According to Carolina Tire & Auto data, owners are keeping their cars longer than they did two years ago, a trend that is expected to continue until the economy rebounds. As more of the nation's cars exceed 75,000 miles and approach the celebrated 100,000-mile mark, regular maintenance becomes an increasingly important way to prevent costly car repairs.
To help you coax extra miles out of your current car, we wanted to know what consumers could expect to pay to keep their cars running longer. We estimated the cost of scheduled maintenance (service at specific intervals recommended by the manufacturer) and car repairs (unanticipated fixes) for 75,000 miles of normal use for the nation's 10 best-selling vehicles. Additionally, we estimated how much you would pay in maintenance to push those odometers all the way to five zeros. The results are below.
Repair/Maintenance Costs for Top 10 Best-Selling Vehicles
| Make/Model | Repair to 75K Miles | Scheduled Maintenance to 75K Miles | Scheduled Maintenance to 100K Miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Camry | $654 | $2,028 | $2,821 |
| Honda Accord | $654 | $1,177 | $1,520 |
| Ford F-150 | $887 | $1,102 | $1,781 |
| Honda Civic | $654 | $1,163 | $1,498 |
| Toyota Corolla | $654 | $2,008 | $2,802 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | $761 | $1,369 | $2,336 |
| Nissan Altima | $654 | $1,093 | $1,490 |
| Honda CR-V | $654 | $973 | $1,610 |
| Chevrolet Impala | $724 | $997 | $1,740 |
| Ford Fusion | $752 | $1,294 | $1,738 |
2010 estimates based on 2009 year-to-date figures through 12/9/09
What the Data Shows
Five different brands have sedans in the top 10, so we compared their costs and found some interesting contrasts. In fact, through 75,000 miles of use, the Chevrolet Impala costs an estimated 51 percent ($1,031) less in scheduled maintenance than the top-selling Toyota Camry. While some might guess that this is due to foreign cars being more expensive to service generally, the Nissan Altima also costs almost half as much less to maintain — $935 — as the Camry.
Furthermore, if you drive a car for a full 100,000 miles, the Altima emerges as the overall savings winner, with an estimated 47 percent ($1,331) less in scheduled maintenance costs than the Camry. While this figure represents a little more than a penny per mile, it adds up to a substantial savings.
Reliability and Warrantees
Many people buy vehicles from Japanese manufacturers because of their reputation for long-term reliability. But is that idea born out within the top 10 best sellers? Not by much. Within the 75,000 miles that our data covers, the difference in repair costs is minimal. The Camry, Honda Accord and Altima each cost an estimated 13 percent less in car repairs over 75,000 miles than the Ford Fusion does — but that's only a $98 difference.
More importantly, should a drivetrain part fail after 60,000 miles — usually an expensive repair — Chevrolet, with its 100,000-mile drivetrain coverage, will protect you. Toyota, Honda and Nissan will not.
Warranty Coverage for Top 10 Best-Selling Vehicle Brands in Years/Miles
| Make | Basic | Drivetrain | Rust/Corrosion | Roadside Assistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet | 3/36,000 | 5/100,000 | 6/100,000 | 5/100,000 |
| Ford | 3/36,000 | 5/60,000 | 5/Unlimited | 5/60,000 |
| Honda | 3/36,000 | 5/60,000 | 5/Unlimited | None Available |
| Nissan | 3/36,000 | 5/60,000 | 5/Unlimited | 3/36,000* |
| Toyota | 3/36,000 | 5/60,000 | 5/Unlimited | None Available |
*Nissan: Towing to nearest Nissan dealer if your vehicle is inoperative due to the failure of a warrantied part.
In fact, drivetrain reliability for the Camry and the Impala aren't so far apart. While owners of 2002 and 2003 Impalas encountered "moderate problems" with their engines, the owners of 2002-'03 Camrys encountered more "significant problems" — the worst of three possible scores, according to data provider Identifix. One can't help but wonder how many Camry drivers who drove past the 60,000-mile mark would have benefited from the Impala's more generous five-year/100,000-mile drivetrain coverage.
Of course, the cost of maintenance and repairs are only two factors in judging a car's true cost to own. Toyota still enjoys strong resale value, which figures very prominently in a vehicle's overall value. And driving your car for 75,000 or 100,000 miles — even if it costs more to maintain — is almost always a better value proposition than trading it in for a new car.
Spend Now, Save Later
Proper vehicle maintenance is clearly a case where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but still, tough economic times and busy lifestyles can push car maintenance down on many owners' to-do lists. Recent findings by the Car Care Council found that 38 percent of cars surveyed had low or dirty engine oil, 28 percent had inadequate cooling protection, 19 percent needed new belts and 10 percent had low or contaminated brake fluid — all potentially costly problems that regular maintenance can prevent.
Fortunately, the days of shelling out money for oil changes every 3,000 miles are all but gone. Forget that old rule of thumb. Only your owner's manual, which you can also find online, is the bona fide source of its maintenance schedule, from when to rotate the tires to the frequency of transmission service.
Don't rely solely on more general recommendations, and certainly not the "dealer's recommended schedule," which will cost you more than necessary. If you want to look at extending oil change intervals, you can also have your oil analyzed. Following the manufacturer's schedule carefully not only means fewer problems as a car ages; it also prevents the manufacturer from ever voiding your warranty based on "neglect."
