How much should I budget for car maintenance? (updated)

Car maintenance can be a costly part of owning a vehicle, but it can be planned for. Learn how to budget for car maintenance with CRS Automotive Hamilton. Follow our guide to help you set up an annual budget for car maintenance.

Three crucial aspects to consider in your car maintenance budget

Each car is different, so your car maintenance budget will vary based on the different driving conditions, use, and care of your vehicle.

When planning your annual budget, remember to include these aspects to estimate car maintenance costs:

Care:

If you take good care of your vehicle, you’re putting it in the best condition to avoid massive repair and service bills. By taking your car in for services at regular intervals, and by driving at recommended speeds, you’ll get longer use out of your vehicle and the repair bills will be kept as low as possible.

In harsher climates where extreme cold and snow, rain, salt, and extremely dry or high temperatures are the norms, you’ll need to take extra precautions to fight the elements when doing maintenance on your vehicle.

Mileage:

The more you drive your vehicle, the higher your maintenance budget will be, and the more you need to budget for eventual repairs. It makes sense if you think about the wear and tear that is placed on your car’s parts when you rack up high mileage.

Age:

As your car ages, it will need more and more maintenance to keep it in running condition. The aging of your vehicle can be fended off to an extent with regular car maintenance, but you should account for more upkeep as it gets older.

Model:

The model of your vehicle will affect maintenance costs. Some makes may cost more to repair than others, such as cars that need parts to be imported from certain countries.

Your savings

Are you being realistic about the money you make and spend? If you have savings accounts that you often dip into, this will affect your car maintenance budget. You need to set realistic goals and budgets for your car maintenance.

Planning your annual car maintenance budget

How much does car maintenance cost and how can you plan your budget? The AAA in the US estimates that vehicle owners can expect to pay around $1 186 in annual maintenance fees. The Canadian equivalent for vehicle owners who drive around 20 000 km per year averages at around $1 400 every year.

Care, mileage, and age of your vehicle play a big role in determining your annual car maintenance budget, and large maintenance items such as tires and brakes can also push up the maintenance cost.

Here’s how you can start to create a monthly car maintenance budget:

1. Look at car maintenance costs over the last 12 months:

Collect records of maintenance costs including receipts and recommended service intervals. These documents will help you to fine-tune the average budget to suit your car maintenance needs.

2. Create a monthly average:

When you’ve gathered your records, add up all the expenses and divide them by 12 to get your monthly average. You can base your monthly average on this number, but it is always a good idea to leave yourself a little bit of a buffer for small, unexpected costs.

3. Other factors to include:

Remember that your car’s condition and mileage will affect the monthly car maintenance budget, so if you’re planning on putting more miles on your vehicle than in the last 12 months, you need to adjust your budget to cover the extra costs.

Your service intervals will also come into play in the budget, so if you have a major service coming up, or if you’ve replaced the brakes or tires recently, you can adjust the monthly budgets to cover those costs when it becomes necessary.

If you are having trouble determining your estimated maintenance costs, you can try using a car-cost calculator. Many online calculators can help you to determine our estimated maintenance and repair expenses but make sure to counter for your car model, and remember to budget for emergencies.

Tips to save money on car maintenance costs

Budgeting for car maintenance isn’t always easy and even with a good salary, you are probably going to end up with a big bill – but there are ways you can save a bit of cash when it comes to maintenance. Here are some tips:

• Used a trusted dealer with reputable testimonials or an AAA-approved auto repair shop. Using a professional will ensure that you get the best value for your money. Unprofessional or inexperienced mechanics will risk damage to your car, leaving you with more visits to mechanics and more money.


• Get service quotes from dealers or mechanics so you can determine which suits you and your budget.


• Look for auto services that provide you with additional services such as towing.


• Should you require maintenance on your vehicle, ensure the service you use provides a warranty on parts.


• Have your car inspected regularly as this will help you to keep an eye on Keep vehicle’s condition. A professional can do this for you for a small fee. By doing regular inspections, you can repair small issues before it turns into bigger, (and expensive!) problems.

CRS Automotive Hamilton – Car maintenance Costs Canada

Here are some of the ways you can budget effectively for car maintenance by visiting CRS Automotive Hamilton:

• We offer a free shuttle service and additional towing service to help you to save costs


• With 24 months warranty on parts, you are guaranteed value for your money


• Complete auto repair service for all your maintenance needs in one place


• Advanced diagnostic equipment to determine the maintenance needed and take care of it without complications.

Car maintenance is critical to the longevity of your vehicle – to budget for car maintenance, contact CRS Automotive Hamilton, today!