Experts Flag 5 Popular Used Cars for Expensive Maintenance Costs
The typical car costs anywhere from $400 to $1,200 per year to repair, according to data cited by ConsumerAffairs. However, you could end up paying a lot more than that for certain types of vehicles.
Here are five popular used cars that could leave you with hefty repair bills, according to automotive experts.
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1. Land Rover Range Rover
Average yearly maintenance costs: $1,975 (or $19,749 over first 10 years of service)
Chance of major repair during first 10 years: 51.26%
When it comes to expensive used-car repair costs, the Range Rover “leads every ranking I’ve ever seen,” said Simon Grannville, founder & CEO at Nero Line, a luxury lifestyle concierge that provides vehicles and other goods and services.
The Range Rover’s biggest problems include air-suspension failures, electrical faults and oil leaks.
“What makes it punishing [in a used car] is the pattern rather than any single bill,” Grannville told MoneyLion. “Air suspension corners fail in sequence rather than all at once, electrical diagnosis eats hours at dealer rates, and there’s rarely a clean end point.”
2. BMW 3 Series
Average yearly maintenance costs: $1,434
Chance of major repair during first 10 years: 47.1%
This is a very popular luxury car with decent reliability ratings, according to Steven Lazaroff, founder of CompareMechanic, a platform that lets drivers compare repair-shop prices and reviews in North America. So why does the BMW 3 Series make this list?
“Repair costs spike sharply once the factory warranty ends,” Lazaroff said. He cited data from Edmunds showing average repair costs for the BMW 3 Series rise from near-$0 under warranty to “roughly $900” in year four and about $1,400 in year five.
The main problems are “oil leaks from the valve-cover and oil-filter-housing gaskets, electric water-pump and thermostat failures, and variable-valve-timing (VANOS) faults,” Lazaroff said. “German parts and labor run well above mainstream brands.”
3. Mini Cooper (2007 to 2012 Turbo Models)
Average yearly maintenance costs (all Mini Coopers): $846 (RepairPal)
Chance of major repair during first 10 years (all Mini models): 18.59%
Although Lazaroff called Mini Coopers “popular and fun,” the car’s turbocharged N14 engines are known for a timing-chain "death rattle.” This usually involves a failing chain tensioner that “often lets go” between 40,000 and 80,000 miles.
“A full timing-chain service runs $1,200 to $1,800, and if the chain actually snaps it can destroy the engine, with repair or replacement climbing to $5,000 to $8,000 — often more than the car is worth,” Lazaroff said. “Carbon buildup on the direct-injection turbo adds to the maintenance load.”
4. Nissan Altima (CVT Versions)
Average yearly maintenance costs: $601
Chance of major repair during first 10 years: 16.97%
For this list, Lazaroff specifically cited the 2013 to 2015 Altima model years outfitted with continuously variable transmissions (CVTs).
“CarComplaints.com and [National Highway Traffic Safety Administration] data flag the 2013 to 2015 model years as the worst, with thousands of complaints citing shuddering, delayed acceleration and outright failure — often well before 100,000 miles,” Lazaroff said.
Because of these problems, Nissan was forced to settle class-action lawsuits. It has since improved the Altima and more recent models are considered very reliable cars.
5. Ford Focus or Fiesta (2011-2016 Models With PowerShift)
Average yearly maintenance costs (Focus): $569 (RepairPal)
Chance of major repair during first 10 years (all Ford models): 31.85%
The Focus and Fiesta both ranked among the “bestselling economy cars of their era,” according to Lazaroff. However, the PowerShift dual-clutch automatic was “defective enough to trigger a landmark class-action settlement” that was approved in March 2020 and covered roughly 1.9 million vehicles.
The vehicles that were affected — 2011-2016 Fiestas and 2012-2016 Focuses — suffered “shuddering, slipping and jerky shifts,” Lazaroff said “Clutch replacements are costly and can recur.”
Editor's note: Unless specifically noted, all maintenance and repair data cited was pulled from CarEdge.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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