The money you invest into your car doesn’t end after you’ve paid off the purchase price
of the car. When buying a new or used car, many drivers don’t take into account how
much money they will need to spend in upkeep for their car over time.
It is important to accurately account for inevitable upkeep costs for a car before you
decide to buy it. Part of determining whether or not you can afford a specific car model
is determining whether you will be able to pay for inevitable maintenance, repairs, and
part replacements for that car model. Not every car model costs the same to maintain
and repair. In fact, there are major discrepancies in maintenance and repair costs
between different vehicle models that are available on the mainstream auto market.
The costs of scheduled maintenance services, unexpected repairs, and part
replacements for a car add up over time. When you buy a new car, you should budget
to spend an estimated average of $1,200 per year in maintenance and repair costs.
This average cost accounts for both scheduled maintenance services and unexpected
repairs, so you will likely end up with some money left over at the end of the year if your
car does not need any major repairs during that year. It is important to budget for these
costs up front, because most major car repair costs are unexpected and more than 30%
of drivers find themselves unable to afford to repair unexpected damage to their car in
the case of a collision or sudden malfunction.
For example, many luxury cars from high-end brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz are
extremely expensive to maintain. European luxury cars as a whole are very expensive
to maintain and repair. One reason why these cars are so expensive to maintain is
because their internal systems and parts are very unique, not readily available, and
expensive to produce. Part costs are a factor that majorly contributes to how simple or
difficult and how inexpensive or costly it is to maintain and repair a certain car model.
If you’re in the market for a new car and are trying to choose a model that is relatively
inexpensive to maintain and repair, consider a Nissan Altima.
About the Altima
The Nissan Altima is a midsize sedan that is an integral part of Nissan’s vehicle lineup.
Nissan’s Altima is one of the most reliable cars on the market. This midsize sedan is
one of the top-selling vehicles in Nissan’s current lineup and is best-known for its high
performance, fuel efficiency, practicality, and reliability as a comfortable and
dependable midsize car for city drivers and commuters.
Are Nissans Expensive to Maintain?
As a general rule of thumb, midsize cars like the Nissan Altima are among the least
expensive vehicles to maintain and repair. Midsize cars tend to be designed with
inexpensive and easily accessible parts and simple internal systems that are cheap to
repair.
Also, Nissan vehicles across all vehicle classes tend to be comparatively inexpensive to
maintain and repair. Average annual maintenance and repair costs for the Nissan Titan
XD heavy-duty pickup truck and the Nissan Pathfinder full-size SUV rank among the
lowest of all in-class vehicles.
The average cost for maintaining and repairing a Nissan Altima is about $480, which is
about 25% lower than the $650 average annual maintenance and repair costs across all
vehicle models.
To offer a brief snapshot of the most common part replacement costs for the Nissan
Altima, an air filter replacement costs Nissan Altima drivers an average of $50 and an
alternator voltage regulator replacement costs about $425. A battery replacement in a
Nissan Altima costs between $150 and $200 and a brake pad replacement costs an
average of $150 to $175.
No matter which car model you choose to buy, you’ll need to account for the inevitable
cost of maintenance and repairs for your car. However, if you want to minimize your
maintenance and repair costs, consider making the Nissan Altima your next car model.
