Maintenance cost s over lifetime of vehicle

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MaximaGuy

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I would like to know what is considered a resonable maintenance cost over the life of the vehicle as a percentage of the actual cost of the vehicle.

On my 2000 maxima my expenses are $7700 (including 2 rounds of tires) till date when the cost of the vehicle was $26500 with 150,000 miles on the odometer.

The actual cost of ownership in maintenance is 30% on this vehicle.
 
Originally Posted By: MaximaGuy
I would like to know what is considered a resonable maintenance cost over the life of the vehicle as a percentage of the actual cost of the vehicle.

On my 2000 maxima my expenses are $7700 (including 2 rounds of tires) till date when the cost of the vehicle was $26500 with 150,000 miles on the odometer.

The actual cost of ownership in maintenance is 30% on this vehicle.




Would you have a breakdown of those costs. It seems a little high.
 
These are the ones extracted from my spreadsheet.. Most of the labor is done my me except some like boots, pump etc..


--------------------------------------------------------
Item Mileage Cost
--------------------------------------------------------
15K,30K,tires and regular maintenance until 40K 1000
45K maintenance + Battery (oil change) 49500 375
Changed drive belts 48650 115
Changed Front Rotor and Pads 61500 280
Changed Ignition Coils 64000 450
Ignition Switch Failure 77500 200
Changed Tires 87200 420
Changed drive belts 97650 115
Changed Front Struts, tokico 99830 210
Changed O2 sensors 100100 330
Changed rear struts, tokico 110000 150
CV boots 110500 330
Replaced Radiator, Cap and OEM flush 111500 850
Changed Tie Rods and Sway endlinks 129300 120
Changed Alternator 131170 300
Changed LBJs 131700 125
Wheel Bearings 137150 180
Changed Tranny gasket and magnets 139000 80
Changed Water pump, tensioner,belts 147800 680
Tranny flushes 465
Oil changes, UOA's etc 700
Misc, PCV valve, hoses etc ~500
-------------------------------------------------------
Total 7760
--------------------------------------------------------
 
The reasonable maintenance cost could go all over the place depends on whether that car/truck has reliability issue. Honda/Acura V6 auto had a high potential cost, so does many GM 3.8 V6. It also depends on how handy you are and whether you do your own maintenance.

Usually, the simpler and smaller the car, the lower the cost. Look at how the older model of the same car does and it is usually a reasonable estimate.
 
Concur with your statement. I do most of the work on my car, these numbers would have balooned if it included labor.

In the case of this vehicle since it was a first yr vehicle in its generation it was riddled with some minor engine issues. Nissan never did a recall but the ignition coils were bust and that fouled the O2 sensors in no time.

In short $1000 was a result of Nissan's poor engg.
 
Originally Posted By: MaximaGuy
These are the ones extracted from my spreadsheet.. Most of the labor is done my me except some like boots, pump etc..


--------------------------------------------------------
Item Mileage Cost
--------------------------------------------------------
15K,30K,tires and regular maintenance until 40K 1000
45K maintenance + Battery (oil change) 49500 375
Changed drive belts 48650 115
Changed Front Rotor and Pads 61500 280
Changed Ignition Coils 64000 450
Ignition Switch Failure 77500 200
Changed Tires 87200 420
Changed drive belts 97650 115
Changed Front Struts, tokico 99830 210
Changed O2 sensors 100100 330
Changed rear struts, tokico 110000 150
CV boots 110500 330
Replaced Radiator, Cap and OEM flush 111500 850
Changed Tie Rods and Sway endlinks 129300 120
Changed Alternator 131170 300
Changed LBJs 131700 125
Wheel Bearings 137150 180
Changed Tranny gasket and magnets 139000 80
Changed Water pump, tensioner,belts 147800 680
Tranny flushes 465
Oil changes, UOA's etc 700
Misc, PCV valve, hoses etc ~500
-------------------------------------------------------
Total 7760
--------------------------------------------------------




I guess it adds up. I never put what I spend on a maint on paper so I thought at first your figure was high.

Ray
 
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
$7760 in maintenance is quite high for only 150K miles (my opinion).


If you do it in a dealer, labor is $100+ per hour, individual mechanics are about $80 per hour. OEM parts, well you know how Japanese company gouge you on OEM parts.

Sounds reasonable.
 
I understand that OEM parts and labor are expensive. But did the following parts HAVE to be replaced on a car with only 150K miles ?

Ignition Coils , Front Struts, rear struts, CV boots, Radiator, Tie Rods , alternator and Wheel Bearings
 
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
I understand that OEM parts and labor are expensive. But did the following parts HAVE to be replaced on a car with only 150K miles ?

Ignition Coils , Front Struts, rear struts, CV boots, Radiator, Tie Rods , alternator and Wheel Bearings


I could see all of those items listed as giving up the ghost before 150K. Struts alone are often a 60K recommended replacement item on many vehicles and they aint cheap with bellows, bumpers,the struts themselves. Alternator is a common wear part that can go at or before 100K. I had a broken tie rod on a 99 Mystique go at 78K through no fault of my own. My Dad put a new radiator in a 99 Forester at 85K. In my Saturn S series car, the radiator will often develop leaks in the radiator around 100K.

Nothing unreasonable here, but adding all that up with some other items, I do think 7700 bucks does sound pretty high.
 
Last edited:
Well, for an Impala or a Regal it probably is high.

But for a Maxima class vehicle it's probably normal or a little less.

Put the pencil to a similar year Caddy STS and see what you come up with.
 
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
I understand that OEM parts and labor are expensive. But did the following parts HAVE to be replaced on a car with only 150K miles ?

Ignition Coils , Front Struts, rear struts, CV boots, Radiator, Tie Rods , alternator and Wheel Bearings


That's the reason I don't think Nissan is that reliable. Struts and radiator I can understand, but non of my cars have replaced coils, CV boots, tie rods, alternator or wheel bearings at this mileage yet. Are those worn or broken in accidents?
 
Let's see, you've spent approx 34K to buy and maintain a car for 150K miles. That's just under $0.23/mile not counting gas, insurance and tax.

Not really bad for a new car.

$7700 over 150K miles is about $0.05/mile.

To compare, my USED Geo Prizm now in it's 227's has cost about $3500 over 121K miles. The tires are smaller, etc, so that is less money. It works out to about $0.03/mile.

So I don't think that is horrible when you look at what kind of car it is, etc.
 
Good discussion and good comments. FYI, I have had 2 rounds of tires, they themselves cost $1000. $1000 for Nissan's poor engg.

I love Nissans and my wife is bent on buying the M35. I would assume the overall cost of maintenance on a luxury will be atleast 1/2 over 150K.

IMO, any vehicle above 150K is a headache and a casino where money gets milked like no tomorrow.
 
I have collected #s from my colleagues at work and their quotes on Euro and Japanese vehicles are way higher than mine.

For example, my colleague had a steering colmn issue on his BMW 325 and it cost him $4000. He had all his window motors replaced 2 times, one under warranty and one outside warranty.

So in short one gets lucky with a good vehicle but most of the times money gets spent easily on maintenance and preventive maintenance.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: MaximaGuy
Good discussion and good comments. FYI, I have had 2 rounds of tires, they themselves cost $1000. $1000 for Nissan's poor engg.

I love Nissans and my wife is bent on buying the M35. I would assume the overall cost of maintenance on a luxury will be atleast 1/2 over 150K.

IMO, any vehicle above 150K is a headache and a casino where money gets milked like no tomorrow.


I sorta disagree.

The odds of that being the case increase as the vehicle ages.

However, I think some car makers have this part figured out better than others.

Toyotas are called boring. Yet my $0.03/mile for maintenance and repairs from 106K to 227K are LOWER than your 0-150K car.

Of course, I have power nothing, a manual transmission, and 14" wheels and tires
cool.gif


Of course, I paid $2500 for it, so it owes me nada.

Yet I don't think a nickel a mile for maintenance and repairs is bad.

Heck if that doubles to $0.10/mile over the next 150K miles those will still be cheaper miles than if you bailed out today. Remember, you spent close to $0.18/mile just buying the car.

So maybe when your maintenance and repair costs over a 50K period reach $0.18/mile does it make sense to just buy a new car fiscally.

I do agree that putting money into an older car is more of a risk. I think I'd look at it as if I put that money into my car, would it raise my maintenance and repair costs for the last 50K miles to over $0.18/mile give or take.

If it does, then perhaps it's time to stop putting money into the car and get a new one. If it doesn't, then keep driving it, it's the cost of the past 50K miles and the next miles are "free" with respect to maintenance and repair.
 
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