Major Car Brands With The Highest Maintenance Costs, Ranked

When buying a new car, whether brand new or used, the running costs are just as important as how much you initially pay for the vehicle. While fuel costs are one of the key factors to consider for long-term ownership, particularly considering how efficient new cars can be, the price for maintenance and repairs should never be overlooked. In a survey conducted by FinanceBuzz, 64 percent of 1,000 car owners admitted to shelving maintenance for their cars, and while frequent checkups can help prevent larger services, certain brands simply cost more to sustain over the years.

Maintenance costs can vary due to several reasons, whether it's the car's age, part availability, or the brand itself. Frequent repair jobs that cars require include fixing electrical system faults, engine problems, and transmission issues. However, the relatively recent rise of electrification has taken away some of the historically common problems and introduced new, unique problems for manufacturers to face and to consider as the buyer. 

CarEdge and RepairPal study both short-term and long-term maintenance for some of the largest automakers selling their cars in the U.S., which is how we've collected data for the car brands you may want to approach with caution. While manufacturers such as Toyota and Honda manage to keep costs down over the years, these are the 10 major car brands with the highest maintenance costs overall.

Volvo has been on a resurgence in the United States in recent years, with a particular focus on competing in the luxury segment with more affordable price tags than its key rivals. In 2025, some of the long-standing models like the XC90, XC60, and XC40 SUVs, together with the S60 sedan, remain top choices if you're in the market for a new or used luxury car. 

Alongside these models, the Swedish brand has been putting a strong focus on its more recent all-electric range to further carve out its place in the market. These models are slightly more expensive than the mild and plug-in hybrid cars Volvo offers, but they are still competitively priced, such as the Volvo EX30, which offers fantastic value for money at just $44,900.

While the upfront costs may be attractive, Volvos find themselves towards the more expensive side of the industry when it comes to maintenance. RepairPal reports a yearly cost of $769 for the brand, which, while below the average cost of $972 for full-size luxury cars, is still above the industry-wide price of $652. The transmissions of both the S60 and XC90 models have caused issues for many owners, hinting at a key issue that Volvos face in multiple segments. Looking towards long-term maintenance and repairs, CarEdge estimates a 10 year cost of $10,073, showing an unfortunately steady increase over time.

Compared to brands like Volvo, Audi offers a far greater choice for cars both on the new and used market in 2025. Whether you're looking for a luxury compact sedan, a mid-size crossover, or a performance wagon, the established German brand has all bases covered. 

Like many others in the luxury segment, Audi has been developing and expanding its all-electric e-tron range, giving buyers the choice of eco-friendly options, with models such as the Q8 e-tron having been available in the U.S. since 2019. Starting prices for new Audi cars can vary significantly, with the cheapest being the A3 at $38,400 and the most expensive being the RS e-tron GT Performance at a whopping $167,000.

When it comes to Audi's maintenance costs, the brand follows suit with many of its luxury competitors by being more expensive to run than many other major brands. Some Audi models on the used market offer better reliability than others, but, according to RepairPal, you can expect to pay approximately $987 for yearly maintenance, which is a fair amount higher than the average cost of the luxury segment. While this puts it behind its key German rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz annually, CarEdge's data shows that the brand's long-term maintenance beats these competitors at $10,213 on average.

The best-selling American brand throughout 2024 on home soil was Ford, which offers some of the most attractive SUVs and pickup trucks available on the market. Many of the brand's sales are thanks to the iconic F-Series pickup truck, which sold a total of 732,139 in 2024. The Ford Maverick is another standout model from the Detroit-based brand, which sold 157,345 units throughout the same year. 

If you want a smaller Ford car, however, you'll have to look towards the used market. This gives you a solid choice of older models for you to choose from, with cars such as the compact Focus going for an average used price of $6,633 for the final 2018 model, according to KBB.

Ford may have plenty of attractive options on both the new and used market, but for maintenance, it falls behind many of the brands it beat in overall sales last year. According to RepairPal, a Ford will cost you $775 per year, with issues regarding the automatic transmissions being a frequent problem for various Ford models, particularly with the Ford Fusion sedan. A full transmission replacement can easily move into the thousands. Over 10 years, CarEdge reports a maintenance cost of $10,392.

Another American brand that's among the most expensive to maintain is Cadillac. One of the oldest luxury automakers in the world, Cadillac currently has a wide range of SUVs available, but still has options for anyone looking for a sedan that blends luxury and performance with the CT4 and CT5 models. 

One area where Cadillac is expanding more aggressively than some of its rivals Stateside is electrification. While GM is no longer targeting an all-electric lineup for the brand by 2030, with the Lyriq, Optiq, Vistiq, and Escalade IQ all aiming to benefit from what all-electric powertrains can bring to the luxury segment.

Since these models are relatively new, it's still difficult to gauge their long-term reliability. However, there's no shortage of data regarding the existing Cadillac models that still feature in the lineup or have been discontinued, such as the CT6. While luxury and performance set Cadillac apart, repair costs and overall maintenance are one of the brand's weaker points, with CarEdge estimating that you'll pay $11,086 on maintenance costs over 10 years. Yearly costs remain closer to those of brands like Ford, at $783 according to RepairPal.

Ever since the golden age of the muscle car segment in the late 1960s and 1970s, Dodge has remained one of the go-to American performance brands despite going through some major changes with its lineup and ownership. As such, the 2023 Challenger and Charger models have been discontinued to make way for the all-new Dodge Charger EV with a gas-powered version coming in the summer of 2025. 

Thankfully, these cars can still be picked up in great condition. A used 2023 Dodge Challenger costs an average of $24,471, while a used Dodge Charger typically sells for about $24,394. Alongside the revised Dodge Charger, the Durango and Hornet SUVs make up the automaker's relatively limited lineup.

Regarding annual maintenance costs for all Dodge vehicles, the brand manages to come in slightly under the industry-wide average, with a reported cost of $634 from RepairPal. However, as the years go by, the costs for maintenance and repairs begin to rise, particularly after five years. At the 10 year mark, CarEdge reports a cost of $11,352, which is $3,049 above the average at this stage of ownership.

Another brand under the Stellantis banner, Chrysler is a unique entry on this list in that it only produces minivans. You have a choice between the Voyager and the Pacifica, the latter of which is also available as a plug-in hybrid model. A few years ago, Chrysler was a more diverse brand with models such as the 300 sedan, but that was discontinued in 2023. The smaller Chrysler 200 was also discontinued earlier in 2017.

While the current lineup is focused on one segment of the industry, the discontinuation of some of the brand's key models provides ample data on how dependable the distinguished automaker is in both the short and long term. RepairPal's predicted annual maintenance cost of $608 puts Chrysler below other many major American brands, but costs start to increase over time. After 10 years of ownership, a Chrysler will cost you $11,367, according to CarEdge's data. 

Problems that owners have faced with their Chrysler cars include issues with the transmission — a complaint seen across multiple different models from the brand.

When it comes to offering proven off-road vehicles that can still accommodate daily use, very few brands can compete with Jeep. With a long history of being at the top of the off-road SUV segment – most notably with the Wrangler – the American manufacturer offers a decent enough selection of off-road and luxury-focused SUVs in 2025 to become the 10th best-selling car brand in the U.S. throughout 2024. 

While models such as the Grand Cherokee and Wagoneer aren't quite as engineered toward off-road use, others like the Wrangler may be at a greater risk of repairs when pushed too hard on the trails. Still, like any car, proper maintenance can help prevent any major faults that these more extreme vehicles can face, which include water leakages and loose components affecting the steering response.

Although Jeep is a fairly unique brand compared to other major American automakers, it's also owned by Stellantis and closely matches the two previous brands on this list when it comes to the cost of maintenance and repairs. RepairPal reports an average yearly cost of $634, which isn't too expensive, but CarEdge's data shows a steeper increase after three years of ownership, resulting in a 10 year maintenance cost of $11,690.

Mercedes-Benz has been a leader in the luxury segment for decades. In 2025, the German brand offers a generous choice for SUVs, sedans, and performance coupes to be as competitive as possible in the same segments as its key rivals, with cutting-edge technology throughout the cabins and drivetrains. While these features go a long way in offering the most luxurious experience, they open the door for specific problems that, when they do need to be fixed, can cost more than other major automakers that don't require specialized service.

As a luxury brand with rather high starting prices, Mercedes-Benz cars are also naturally more expensive to maintain overall, with RepairPal reporting an average maintenance cost of $908 per year. The puts Mercedes-Benz at 27th out of the 32 brands RepairPal studied for reliability. Long-term maintenance costs, unfortunately, don't have a better outlook, with CarEdge estimating a 10 year cost of $12,962 to keep the already-expensive luxury cars running smoothly.

Alongside Audi and Mercedes-Benz, BMW has long since pushed the boundaries for cars that blend luxury with performance. BMW tends to lean toward producing cars that are more thrilling to drive than purely plush, but that doesn't mean it ignores any aspect of what a luxury car needs. This is present in almost every model the brand has on sale in 2025, with models like the 2023 7 Series sitting at the top of the pile when it comes to outright luxury. However, this does mean that if something were to go wrong in one of these cars, requiring specific components can push the overall maintenance cost higher.

Over one year of ownership, RepairPal estimates a maintenance cost of $968, making it the second-most expensive brand on this list and positioning it 30th out of 32 car brands studied by the outlet. The costs don't stop there, with CarEdge reporting a 10 year cost of $15,991, which is $4,007 over the site's average for luxury brands.

There are plenty of reasons why you should consider a Ram truck in 2025, whether that's with the 1500, 2500, or 3500 range, all of which start at below $50,000. Thanks to this, Ram was the 11th best-selling brand in the U.S. throughout 2024. However, these trucks expectedly aren't the most efficient, with the 1500 model managing just 21 MPG in its base guise. Unfortunately, this is just the beginning of Ram's high running costs, with the brand being considerably more expensive to maintain than all other major brands on the market.

While high, the yearly maintenance costs aren't the most expensive here, with RepairPal estimating a cost of $858 annually. Still, the headline costs are for Ram's long-term maintenance, with CarEdge reporting a 10 year cost of $21,595, whose data sees pricing picking up considerably in the second half of this time. 

Reasons such as being equipped with a diesel engine option, which is still available on the latest 2500 model, can lead to higher overall running costs as replacement parts can fetch higher prices, but considering CarEdge expects these vehicles to need a major repair job within 10 years by as much as 68.2 percent across the board, Ram may be a brand to avoid if you're wary of long-term costs stacking up.

As short-term maintenance costs are just as vital as the long-term when purchasing a new car, we made sure to collect data from more than one outlet to create our list of the major car brands with the highest overall maintenance and repair prices. 

We used the RepairPal database for annual maintenance costs for the included brands, as well as the common problems that owners of some of the vehicles sold by these brands run into. For long-term costs, we looked at CarEdge to compare the brand's maintenance over 10 years of ownership, which we used to rank the brands selected for our list. Finally, we incorporated data collected by Kelly Blue Book to estimate pricing for used models.