GMC is considered the most budget-friendly popular brand in America when it comes to maintenance and repair costs.
On average, it costs $8,429 to keep a GMC running over its first 10 years. GMC is the only American company to appear in the top 10 brands in their survey on “Least Expensive Popular Brands to Maintain.”
In contrast, Ram ranks as the least budget-friendly popular brand. Owners spend around $16,802 on maintenance and repairs during the first 10 years.
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Reliable: Lincoln MKZ
Lincoln produced the MKZ luxury sedan for 14 years, over two different versions. Even though it was discontinued in 2020, the MKZ remains a well-equipped and modern car that still holds up today, which is expected from Ford’s high-end division.
Most importantly, the MKZ has proven to be highly reliable. J.D. Power gave the 2020 model a score of 84 out of 100 for quality and reliability, ranking it among the top two premium cars for that model year.
Another benefit is the variety of engine choices. Ford works hard to maintain the image and quality of Lincoln, and the MKZ is a great example of that effort.
It comes with a 2.0-liter engine and a 3.7-liter V6 that delivers a solid 300 horsepower. There’s also a hybrid version available, making the Lincoln MKZ a consistently dependable choice.
Unreliable: Ram 1500
The starting price for a Ram 1500 is $40,995 for the base model, but the cost can climb to nearly $100,000 for high-end trims like the TRX.
That’s a steep price for a brand known to be the least affordable in terms of upkeep. CarEdge states that an average Ram vehicle costs about $16,802 in maintenance and repairs over 10 years, putting Ram at the very bottom among 19 popular brands they looked at.
The Ram 1500 has several common problems, including coolant leaks, overheating engines, and failing exhaust manifolds. Because of these issues, the chance of a Ram 1500 needing major repairs in its first 10 years is 54.80%. That’s around 33% worse than the average truck.
Reliable: Dodge Charger
The 2021 Dodge Charger starts at about $30,000. For that price, buyers get a base-level muscle car with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine that makes 292 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque, which is great for everyday driving.
There are also extra features available through aftermarket upgrades. J.D. Power named the 2021 Charger the second-best large car of the year, giving it a score of 89 out of 100 for quality and reliability.
The Charger is known for strong American performance. The 2023 version comes with bigger engine options, like a 5.7-liter V8 and the wild 6.2-liter SRT Hellcat version. Having a family sedan with 797 horsepower is perfect for drivers who want more than just the base V6.
Unreliable: Dodge Journey
Since its release in 2008, the Dodge Journey has had a bad reputation. The 2009 model had several recalls, with problems like electrical issues, water leaks, and overheating.
These problems didn’t go away, and even the 2017 model got a low score from J.D. Power, with just 73 out of 100 for quality and reliability.
The Dodge Journey is expensive to keep up, with an average maintenance cost of $10,031 over its first 10 years, which is around $900 more than the average SUV. Dodge made over 1.1 million of these vehicles in 12 years.
Reliable: Cadillac CT4
The Cadillac CT4 gets mixed opinions. RepairPal gave it a reliability score of 3.5 out of 5, and its maintenance costs over 10 years are around $9,161.
That saves owners about $2,800 compared to what they would spend on the average luxury sedan in that time. For instance, the BMW 3 Series costs around $13,219 to maintain over 10 years. So, could the Cadillac be a smarter choice?
The 2020 Cadillac CT4 starts at about $32,000 and comes with solid engine options, like a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 208 horsepower. For those who want more power, there’s the ‘Blackwing’ version with a twin-turbo V6 engine that makes 472 horsepower and 445 lb-ft of torque.
Unreliable: Ford F-150
The Ford F-150 has been America’s best-selling vehicle for 46 years straight, with one being sold every 49 seconds during the 2022 model year. But like most pickup trucks, it faces issues with reliability, and the F-150 is no exception.
Owners of the 2021 model have pointed out problems with the transmission, which can cause power loss. This may be one reason J.D. Power gave it an “Average” rating for quality and reliability.
The F-150 has been on the market since 1975 and has gone through 14 generations. Some people believe the 2009 version was the best one. The average maintenance and repair cost over 10 years is about $10,245, which is lower than average compared to other pickups. That’s a bit disappointing, considering the 14th-generation F-150 (2021–2023) has an average price of $97,229.
Reliable: Lincoln Corsair
The 2023 Lincoln Corsair offers more luxury compared to its Ford Escape base, helping it earn a spot among the top five premium compact SUVs of 2022 according to J.D. Power. North America plays a big role in this segment, making up 48% of global luxury SUV sales due to its growing number of wealthy buyers.
The Lincoln Corsair starts at $40,085, but the price can rise quickly with the ‘Grand Touring trim,’ which costs about $55,280. J.D. Power gave the Corsair a “Great” rating for quality and reliability, scoring it 83 out of 100. When it comes to price and dependability, the Lincoln Corsair stands out as one of the top compact SUVs available.
Unreliable: Tesla Model Y
The Tesla Model Y was the top-selling electric vehicle in 2022, with 759,000 units sold. Still, this model, along with the Model 3 and Model S, has faced some criticism.
J.D. Power gave the Model Y a score of 73 out of 100 for quality and reliability, calling it “Average.” Even with this low score, owners usually haven’t had to spend money on repairs yet. That’s one reason Tesla still appears high on some reliability lists. Since its launch in 2020, the Model Y has been recalled 18 times, but all of them were covered by Tesla’s eight-year/120,000-mile warranty. Because of this, most owners haven’t had to pay for repairs.
It remains to be seen if Tesla will fix these issues before the warranties expire, but for now, the Model Y has a low average repair cost of $4,732 over 10 years. That puts it among the cheapest luxury cars to maintain.
Reliable: Ford Maverick
When Ford introduced the small Maverick pickup in 2021, it grabbed a lot of attention. The Maverick uses the same unibody platform as the Bronco and Ford Escape and gives American buyers a smaller truck option below the F-150. Ford took a big chance with this move, and it worked out—Ford sold 74,370 Mavericks in 2022. Sales were even paused until summer 2023 because of too many pre-orders.
J.D. Power gave the Maverick a “Great” rating for quality and reliability. This is a positive result even though Ford ranks in the bottom five popular brands when it comes to maintenance costs. On average, Ford vehicles cost $9,860 to maintain over 10 years. The Maverick could be the model that helps improve Ford’s reputation for reliability.
Unreliable: Jeep Renegade
Jeep, like Ram, is one of the priciest brands to maintain in North America. It costs about $11,476 to own a Jeep over 10 years, putting it near the bottom among popular brands.
The 2023 Renegade shares its base structure with the Fiat 500X and is made in the same factory in Melfi, Italy.
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It was the first Jeep model built outside North America. The Renegade has an average 10-year maintenance and repair cost of $10,083, which is about $1,000 more than the typical SUV during the same time. Jeep continues to show poor performance when it comes to reliability.
