Top 10 Car Brands with the Highest Maintenance Costs Over 5 Years

When purchasing a car, many buyers focus solely on the sticker price, overlooking the long-term ownership costs. Brands like BMW and Hyundai often offer free maintenance packages for the first few years. However, tires and brake pads typically need replacement within the first five years, and these wear-and-tear items are usually not covered by the manufacturer. Additionally, unexpected repairs outside the warranty can further add to the expenses.

Over time, these costs can accumulate significantly. Consumer Reports (CR) analyzed data from 28 car brands to determine the exact ownership costs over a five-year period. They chose this timeframe because, according to The Zebra, nearly two-thirds of Americans own their vehicles for five years or less, and most new car warranties also expire around this time.

Even if you’re not a car expert, you might guess which brands are the most expensive to maintain. As expected, CR’s study found that Porsche and Land Rover top the list, alongside other luxury brands. However, not all premium brands are costly to maintain. For instance, Lincoln ranks second-lowest in maintenance costs, while Tesla has the lowest expenses overall. Interestingly, all brands in the top 10 for highest maintenance and repair costs over five years are European or Asian.

Here’s CR’s list of the 10 most expensive brands to maintain over five years:

Luxury Cars Remain Expensive Despite Free Maintenance

Despite BMW offering a free maintenance package for the first 3 years or 58,000 km, the brand still ranks 10th with an average five-year maintenance and repair cost of $1,700. While CR doesn’t provide detailed explanations, it’s understandable that labor costs at luxury service centers are typically higher.

BMW ranks last in the top 10 brands with the highest five-year maintenance costs.

Subaru follows closely with a five-year maintenance cost of $1,750. It’s the only mainstream brand in the top 10.

Lexus, often featured among the most reliable cars, has maintenance costs on par with Subaru. Toyota’s luxury brand offers a free maintenance package for U.S. customers, but it only covers the first two services within 12 months or 16,000 km.

Volvo is slightly more expensive at $1,775 for five years. Previously, the Swedish brand offered free maintenance for 3 years or 48,000 km. However, starting with the 2026 models, this package is reduced to 2 years or 36,000 km.

Acura ranks sixth with a five-year maintenance cost of $1,845. Honda’s luxury brand only offers free maintenance for the first year or 19,200 km.

Brands That Hit Owners’ Wallets Hard

Audi ranks fifth with a five-year maintenance and repair cost of $2,050. This figure may change in the future, as Audi introduces the Signature Care package for 2026 models, offering free maintenance for 3 years or 48,000 km in the U.S. Infiniti has a similar program since 2023, but its five-year maintenance cost remains at $2,120.

Costs soar with Mercedes-Benz, where owners can expect to spend around $3,500 over five years. This places the three-pointed star brand in third place on CR’s list of the most expensive brands to maintain.

Land Rover takes second place with a cost of $3,700, not far behind Mercedes-Benz. Additionally, many of this British brand’s models frequently appear on CR’s list of least reliable vehicles.

Porsche, while highly regarded for overall quality, is not cheap to maintain. Over five years, Porsche owners can expect to spend around $5,000—approximately six times more than Tesla, the brand with the lowest maintenance costs.

Porsche is the most expensive brand to maintain over five years.

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