Are Maintenance Costs More Expensive for American Car Brands?
Luxury cars lead the way in bloated ownership and maintenance costs. That’s no surprise. However, 10-year maintenance cost figures paint a grim figure for American car brands. So, do domestic marques like RAM, Jeep, and Ford cost more to maintain?
RAM topped the list of popular American car brands with the most expensive maintenance
According to CarEdge, the RAM trucks lead the way among popular car brands. Specifically, the Stellantis-owned truck manufacturer had an average 10-year maintenance cost of $16,802. That’s $5,326 more than Jeep, which took the No. 2 spot.
| RAM | $16,802 |
| Jeep | $11,476 |
| Chrysler | $11,364 |
| Dodge | $11,079 |
| Ford | $9,860 |
| Chevrolet | $9,625 |
Chrysler and Dodge follow Jeep, each with maintenance costs above $11,000, per Autolist. Interestingly enough, the data suggests that the top four vehicles with the highest 10-year bills are Stellantis brands.
Beyond the Stellantis group, Ford has an average maintenance cost of around $9,860, $1,219 less than Dodge. Finally, Chevrolet takes the No. 6 spot behind the Blue Oval. Unfortunately, the rankings put the popular American brands ahead of other marques in the hierarchy of pricey popular marques.
Continuing the trend of Stellantis brands, FIAT follows Chevrolet and leads Buick. As a result of Buick’s $9,063 10-year maintenance costs, there are seven American brands in the top 10 most expensive popular brands to keep running.
Surprisingly, GMC makes an appearance on the list. GMC owners can expect 10-year maintenance costs of around $8,429, $634 less than Buick.
The data suggests that Japanese car marques have lower average maintenance costs
Toyota has the lowest maintenance figures on the market. At $5,996 for a decade of maintenance, Toyota takes the No. 1 spot ahead of Nissan, Mazda, Honda, and Mitsubishi.
| Toyota | $5,996 |
| Mitsubishi | $7,787 |
| Honda | $7,827 |
| Mazda | $8,035 |
| Nissan | $8,088 |
The figures paint a sobering picture for American brands. Of course, these popular marques can’t hold a candle to the opulent badges of the luxury segment. Porsche boasts the highest maintenance bills, with owners spending an average of $22,075 over a decade.
That might come as a shock to enthusiasts getting mileage out of their Jaguar and Land Rover jokes. However, the Tata-owned duo took the No. 10 and No. 11 spots with lower 10-year maintenance costs than BMW and Porsche.
