Yearly Car Maintenance Cost?

[SC Maintenance]

At some point a timing belt car and a solid lifter/ tappet car needs either your time and skill or the shops.

A V6 with a belt will cost about 1500 bones to have a shop do the rollers/tensioners water pump and belt.

These services are expensive and often ignored.

Inline 4 cars and hydraulic lash cars are better beaters in this regards.

While I agree, it doesn't need to be this way. $1500 for a repair that will last years is cheap. Unfortunately many end up in the wrecking yard because of such trivial things.

 

[fantastic]

I kept all records on my 2002 Saturn L200 I owned for four years & put on 22,705 miles. I paid $1,800 for the car w/128k on it.

$1,568.51 Repairs & Maintenance
$801.63 for liability only insurance in MO
$249.07 Tags/Inspections
= $2,619.21 Total cost to run it for those 22,707 Miles & four years time. It did need a new power steering rack due to slight leak but gave it to our niece for a starter car. She's still ripping around in it 2 years later.

If we assume one year national average of driving is 15,000 miles that would mean you'd need to have around $1,730 annually.

Just another way to put this. Repairs and maintenance alone, based on 15,000 miles a year average, cost me $1,036.14.

 

[UncleDave]

While I agree, it doesn't need to be this way. $1500 for a repair that will last years is cheap. Unfortunately many end up in the wrecking yard because of such trivial things.

The burned exhaust valve because it got too tight puts a ton of cars in the yard.

It's cheap - if you budget for it every year, just put 150 in a coffee can every year.

Its expensive when you just bought a used car and you had no idea it was coming which is most of the time with college kids, this piece hits younger people in the face hard, mainly women, but a surprising amount of guys have absolutely no clue about these things.
People get rid of Hondas and V6 toyotas without this service ALL the time.

I cant tell you how many times I've had this conversation AFTER someone buys a used belt car.

Honda dealers are really good at perpetuating the myth of a no expense ownership.

" They run for hundreds of thousands of miles " - and they do, as long as you spend about 1500 about every hundred K.

 

[maverickfhs]

After few initial Honda cars with TB, am always after a chain and that is a preference now.

 

[UncleDave]

After few initial Honda cars with TB, am always after a chain and that is a preference now.

The problem here is that after DI, a chain is no longer a guarantee of a lifetime component.
It used to be a chain was a slam dunk no maintenance - move along.

Now the deal is you MIGHT need a chain, and you WILL need belts.

Engines with 20 feet of chains and multiple tensioners and cam phasers the chain replacement is a brutal complex beats of a job that is even more expensive than the belt. Audis/ VW's /eco boosts I'm talking to you here.

 

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

Average among society or average among BITOG?

I keep it under a couple hundred with clearance oil, Amazon Warehouse brakes, and used tires.

How loud do you squeak when you walk?

 

[SC Maintenance]

The problem here is that after DI, a chain is no longer a guarantee of a lifetime component.
It used to be a chain was a slam dunk no maintenance - move along.

Now the deal is you MIGHT need a chain, and you WILL need belts.

Engines with 20 feet of chains and multiple tensioners and cam phasers the chain replacement is a brutal complex beats of a job that is even more expensive than the belt. Audis/ VW's /eco boosts I'm talking to you here.

Chains do need replacing. Still worth it - assuming its not a rust bucket. My secondary guides on my Xterra wore out at about 250K. Known defect. If I had the time I could do it - but at the time I had no time, so I paid a indy shop $1700 using OEM parts. I think its close to $3K now. I called all the dealers first - they all said scrap the car, not worth it at that mileage. Car now has 395K on it.

 

[KS-Ryan]

After getting my "beater" Civic baselined and replacing a few things to make it a better daily driver, I've only had to do oil changes. It is due for a timing belt and a local shop quoted me $800 to do it.

This year's expenses included--
Replaced front brake pads/rotors/calipers $250
Replaced driver's front door lock actuator $25
Oil change (I had the oil already) $5

For 2024, I anticipate only having to do the timing belt and another oil change. Insurance on the car is about $100 for 6 months and it costs a little more than $30 to fill the tank which usually lasts me 2-3 weeks.

 

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

To the OP-

Your costs are going to vary widely across manufacturers, date (year) ranges, engines, models.

There's going to be a HUGE difference between a Toyota/Lexus in the 2013-2015 year range with a 2GR-FE V6 or 5.7L V8 and a typical GM, Chrysler, Ford, Nissan, Mazda, or Korean Variant. The T/L product is going to be most likely 50% of the annual cost to maintain one of the other brands/makes.

In my experience, across one of those two variants on the T/L model -I can say this:

2 oil changes at $35 each, DIY with Costco oil and OEM filter
1 Wiper refill or blade change (both sides) - $35 max, OEM blades, $17 OEM refills
OEM air filter - $22
OEM Cabin filter - $19

Pro-rated items-

Coolant drain and fill, DIY, OEM Coolant, $15
Trans fluid service with OEM Filter and Gasket, DIY, $45
Brake fluid flush, DIY, $5
Tires, premium brand, 70-80k rating, $280
Front Rotors, Pads, anti-rattle springs, caliper bracket hardware, OEM, DIY, $85
Rear Rotors, Pads, etc., DIY, OEM, $50
Spark Plugs, OEM, DIY, $24
Throttle body cleaning, DIY, $3
Shocks/Struts, OEM, Shop installed, $125

8-12 year repair items -

Water Pump, OEM, Shop installed, $450
Alternator, OEM, Shop installed, $600
Starter, ~300k+ miles, OEM, Shop installed, $600 (V6), $1500 (5.7L)

 

[1uz_4me]

99 GS400. No cost on the alternator as it was under warranty

 

[maverickfhs]

@1uz_4me, what application is it? Looks neat, as I usually do not track anything separately.

 

[SC Maintenance]

For 2024, I anticipate only having to do the timing belt and another oil change. Insurance on the car is about $100 for 6 months and it costs a little more than $30 to fill the tank which usually lasts me 2-3 weeks.

This is another thing. Annual county taxes on my beater are $18. On my wife's Toyota there $300.

 

[fantastic]

This is another thing. Annual county taxes on my beater are $18. On my wife's Toyota there $300.

Pays to have a beater in that area (taxes). LOL

 

[KGMtech]

This is for our 14.5 year old 2009 Flex SEL FWD currently at 280,000 kilometres: Owned from new. All amounts are CAD.

maintenance / year	$ 332.12
repairs / year	$ 734.76
Tires & misc investment / year	$ 272.20
M+R+Tires costs/ year:	$ 1,339.08

 

[fantastic]

This is for our 14.5 year old 2009 Flex SEL FWD currently at 280,000 kilometres: Owned from new. All amounts are CAD.

maintenance / year	$ 332.12
repairs / year	$ 734.76
Tires & misc investment / year	$ 272.20
M+R+Tires costs/ year:	$ 1,339.08

That is right in line with what I paid out for the 02' Saturn w/same mileage. Thanks for sharing.

 

[KGMtech]

That is right in line with what I paid out for the 02' Saturn w/same mileage. Thanks for sharing.

It might be obvious to most BITOG regulars, but the vast majority of repairs & maintenance were DIY. Try to avoid dealers for natural reasons.

 

[1uz_4me]

@1uz_4me, what application is it? Looks neat, as I usually do not track anything separately.

aCar - Car Management, Mileage - Apps on Google Play

Track the fillups, maintenance, fuel mileage, trips & expenses of your vehicles.

play.google.com

 

[KS-Ryan]

This is another thing. Annual county taxes on my beater are $18. On my wife's Toyota there $300.

Yes, the annual vehicle tax/registration is $60 here.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Yes, the annual vehicle tax/registration is $60 here.

Here you pay the state I think $45.00 per year, and you pay the county a property tax assessment every year. I personally think its criminal to tax me for the privalege of owning a vehicle every year. They would tax air if they could figure out how.

 

[eljefino]

Mind asking how much you pay for a used tire and I am sure you install them by yourself via HF tire changer?

Somewhere between 4/$50 and $20 each, with about 7/32 remaining, is my sweet spot. And yes to the HF changer, and a snap-on spin balancer.