These Brands Have The Highest Maintenance Costs After 5 Years According To Consumer Reports

When it comes to car shopping, it's too easy to focus on window sticker prices rather than on how much you'll spend on upkeep. Sure, some automakers — like BMW and Hyundai – include free maintenance for a few years. However, tires and brake pads often need replacing during the first five years, and automakers aren't paying for these wear-and-tear items. There may also be repairs that aren't covered by a new-car warranty.

Over time, it adds up. Consumer Reports (CR) crunched the numbers for 28 automakers to see exactly how much. We'll cover the details for a five-year period. Why this benchmark? Because almost two-thirds of Americans only own their cars for half a decade or less, according to The Zebra, and the new car warranty ends at this point for most brands.

Even if you're not a rabid car enthusiast, you can probably guess what nameplates cost the most to keep on the road. Yep, Porsche and Land Rover top the list, along with several other luxury imports. However, not all premium brands are expensive to maintain. If you're curious, Lincoln has the second-cheapest upkeep costs; Tesla has the lowest. That said, among the top ten carmakers with the highest maintenance and repair costs for the first five years, all are European or Asian manufacturers. Let's break down what CR revealed about the more expensive brands to maintain. And if you're not maintenance-minded, here are the items you should probably check on.

Despite offering free scheduled maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles, BMW lands in tenth place with a five-year average maintenance and repair bill of $1,700. CR doesn't provide insights, but it's not hard to argue that higher service department labor rates contribute to the costs. Subaru follows with outlays of $1,750, representing the only non-luxury brand among the top ten. While Lexus has its share of entries among the most reliable cars you can buy, it equals Subaru in terms of upkeep expenses. Toyota's luxury division is another premium brand that offers free maintenance, but this program covers only the first two service intervals for 12 months or 10,000 miles.

Volvo owners can expect to pay slightly more to keep their cars on the road, with a five-year tab of $1,775. The Swedish brand previously offered no-charge maintenance for three years or 30,000 miles, but scaled back the program to two years or 20,000 miles for the 2026 model year. Acura occupies sixth place with a five-year tab of $1,845. The manufacturer provides free scheduled maintenance for a year or 12,000 miles.

Maintenance and repairs climb to $2,050 for Audi. However, this number could change for future buyers as the German automaker launched Audi Signature Care for the 2026 model year. Owners receive no-cost maintenance for three years or 30,000 miles. Infiniti debuted a similar benefit for the 2023 model year. However, five-year upkeep costs averaged $2,120.

Maintenance and repair costs jump considerably for those with a Mercedes-Benz in the driveway. CR estimates that five years of service bills total $3,500, earning the German brand a bronze medal. Second-place dishonors go to Land Rover, which doesn't cost that much more — $3,700 — than Mercedes. Several of the British brand's models appear on Consumer Reports' list of least reliable cars. Porsche's generally good ratings apparently have little impact on keeping maintenance and repair bills in check. The company's $5,000 five-year total is about six times higher than Tesla's, the low-cost leader.