Does your car produce expensive mechanic bills time and time again? For many, car repairs are dreaded budget-breakers that seem to pop up at the worst times. When shopping for a vehicle, don’t just consider reliability. Some cars will be far more expensive to repair than others. To help you avoid an unexpected roundhouse kick to the wallet, the RepairPal Institute conducted a study on automotive repair costs for a variety of popular car models in the US.

They found the most and least expensive cars models to repair based on 4 common repairs: alternator replacement, water pump replacement, front brake pad replacement, and oil service change. This study only considered the following vehicle categories: compact, mid-size, luxury, & SUV.

We were surprised at the findings. While one would expect luxury models to be the most expensive cars to repair, Chevrolet, Ford, Chrysler, Nissan, Honda, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Volkswagen, GMC, and Kia (non-luxury manufacturers) all had models in the “most expensive” category. Many carmakers had vehicles on both lists, proving one must not only consider make, but also model when trying to buy a car that is cheap to fix.

You don’t have to buy a car with blind faith. We hope this information equips you to select a vehicle that will produce affordable repair bills.

Top 20 Most Expensive Cars to Repair

1. Lincoln MKZ – $2649
2. Audi A4 – $2259
3. Lexus IS 250 – $2234
4. Volkswagen Jetta – $2114
5. Volkswagen Passat – $2087
6. BMW 328i – $1965
7. Mercedes Benz C300 – $1960
8. Mitsubishi Lancer – $1931
9. Infiniti G37 – $1725
10. Chevrolet Malibu – $1633
11. Chevrolet Equinox – $1604
12. GMC Acadia – $1603
13. Volvo S80 – $1600
14. Chrysler 300 – $1578
15. Acura TL – $1537
16. Nissan Murano – $1503
17. Honda Pilot – $1480
18. Toyota 4Runner – $1480
19. Kia Sportage – $1469
20. Kia Optima – $1454

Top 20 Most Affordable Cars to Repair

1. Nissan Sentra – $931
2. Nissan Altima – $986
3. Mazda CX-7 – $988
4. Mazda6 – $1026
5. Ford Explorer – $1052
6. Honda Accord – $1060
7. Ford Focus – $1064
8. Mazda3 – $1068
9. Hyundai Elantra – $1088
10. Ford Fusion – $1093
11. Honda Civic – $1120
12. Hyundai Santa Fe – $1179
13. Hyundai Sonata – $1188
14. Kia Forte – $1190
15. Subaru Impreza – $1191
16. Subaru Legacy – $1213
17. Toyota Camry – $1244
18. Toyota Corolla – $1323
19. Jeep Cherokee – $1406
20. Cadillac CTS – $1429

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