The costs of owning a vehicle are getting steeper and steeper by the day. It is becoming increasingly difficult to balance budgets. That is why understanding long-term maintenance costs is so important, allowing you to buy a car that isn’t going to slowly drain your bank account.
We go explore the models that are currently considered to have the lowest maintenance costs. If you plan to own your next car for a long period of time, you should consider a model on this list. We also explore how many recalls have been issued for each entry as well as the worst model year to buy if you decide to go with a used example instead of a new one.
In compiling this article, we have cross-referenced information for vehicle reliability, maintenance, and pricing from sources like J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds, RepairPal, CarEdge, and to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible. Please note that we have ranked the following models based on maintenance costs, from least affordable to most. This list focuses on cars, excluding SUVs and pickup trucks.
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10
Toyota Crown
Maintenance Cost During the First 10 Years: $4,932
Toyota has traditionally left outright luxury to Lexus, but the Crown proves that the mainstream brand still has what it takes when it comes to building a premium sedan. The Crown rides on raised suspension, features an impressive hybrid setup, and sports a plush interior.
Reliability and Maintenance
Toyota is a brand that is known for building reliable vehicles that are cheaper to maintain than their competitors, which is why the Crown won’t be the last car from the brand on this list. Despite the Crown taking the luxury approach, CarEdge still estimates that it is $833 cheaper to maintain in its first ten years than the average sedan. There is also only a 12.3 percent chance any single repair will cost more than $500.
- Average Yearly Maintenance Cost: N/A (RepairPal)
- Est. Maintenance Cost During the First 10 Years: $4,932 (CarEdge)
- Total Recalls: 0
- Worst Year To Buy Used: N/A
9
Toyota GR86
Maintenance Cost During the First 10 Years: $4,822
Affordable sports cars have been making a bit of a comeback in the last couple of years. Key among these working-class heroes is the GR86. This little 2+2 coupe may not be the quickest in a straight line, but it is a ton of fun to drive and is absurdly affordable to buy and to own.
Reliability and Maintenance
Sports cars are not generally the most reliable nor the most affordable cars to maintain, but the GR86 is an exception to the rule. The average coupe costs $2,551 more to maintain in its first ten years than the Toyota does. The chance of it needing a major repair during this time is also only 12.9 percent.
- Average Yearly Maintenance Cost: N/A (RepairPal)
- Est. Maintenance Cost During the First 10 Years: $4,822 (CarEdge)
- Total Recalls: 2
- Worst Year To Buy Used: 2019
8
Toyota Camry
Maintenance Cost During the First 10 Years: $4,597
The Camry has been Toyotas bread and butter in the United States since it first hit our shores. While crossovers have steadily been taking over in terms of popularity, the Camry still remains among the brand’s top sellers. This is because of its simple and value-oriented approach to transport.
Reliability and Maintenance
As mentioned above, the whole point of the Camry is that it is affordable to buy and affordable to own, with its simplicity working in its favor both in terms of reliability and ownership costs. It is $1,168 cheaper to maintain in its first ten years than the average sedan and there is only a 12.3 percent chance any single repair will cost more than $500 in that time.
- Average Yearly Maintenance Cost: $388 (RepairPal)
- Est. Maintenance Cost During the First 10 Years: $4,597 (CarEdge)
- Total Recalls: 45
- Worst Year To Buy Used: 2007-2009
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7
Toyota GR Corolla
Maintenance Cost During the First 10 Years: $4,590
The Corolla nameplate has always been associated with mild driving dynamics and affordability. However, Gazoo Racing decided to change all of that with one of the hottest hatchbacks of this generation. The GR Corolla is a feat of engineering, making 300 horsepower from an inline-three and housing an advanced, rally-inspired all-wheel drive system.
Reliability and Maintenance
While the GR Corolla hasn’t been around all that long, those who own one have very few negative things to say about its build quality. Despite being so performance-oriented, the sporty hatchback is still easy on the wallet when it comes to maintenance, with CarEdge estimating it’ll cost $302 less than the average hatchback to maintain in its first ten years.
- Average Yearly Maintenance Cost: N/A (RepairPal)
- Est. Maintenance Cost During the First 10 Years: $4,590 (CarEdge)
- Total Recalls: 1
- Worst Year To Buy Used: N/A
6
Toyota Prius
Maintenance Cost During the First 10 Years: $4,380
The Prius was one of the first hybrid cars to ever launch in the United States and, despite being a meme, its popularity has always been pretty stable. The newest iteration of the little eco-friendly car is much more enjoyable than those that came before it, with more power and better handling.
Reliability and Maintenance
While people have their reservations about hybrids, which add even more moving parts to cars, the Prius proves that they’re capable of being as reliable and cheap to own as any ICE or EV car. Estimated maintenance costs for the Prius in its first ten years are $512 lower than the average hatchback. The PHEV model isn’t far behind, costing $4,443 over ten years.
- Average Yearly Maintenance Cost: $408 (RepairPal)
- Est. Maintenance Cost During the First 10 Years: $4,380 (CarEdge)
- Total Recalls: 31
- Worst Year To Buy Used: 2010
5
Toyota Corolla
Maintenance Cost During the First 10 Years: $4,209
The Corolla is designed to be the car that people gravitate towards when they’re looking for something simple, cheap, and cheerful, a goal that it achieves incredibly well. It may not be the most exciting car in the world to drive, nor the biggest, but it is practical and packed full of value.
Reliability and Maintenance
Unsurprisingly, the regular version of the Corolla is more affordable to maintain than the GR version. The hatchback model is also a little bit cheaper than the sedan. CarEdge estimates ten-year maintenance for a Corolla hatch to be around $683 cheaper than the average hatchback.
- Average Yearly Maintenance Cost: $362 (RepairPal)
- Est. Maintenance Cost During the First 10 Years: $4,209 (CarEdge)
- Total Recalls: 47
- Worst Year To Buy Used: 2009
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4
Hyundai Ioniq 6
Maintenance Cost During the First 10 Years: $3,931
With popular electric vehicles having been on the market for some time now, we’re starting to see just how affordable they are to maintain. The Ioniq 6 is a great example. Hyundai’s electric sedan is fantastic, offering impressive levels of performance and quirky styling that is genuinely just fun.
Reliability and Maintenance
Electric cars are still trying to work out some kinks, with the technology still being perfected. That being said, the Ioniq 6 is among the most reliable models you can buy. Over ten years of owning an Ioniq 6, you’re expected to spend $1,834 less than you would on the average sedan. There is an 18.3 percent chance that any single repair during this time will cost more than $500, though.
- Average Yearly Maintenance Cost: N/A (RepairPal)
- Est. Maintenance Cost During the First 10 Years: $3,931 (CarEdge)
- Total Recalls: 4
- Worst Year To Buy Used: N/A
3
Fiat 500e
Maintenance Cost During the First 10 Years: $3,548
City cars are something that never really took off in the United States. If you live in the city and commute short distances, though, it’s hard not to see the appeal. The 500e takes the classic city car formula and electrifies it, making it cheaper than ever before to own over the long-term.
Reliability and Maintenance
Stellantis products have never really been at the top of the stack when it comes to reliability. Its good then that the Fiat 500e is so cheap to take care of when things do go wrong. Hatchbacks are among the most affordable cars to maintain and the electric Fiat is estimated to be $1,344 cheaper than the average model to maintain over ten years.
- Average Yearly Maintenance Cost: N/A (RepairPal)
- Est. Maintenance Cost During the First 10 Years: $3,548 (CarEdge)
- Total Recalls: 6
- Worst Year To Buy Used: N/A
2
Nissan Leaf
Maintenance Cost During the First 10 Years: $3,237
The Nissan Leaf has consistently been one of the most affordable electric cars available to buy. The current model is the only EV in the United States with a starting MSRP of under $30,000. It may be a simple little car, but it’ll get you from A to B without any fuss.
Reliability
While Nissan’s reliability is pretty hit or miss, the Leaf has a pretty decent history. Adding to the cost savings that this little hatchback offers, the Leaf costs $1,655 less than the average hatch to maintain in its first ten years. There is a 16 percent chance that a single repair will cost more than $500 in this timeframe, though.
- Average Yearly Maintenance Cost: $748 (RepairPal)
- Est. Maintenance Cost During the First 10 Years: $3,237 (CarEdge)
- Total Recalls: 17
- Worst Year To Buy Used: 2015
1
Toyota Mirai
Maintenance Cost During the First 10 Years: $3,222
Front 3/4 shot of a 2023 Toyota Mirai parked in front of a sunset
The Toyota Mirai is a special electric vehicle, in that it makes use of hydrogen as its power source. Currently only sold in California, this sedan offers a pretty good level of luxury, good range, and quick refilling times. The downside being that hydrogen refueling stations are still hard to come by.
Reliability
The Toyota Mirai takes the top spot on this list, combining Toyota’s knack for building cars that are affordable to own with the simplicity of EVs. Over ten years, you’ll spend $2,543 less on maintenance than you would on the average sedan, acccording to CarEdge. There is also only a 12.3 percent chance it will need a major repair.
- Average Yearly Maintenance Cost: N/A (RepairPal)
- Est. Maintenance Cost During the First 10 Years: $3,222 (CarEdge)
- Total Recalls: 2
- Worst Year To Buy Used: N/A