Car maintenance & repair cost planner

Build a car maintenance budget from the service schedule

Start with the car's service records and owner's manual. List next year's work and ask local shops for quotes. Include services and wear items such as tires and brakes. The FTC's Auto Repair Basics says to follow the maker's service schedule. Ask for a written estimate before work begins.

Choose the quote method above when you have those costs. Spread a future tire or brake bill across the years you expect before that work is due. Count a job once: keep work due now out of the yearly allowance. Add a repair cushion that fits the car and the cash you have. You choose how much to hold; it does not predict what will break.

Transfer the monthly amount into a separate savings pot. Pay upkeep bills from it, then review what remains when you get new quotes or your driving changes. Saving monthly helps spread costs, but it cannot fund a large bill that arrives before the pot has grown. Keep cash for known urgent work from the start.

What to budget after buying a used car

Keep the purchase price and money for work due now separate. Before you buy, get a mechanic of your choice to inspect the car. Ask for a written repair estimate. The FTC's used-car buying guide advises this even when a dealer has checked the car. Use the quote to judge whether it fits your budget.

Enter immediate work in the planner's “Work due now” section, along with cash already held for it. The result shows the shortfall separately. Do not assume that saving each month makes a car affordable if necessary work is due today. Ask the shop what is urgent and what can wait; a calculator cannot judge whether a vehicle is safe to drive.

This upkeep budget leaves out fuel, insurance, taxes and fees. It also leaves out loan payments and the car's loss in value. Add those costs before choosing a car. Our used-car buying guide covers the full purchase process. The inspection checklist helps you prepare for the viewing.

Sources and limits of this repair cost planner

The starting allowance comes from AAA's 2025 Your Driving Costs fact sheet: 11.04 cents per mile for maintenance, repair and tires. Its scope is new vehicles over five years and 75,000 miles. Costs include routine service, wear repairs, an extended warranty and a set of new tires. This is a reference point, not a used-car quote. We have no link to AAA beyond citing its study.

The example's vehicle age, annual miles and extra cushion are assumptions you can edit. The per-mile allowance already includes repairs; the extra cushion adds a margin you choose. Age changes the description of your plan, not its price. There is no verified age multiplier here. For an older car, an EV, a luxury model or a car with missing records, use the service schedule and quotes for that vehicle.

The yearly result combines your upkeep allowance and extra cushion. The monthly figure spreads that total across the year. Work due now and cash held for it are kept separate. At zero miles, time-based services may still be due: use annual quotes rather than a mileage allowance. Small differences can occur when displayed amounts are rounded.

Update the plan after an inspection, a new quote or a change in mileage. We review the source allowance when refreshing this page; its source year stays visible. Tell us about a correction if a source changes or a calculation looks wrong.

Common car maintenance budget questions

How much should I set aside each month?

Use your yearly service and wear-item quotes plus a repair cushion, then spread that total across the year. The populated result is an example, not a recommendation for every car. Set aside money for immediate work separately. Change the inputs to match what you know about the vehicle.

Does vehicle age change the estimate?

Age labels the plan but does not change the dollar result. An age alone does not tell us the car's service history, condition or local labor price. Use records and inspection findings to choose your costs. The planner avoids adding an unsupported percentage for each year of age.

Are repairs and tires counted twice?

The starting per-mile allowance already includes repairs and tires. The extra reserve is a voluntary cushion above that allowance. Set it to zero if you want the benchmark alone. With the quote method, include each planned job once and keep work due now out of the yearly upkeep amount.

Can I keep my plan or use it without JavaScript?

With JavaScript, valid entries save in this browser when storage is allowed. Reset clears the saved plan, and Print gives you a summary. Without JavaScript, the example and sources remain visible. Follow the arithmetic shown under the tool for your own figures, and use the browser's print command.

Verdict: budget for the car you inspected

Use the car maintenance cost calculator as a starting plan, then replace broad allowances with the service schedule and written quotes. Leave cash for immediate work before you buy. The result is useful when its inputs match the car, rather than just the monthly amount you hope to spend.

Take the free inspection checklist to the viewing.