Car Maintenance Cost Calculator
Estimate your annual maintenance costs by car age, type, and service schedule. See a 5-year forecast and how costs compare between keeping your car vs. buying new.
Drag to simulate a one-off failure (transmission, head gasket, etc.) and see what it does to your 5-year cost per mile.
5-Year Maintenance Forecast
Based on your current inputs, projected forward year by year as your car ages.
| Year | Car Age | Multiplier | Annual Cost | Cumulative | $/Mile |
|---|
Multiplier follows a continuous wear curve, M = 1 + 0.08 × age1.2, where "age" is adjusted upward for mileage above 12,000 mi/yr. Each year also compounds your cost-inflation rate.
Upcoming Mileage-Based Service Schedule
Projected from your current odometer and annual mileage. Dates are estimates — always follow your owner's manual for exact intervals.
Intervals are typical manufacturer recommendations. Spark plugs, coolant, and transmission fluid vary widely by make — check your manual. EVs skip oil and spark-plug services.
Keep vs. Replace — 5-Year Ownership Cost
A true ownership comparison: maintenance plus depreciation and fuel/energy for keeping your current car versus buying a new one.
| 5-Year Cost Component | Keep Current Car | Buy New Car | Difference |
|---|
Maintenance uses your service costs adjusted by each car's age on the wear curve. Depreciation assumes a declining-balance rate of ~20–25%/yr for new cars, slowing with age, flooring at $1,000. Fuel/energy, loan interest (standard amortization on the price difference), and annual insurance premium delta are all inflated forward at your selected rate.
Cost Estimates Verified
Last Verified: June 2026 | Next Review: June 2027
This calculator's wear curve and repair-cost baseline are calibrated to the AAA Your Driving Costs 2024 Report (median unscheduled repair + maintenance: $0.0927/mile for a mid-size sedan), cross-referenced with the Consumer Reports 2024 Auto Reliability Survey for make-specific reliability multipliers (Toyota −25% to Mercedes-Benz +65% vs. generic median). Electric-vehicle maintenance costs are benchmarked against the U.S. DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center 2024 and the Consumer Reports EV Maintenance Analysis (2023) ($0.031/mile vs. $0.061/mile for gas). Labor-rate ranges reference BLS Occupational Employment Statistics SOC 49-3023. Unscheduled repair estimates are cross-validated against the RepairPal Average Repair Cost Database 2024 ($652 median annual unscheduled repair cost for sedans). Depreciation projections in the Keep vs. Replace tab are calibrated to NADA Used Car Values & Depreciation Data 2024. Service intervals follow typical OEM recommendations from manufacturer maintenance guides; consult your owner's manual for model-specific intervals. The unscheduled repair base of $540/year reflects the AAA 2024 median for a 5-year-old mid-size sedan at 15,000 mi/yr ($836/yr total unscheduled costs × estimated 65% attributable to the unscheduled repair component after warranty offset). The wear-curve exponent (1.2) is calibrated to match RepairPal's observed cost inflection between years 5–8.
- Fuel cost inputs are manually entered — not tied to live gas prices or EPA ratings.
- Depreciation uses a declining-balance model; actual trade-in values depend on market conditions, trim level, accident history, and regional demand.
- EV battery replacement probability is estimated; individual cell degradation varies significantly by climate, charging habits, and chemistry (LFP vs. NMC).
- Service intervals reflect typical OEM schedules for vehicles driven under normal conditions. Severe-duty driving (towing, off-road, extreme climate) requires more frequent service — consult your owner's manual.
- Sales tax, registration fees, and extended-warranty costs are not included in the Keep vs. Replace comparison unless entered manually.