Tesla maintenance and repair costs are lowest in the auto industry: data

2024.04.23 3 min read

Tesla’s 10-year maintenance and repair costs are the most affordable in the automotive industry, as shown in a new data analysis publicized last week.

The total 10-year cost of maintaining and repairing a Tesla is the cheapest in the industry, according to a data analysis shared by Consumer Reports on Friday. The data showed that, over the course of a decade, Teslas averaged just $4,035 in maintenance and repair costs, compared to those of automakers Land Rover and Porsche, which landed at $19,250 and $14,090, respectively.

Four out of five of the least expensive brands to maintain were U.S. companies, including Tesla, Buick, Lincoln, and Ford.

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“The difference to maintain a car on average between some brands can be thousands over a 10-year time frame,” said Steven Elek, Program Leader for Auto Data Analytics at Consumer Reports. “Also, expensive luxury vehicles are often quite expensive to maintain as well over time.”

Tesla was followed by Buick ($4,900), Toyota ($4,900), and Lincoln ($5,040), with the analysis generally looking at repair and maintenance costs over one- to five-year and six- to 10-year periods. Notably, the report says that some niche luxury gas vehicle brands tended toward the top of the cost spectrum, while electric vehicle (EV) maker Tesla had lower costs across the board—a fact long touted by the U.S. automaker.

“If you are considering a luxury model, it may be wise to purchase one from a domestic brand that may have lower maintenance and repair costs,” Elek added. “For example, over 10 years, Mercedes-Benz models are more than double the cost to maintain and repair as those from Lincoln.”

The team behind the analysis reached out to members in its 2023 Annual Auto Surveys to let them know how much they paid out of pocket for total maintenance, including oil changes and servicing, as well as for repairs.

You can see CR’s rankings below for the most and least expensive vehicles to repair and maintain.