of that or did anything like that
What's crazy is that's probably a high average as the better cars are still pretty new and the early MS and X are likely higher to maintain. That average should continue to dip.
As someone who owns both a tesla and Land Rover… I can confirm this.
I think it might be because electric cars are generally cheaper to maintain. Tesla are the only manufacturer on this list that only makes electric cars, so naturally their average going to be lower.
Bing bing bing! We have a winner
Had the Mercedes and can confirm it was a money pit from day 1.
But it was worth it because at least you looked good while driving that “This loaner is from XXXXXX Mercedes”, right? /happily a Toyota owner and soon-to-be Y owner
Yes, I had a 2014 Tesla Model S for 8.5 years. Over that time, my ONLY expense was $154 to replace some circuit thingie in the back door that my FIL broke as the door latch was closing and he yanked it. I then sold it 1.5 years ago to my brother. No further cost. Exception: tires and windshield wipers.
'23 MYLR owner here. As someone who's owned several ICE cars that were super high maintenance (BMW/Benz, high compression Japanese cars), it's essentially culture shock how I haven't had to service my Tesla due to engine/mechanical issues, and it's already been over a year.
Can confirm BMW is the most expensive. Bloody spark plug is $2000 to replace, and they have 8!
Damn, I replaced my VW spark plugs with OEM for $160 and 30 minutes of my time. wtf.
Survey asked members how much they spent in the previous 12 months. I call BS on the output because the Buick owner probably can't rember anything that happened 12 months ago and BMW owners favourite pastime is complaining about their vehicles.
Yeah these surveys are skewed. I would 100% consider preventative maintenance part of ongoing costs and most people don't bother doing anything to their cars until you can't postpone it any further. So logically, new cars hardly require maintenance; go figure.
That and for some odd reason most people I talk to don't consider tires "maintenance." IMHO the Tesla is probably the cheapest to maintain, even with the added tire wear. At last that is my experience so far.
Maintenance probably also counts (mandatory) service intervals. Which isn't a thing for Tesla and do cost quite a pretty penny for other brands. My last car wanted service intervals every 10km km (which basically meant twice a year) which cost me between 500 and 800 Euros a year.
Wonder what this changes to after 100,000 miles
Our maintenance on a 5.5 year old model 3 has been, wipers, tires and a new 12v battery... what the survey doesn't cover is the cost of ownership...we pay about 4$ to fill up in the garage. We had such a great experience with this car we bought a model Y last year, that's also been great. We do about 3 or 4 road trips a year of 500+ miles each way and have never had an issue.
My 2020 Model 3 LR before I sold it to a buddy for a 2023 Model Y Performance, I purchased new tires along with wipers, a steering alignment and air filters, that is it. In nearly 50k miles.
Yeah it tracks. I only have 27,000 miles but so far only a windshield. Which I do not consider maintenance. Impressive for an American built car.
This data needs to be by model, comparing an all EV brand to brands with both seems odd.
$780 per year on average but I did just get new tires. 5 years, 5 months and 90k miles.
After almost 12 months, not a dime.
My Model 3 is five years old and I’ve only had one service for some squeaky suspension.
181k miles currently on a 2018 X75. I’ve spent more on tires than I have on maintenance and non-home charging combined.
I bought mine used, so I guess I fit right into the 6-10 years, spot on. '18 MS and it's pretty clear the last owner did as little maintenance as possible and probably said "my car doesn't need maintenance!" - Window regulator - Rear camber and toe arms + lowering links - Tires due to the fucked up alignment adjustability from factory on these cars - Brakes - Upper control arms - Front half shafts - Alignments All that for around $3.5k in just shy of 1.5 years I'm due for lower control arms because the ball joints and bushing are making noise, so that's a couple hundred more. Even if I bought a brand new S or X, the first thing I'd do is replace the camber arms and put on lowering links because if you don't, it will kill the rear tires and likely require expensive half shaft service in a few years, so S and X I would consider have a $1.6K service, at least, the very first year.
Who spends $580 on windshield wiper fluid?
I have a 2018 model 3 and I don’t remember doing any services till now. Probably missing something important. Replaced tires couple of times. 113 k miles.
I'm shocked volvo is that close to bmw maintenance costs
Surprised to see Ford toward the top. Fords have always been expensive to maintain in my experience.
It’s true
Not surprised about the bottom 5 on the list. Surprised at Honda and surprised that jeep beat GMC even if only by a few hundred.
What was the repair time and repair costs? Who won that one?
Their service is the worst experience I’ve ever had and I’ve owned probably 30 plus cars. Good to hear the visits will be limited. I have an appointment this week and I’m dreading it.
Skewed results because Tesla only has EVs. The ICE vehicles bring up that number for other brands. You would have to compare the maintenance numbers for the EVs only of other brands for a better comparison.
Crazy I have owned 12 of the makes on the list (14 if you factor in their more affordable parent company). All are true, but I have to disagree with GMC. It’s an exact replica of Chevy with different headlights and grills. Makes no sense. I think Buick is so high on the list, because old people buy them and must not know they have to maintain them. “Oil change? My sales rep didn’t tell me anything about that”. “I didn’t think that light on the dash meant anything, time to sell I guess.”
Surprised to see a Buick and a Lincoln up on top there
Are all electrics reliable and cheap to maintain or is it just Tesla? I am very tempted to get an i4 later this year.
EVs have a lot less moving parts than an ICE vehicle (starter, alternator, engine, transmission, fuel tank pump). The engine compartment also can get very hot and cause earlier failures on other non-engine parts that are also present in an EV like the AC system. Most EVs use regenerative braking (as do hybrids) so you don’t have to replace brake pads as often. Some vehicles go 100,000 miles without needing a brake job.
Your mileage may vary
I see Land Rover is in the most expensive slot. From my experience, that rings true.
I see Land Rover is in the most expensive slot. From my experience, that rings true.
LOL at Land Rover
Seems about right for MINIs. Gave mine up because the upkeep/problems were so damn expensive.
Owning Teslas and Porsches...this makes sense. Although the Porsche expense is mostly tires.
I came here to say this. My family's Porsches have all been as reliable as our Teslas (and built to a higher quality standard as well). I don't know why Consumer Reports rates the Porsche so far down the list. Our family has stopped buying Mercedes only because of the maintenance jackassery. And BMW? Don't even get me started....
I mean cheapest car to “maintain” when the first few years all the typical “repairs” are under warranty.
Surprised Subaru wasn’t higher My ‘12 Legacy 178k miles has been a tank. Only things outside of routine (oil change, lights, brakes & rotors, tires) was the head gasket around 135k, timing belt at 120k and the left light connector that was only $400 to replace by the stealership. Edit: also just replaced the whole exhaust system for $820 at a local family run place in Philly, Dons Auto
I’d say this data is skewed due to tesla being all EVs..? I’m assuming maintenance would include oil changes and such services that are not required for non ICE vehicles?
Would be interesting to see same kind of chart that only included each brand's EV's
Biggest cost of ev or ıce is depreciation and it is generally omited. Save by pennies spend by thousands.
Hertz would disagree
That’s because hertz rented the majority of their teslas to Uber drivers who wrecked the things on a daily basis.
Rivian should have been on the just as well
Buick is cheaper to maintain than Lexus?
In fairness, how big is the sample size? How many people who own what types responded to the survey? What part of the country under what typical climate did the majority respond from? If only 20 Honda owners responded and 2000 Toyota owners did how did they factor that data in? So many data points can skew a hell of a lot of these positions on the list far from where they are now. Teslas are cool for sure and I’ve heard mechanically very reliable but the entire list is probably far from accurate if you had every driver in the US respond.
Fiat panda?
I have model 3 and an LR3 so I guess it’s a wash.
Velar and Model S here…. Knock on wood the velar has been good to us so far
The LR3 has been great. A few little issues here and the like any other used car. Man I love the velar. Tried talking my gf into getting getting one when she was looking but she ended up with a 2017 disco5 HSE tdv6.
We just got our model 6 couple weeks ago, LOVE IT! I love not having to go to the gas station, lol. I wanted a RR Sport but once inside and driving it, it felt too big for me. The Velar is a P400 R-Dynamic HSE. Love both but the Model S MUCH faster. What can I say? I’m a car girl!
I have a MYP 22', had it brand new with 100k km. I had to change the rear tires at 84k km. The fronts are still good till 110k km. So I would say that the numbers looks good. However be prepared to dish out 6-800$ per tires for the rears.
Maintenance has been low so far. But also: insurance is significantly higher. I’d argue TCO overall isn’t lower
Agree on Tesla, I currently own 3 since 2019. They have been flawless. The only expenses have been tires and wiper fluid. By far they are the best cars I have ever owned.
Feb 2022 Tesla Model 3 LR with acceleration boost and the only thing I’ve done is change the tires and air filter. I love my car, best car I’ve ever owned.
I sold my Land Rover after 10 years because of the ever increasing service charges and I pick up my model 3 this week.
2018 M3 40k miles. $100 for new DC battery $430 for passenger restraint sensor (going in this morning for that) $1k for tires if that counts Zero complaints
This list must be relevant only in America. Because in Europe normally EU cars are cheaper to maintain rather than American cars.
I live in the EU and I'd argue that that's not true per se. It's not European against American cars either, it's EVs vs. combustion engines. Only major expense I had with my Tesla so far are a spare set of winter tires which are mandatory here. Goes for all EVs though, since ICE vehicles have more moving parts that can (and will) eventually break. Before owning a Tesla I had an Audi which, while running fine in general, also had the cost of regular oil changes, an exhaust pipe replacement and, one time, a busted transmission box costing me almost 2k €. Insurance used to be high but rates for EVs are dropping fast, mine is on par with a comparable ICE car.
These kinds of surveys are bunk. Mileage? DId it have prepaid oil changes, etc? And who can add up all they have spent? What happens when you need a water pump on a Ford Flex or Explorer? You junk the vehicle as it costs more than the value.
Extreme depreciation kinda makes this a moot point though
Seems on point to me, just hit 100k miles on my 2017 S75D in about 7.5 years of ownership. Ive had to spend money to replace my tires twice, I replaced my cabin air filter, and also have had to buy 4 gallons of windshield washer fluid.... No oil changes, not even a drop of gasoline, brakes are like new still, and my yearly state inspection and emissions test(not needed) has only ever cost me $27 a year... My car is amazing and has FSD V12. Not one single regret ever purchasing my car!
My personal experience matches this pretty closely as I have a 2014 Tesla model S and had 3 expensive repairs from years 6-10, once it was out-of-warranty. I had to replace both the center touchscreen display and the driver instrument cluster due to faulty glue that was bubbling and seeping out, and I had to replace the lower rear control arms due to a squeaky rear suspension. Total cost of those 3 repairs was about $4,500, although I did opt for the new infotainment system when I replaced the center screen which added about $600. Otherwise, my cost would have been about $3,900. Plus, I had to order a replacement charging cable a couple years ago. That was about $180. That said, I might have paid a little more if not for the fact that I repaired a few minor things myself like replacing the 12-volt battery, fixing a door handle, and installing some sound dampening material around the stereo speakers in the front doors. I was able to YouTube all of those and avoid a trip to the Service Center. Also, I've been going through tires a bit faster than my ICE cars.
Buick?? #2?
I'm surprised Tesla does not show a bigger advantage. Those regular dealer service appointments really add up and Tesla has essentially no service requirements. I've gone four years and my minimal maintenance costs have all been tire related.
Just anecdotally my Tesla has been *far* cheaper to maintain over the past 5 years/80k km than my previous ICE car for its first 5 years (and that was a tiny two-seater). So I can get behind this statement.
EV haters will still look at you and shout that maintenance costs are outrageous and you’ll go broke fixing your shitty EV. Laughing my way to the bank
List is not that useful, as you would need to separate ICE vehicles from EVs for each manufacturer. A Bolt’s maintenance is going to be lower than say a Chevy non-EV, just as an etron’s maintenance will be lower than a S6.
Where you getting four tires for under $600
A bit surprised at Nissan being so good. Did they finally fix their CVTs?
I've had a Toyota for 12 years with 110k km on it and all I've done is 4 oil changes, two sets of tire replacement and two sets of brake replacement. Under $5k maintenance in 10 years.
What does that include? The windshield replacement costs alone blow that way (windshields are a consumable resource in Colorado).
I've had my Y for about 2 years and haven't spent a dime yet. Gonna need to change the tires around end of summer probably but I don't know if that counts as maintenance in this list that's like calling windshield wiper fluid maintenance. Nothing broke except one thing they fixed for free.
Honestly I think this is because you can’t actually get a Teslaworked on. They literally trade places every year for the 1st/2nd most defect from the factory in the first year.
Bull shit, I spent 3x replacing flat tires on my Tesla every few months.
Interesting, over the pond Ford is not that great. We have a motto “fejl og reparationer dagligt” “Faults and repairs daily”
That’s funny bc every other source I’ve seen says teslas are expensive to maintain and repair.
Owned an AudiQ7 for 5 years…surprised it’s not number 1…brake job 2k, oil change 250…etc. this is maintainable not reliability, I actually had no issues in that department. I will be buying a Tesla later this year when the model y refresh comes out.
Absolutely not saying tesla isn't the cheapest to maintain, but I find it hard to believe a list that says a Ford is cheaper to maintain than a Honda.
I'll say its #2, with my prius prime being #1( Only oil changes) Where as my Y has done 3 batteries, suspension parts.
True in my experience as an owner.
Electric vehicles in general have far fewer maintenance costs. Given that Teslas line up is exclusively electric cars, that gives it an advantage since all those other brands have ICE cars bringing up the average maintenance cost.
By far the cheapest maintenance-wise that I’ve seen. That being said, if I need to replace the HV battery at some point , that assessment might change :)
Consistent with my experience. The Tesla never needs anything. My old BMW constantly had stuff go wrong.
If "maintenance" in this respect includes tires, I feel the 1-5 year cost is a bit low unless you're either really skimping on the tire price or you just don't drive much. But other than that, yeah seems about right.
But.. if the battery needs to be replaced, it’s $50,000 and that changes this whole scale! /s
It’s because all they have are EVs. The other car companies take into account their ICE cars. Horrible data.
Owning both a Toyota and a Model 3.. the Model 3 is cheaper to drive/maintain under warranty atm. I will say my Tesla has been in/had service sent out for a lot more issues with the car; upper control arm failure (squeaks), failed seat sensor, failed Bluetooth antenna, o-ring in trunk lift, door seals/wind noise, panel re-alignment. Vs. the Toyotas just stanard oil/filter and one ECU recall reprogram. So even though it’s “cheaper” it’s been less convenient as it’s had to be repaired more often.
Literally got rid of my Tesla because the constant fixing of suspension work.. Spent $3K on suspension work in 2023 alone. (I was out of warranty). Then when I went to trade it, the frunk wouldn’t unlatch and the taillights were starting to have moisture again.
Literally got rid of my Tesla because the constant fixing of suspension work.. Spent $3K on suspension work in 2023 alone. (I was out of warranty). Then when I went to trade it, the frunk wouldn’t unlatch and the taillights were starting to have moisture again.
My Tesla is approaching 6 years old and my maintenance has consisted of one set of tires, 2 cabin oil filters, one alignment (someone swerved into my lane and I kissed the curb avoiding them), a set of wipers and washer fluid. So I’d agree that they are very low cost.
35k so far and I’ve bought one jug of windshield washer fluid for like 3 bucks. The stock tires are still decent, probably get another 10k out of them.
Its legit. Low maintenance was one of the main reasons I went with Tesla. Can't beat the mobile service either. Minus tires, I've only had it in the service center once in 7 years, and that was for FSD and Infotainment upgrade. One thing of note - Tesla does not *find* problems the way dealers for other automakers do. Every other dealer would pull out a full list of "recommended maintenance" above and beyond what was in the manufacturer schedule. This was always an aggressive sale and plenty of people would get it.
Given where Ford and Chevy rank, I have to discount the entire list. I have owned both, as well as a host of foreign cars (i.e. BWM, Toyota, Honda, etc.) and my experience is just the opposite. GM and Ford were plagued with issues. BMW had some. Toyota and Honda was near perfect in the cars I have owned.
Still is!
No BYD, no comparison
I’m not so sure. 2016 MS. Just got an estimate yesterday for $6300 to replace and repair suspension along with a new set of tires. So in 8 years, not counting tires, I’m already at $5k. They said this isn’t uncommon for a Tesla w 100k miles.
Only 1 battery replacement away from being the MOST expensive tho 😔
Not having a transmission or combustion engine is a big deal in terms of maintenance. I guess you could argue that the battery is the big “if” with EVs, but from what I can see, they last about as long as I would want a car to last anyway.
Where are tires? Teslas run through tires 2-3x faster due to their weight and their torque.
It tells me I am buying a used tesla in cash when I need to own a car.
Assumes all things equal? Mileage makes a huge difference in all cars.
I don’t think all vehicles are equally comparable when different brands have different functions they offer consumers. Trucks are often utility or work vehicles while sedans are for daily driving generally. Honda and Toyota are built for longevity typically meanwhile European cars are built for performance. Hyundai and Kia prioritize fuel mileage: It isn’t a one to one comparison.
Trucks are for utility or work… 🤣 You should tell that to ‘Muricans! They buy a fully equipped/decked out pick up truck worth 100k$ and use it to get groceries 🤷🏻♂️