Yahoo Finance 25 Luxury Cars With Notoriously High Repair Costs
Maybe you’ve saved for years for that dream car or SUV from a luxury manufacturer, from pure power to fabulous features and finishes. But before you fork over the money for a huge down payment on that high-priced ride, it’s worth figuring out what it’ll cost you to repair.
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GOBankingRates used data from RepairPal to create a list of the compact, midsize and full-size luxury cars and SUVs that are the most expensive to own in terms of annual repair costs. The site analyzed data from millions of repairs to find what you’d pay in yearly repair costs for that luxury model and how often you’d find yourself taking it to the mechanic for unplanned repairs and how severe those problems could prove.
Check out which luxury cars cost the most to repair.
Volvo XC60
Average annual repair cost: $746
The Volvo XC60 costs less to own in terms of average annual repair costs than the average of $859 per year in the luxury compact SUV class.
And it winds up in the shop slightly less often — 0.5 times a year, on average, compared to 0.6 times for its competitors. This compact SUV needs major repairs 7% of the time, compared to 10% for the average car in its segment.
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Volvo S80
Average annual repair cost: $705
If the repair record is your top concern when buying a luxury full-size car, look at the Volvo S80 as you shop.
Its annual average repair cost runs almost $300 less than the other models in the segment, and its reliability ranking of four easily beats the average of 2.5 out of 5.
Its number of trips to the repair shop is less than other cars in the class, and the probability of the Volvo S80 having a severe issue is 9% compared to 14% for other luxury full-size cars.
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Volvo S40
Average annual repair cost: $693
The first luxury compact on the list, the Volvo S40 has some of the best numbers in the segment. Its repair costs are more than $100 less than its competitors, it has fewer unscheduled trips to the shop, and its repairs are less likely to be serious.
There’s a 9% probability of severe problems compared to 11% for the segment average. Its reliability rating of 3.5 out of 5 puts it third out of 17 luxury compact cars, according to RepairPal.
Audi A3
Average annual repair cost: $741
Like the Volvo S40, the repair costs for the Audi A3 fall under the average for a luxury compact car.
It has an identical rating to the S40, with the car making an unscheduled trip to the shop 0.5 times per year, a 9% probability of severe issues and a reliability rating of 3.5.
Mercedes-Benz C350
Average annual repair cost: $724
A luxury midsize car, the Mercedes Benz C350 has a reliability ranking of 3.5, which ranks No. 12 of the 31 cars in the segment, per RepairPal.
Its repair costs align with the average of $739, and owners will like that it generally requires fewer repairs and that the chances of a severe issue are 10% compared to the 12% class average.
Cadillac CTS
Average annual repair cost: $663
The Cadillac CTS also falls into the luxury midsize category, and owners pay annual repair costs below the class average of $739.
It winds up in the shop for unscheduled repairs less frequently than most midsize luxury cars, but when it does, the repairs tend to be more serious — 16% of the time compared to the 12% segment average.
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Audi A4
Average annual repair cost: $739
Another midsize entry, the Audi A4 falls right on average where repair costs are concerned.
It will make fewer unscheduled repair visits than other midsizes, and it has a reliability rating of 3.5, which ranks it 14th of 31 cars in the luxury midsize segment.
Mercedes-Benz C300
Average annual repair cost: $739
You can expect yearly maintenance costs for the Mercedes-Benz C300, which is midsize, to equal the average in its class.
They’re in the shop a little more often than average midsizes but are less likely to need serious repairs — a 9% chance compared to 12% for the segment.
Mercedes-Benz CLA250
Average annual repair cost: $736
The Mercedes-Benz CLA250 is less likely to have a severe problem than other luxury compacts, with just an 8% probability compared to 11%.
Its repair costs less than the $801 average, and while it might wind up with a few more unscheduled repairs, they are likely to be minor.
Lincoln MKC
Average annual repair cost: $853
If you want a luxury compact SUV, the Lincoln MKC will cost you just about the average of other entries in the segment to repair.
The MKC will wind up in the shop for an unscheduled visit 0.4 times per year, less than its competitors, but the chance of a severe issue is 12%, over the 10% average in the class.
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Audi A6
Average annual repair cost: $913
Another entry in the full-size class, the Audi A6 gets a 3.5 reliability score from RepairPal, which puts it eighth out of 30 cars in the segment.
Its repair costs, trips to the shop and severity of repairs fall under the segment average, and its 0.3 repair frequency is impressive.
Volvo C70
Average annual repair cost: $818
Repair particulars of the Volvo C70 fall in line with the rest of the compact class. The car’s repair cost is just above the average of $801, the trips to the shop are average and the probability of a severe repair is 10%, just below the 11% typical for the segment.
Mercedes-Benz GLK350
Average annual repair cost: $859
Owners must find the Mercedes-Benz GLK350 a delight to drive, but it’s just average in every way when it comes to keeping it running.
Its annual repair costs, frequency of unscheduled repairs — 0.6 times per year — and probability of a repair being a severe or major issue (10%) are the exact averages of all luxury compact SUVs.
BMW Z4
Average annual repair cost: $895
Like other luxury compact cars on this list, the BMW Z4 costs more per year to maintain than the average car, which is $652. And while this model’s frequency of repairs is in line with other cars in the segment, the probability that those repairs are severe is 16%, well above the 11% for the class.
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Porsche Boxster
Average annual repair cost: $952
You’ll pay $150 more in annual repair costs for a Porsche Boxster than the average cost for other luxury compact cars.
The sporty-looking Boxster is a little less likely to end up in the shop for unscheduled repairs than the segment average. But the repairs are far more likely to be serious — 17% probability compared to 11% for the average luxury compact.
Lincoln Navigator
Average annual repair cost: $1,089
The first vehicle on the list in the full-size luxury SUV segment is the Lincoln Navigator, which costs a few dollars less in repair bills than the average SUV in the class.
It fares spectacularly compared to the competitors in terms of frequency of unscheduled repairs — 0.4 times per year compared to 0.8. However, the entire segment has an average of 19% severe repairs; the Navigator comes in at 18%.
BMW X3
Average annual repair cost: $1,034
Repair costs for the BMW X3 cost about $180 more for annual repair costs compared to the average for a compact SUV.
Unscheduled repairs pop up about 0.8 times per year, with a 14% probability of serious repairs — both above average for the segment. Its reliability ranking is just 2.5, below the 3.5 average among compact SUVs.
Audi Q7
Average annual repair cost: $1,185
The Audi Q7’s annual repair costs and frequency for unscheduled fixes are slightly higher than average among full-size luxury SUVs. But the probability of needing major repairs is lower — 13% compared to the segment average of 19%.
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Porsche 911
Average annual repair cost: $1,072
The vaunted Porsche 911 is a pleasure to drive but a costly car to own. Expect to take it to the shop for unscheduled repairs roughly 0.5 times per year, above the average for all cars.
And when it’s there, it’s more likely than average to be for a serious problem — a whopping 22% of the time. The annual repair costs are well above the $739 average in the luxury midsize car classification.
Porsche Cayman
Average annual repair cost: $1,135
The speedy Porsche Cayman is about as pricey as it gets for annual repairs on a luxury compact car. These cars are in the shop for unscheduled repairs an average amount of times, but those repairs are far more likely than average to be serious — 19% compared to 11% for its competitors.
BMW X5
Average annual repair cost: $1,166
The BMW X5’s reliability rating is two out of five, which puts it 13th out of 19 in the luxury full-size SUV category, according to the RepairPal rankings.
You’ll pay more in average annual repair costs and face an unexpected repair more likely than with other SUVs in the segment, although the repairs are slightly less likely to be serious.
Land Rover Range Rover
Average annual repair cost: $1,258
Another luxury full-size SUV, the Land Rover Range Rover ranked 15th out of the 19 entries in the class, per RepairPal. Its repair costs were higher than average, and its 19% probability of a serious issue matched the segment average.
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BMW X6
Average annual repair cost: $1,206
Another full-size luxury SUV from BMW, the X6 is expensive both to purchase and maintain. While the annual repair costs are slightly above the average segment price, the frequency at once per year and severity — 21% compared to 19% for the class — are higher.
Porsche Cayenne
Average annual repair cost: $1,231
The Porsche Cayenne ranks just 1.5 on the RepairPal reliability list — last among the 14 midsize luxury SUVs. It’s one of three autos in the study with annual average repair costs of about $1,200, much higher than the $807 average cost of the segment.
It’s also one of three vehicles on the list that wind up in the shop, unexpectedly, both at least once a year and with a probability over 20% of there being a major issue.
Porsche Macan
Average annual repair cost: $1,265
Topping the list of highest annual repair costs in the luxury car market is the Porsche Macan at $1,265. This compact SUV goes to the shop 1.3 times per year — more than three times the average vehicle and more than double that of others in the segment.
It’s likely to have a significant repair 20% of the time. Its reliability rating of 1.5 ranks it last among the 11 entries in the compact SUV class.
Andrew Lisa contributed to the reporting for this article.
Photo Disclaimer: Please note photos are for representational purposes only and might not feature exact models, base models or the cars’ specific trim levels listed.
Methodology: To find out which luxury cars have the most notoriously high repair costs, GOBankingRates examined luxury car models across a variety of factors, including: average annual repair costs, average annual unscheduled major repairs at a repair shop, and average severity of each repair visit, sourced from RepairPal’s 2023 Reliability ratings. A list of the most popular luxury cars was also sourced from U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 Luxury Car Brands. [1]RepairPal’s Reliability Score, [2] Annual Repair Cost, [3] Frequency Index, and [4] Severity Index were scored with the higher score being better, then multiplied by a weight and added together. Factors [1], [3], and [4] were weighted at 1.0 and factor [2] was weighted at 2.0. All data was collected and is up to date as of May 10, 2024.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 25 Luxury Cars With Notoriously High Repair Costs
