How much should you set aside each month for maintenance?
Maintenance is the cost that surprises most car owners most, because it arrives in peaks rather than fixed monthly amounts. A single average figure is therefore almost never accurate: age, weight and annual mileage together decide what you need. Pick the profile below that matches your car best and see what buffer is realistic.
12 August 2026 · 5 min read
Which situation do you recognise?
Three recognisable situations, with the monthly buffer that realistically goes with them.
The Young Used Car
Car aged 3 to 8 years, compact and with limited mileage
€35 – €55 /mo
A small buffer is enough: expect mostly services, MOTs and the occasional set of tyres.
The High-Mileage Driver
Mid-size car covering a lot of kilometres each year
€55 – €80 /mo
Wear determines your costs here, so expect more frequent brakes, tyres and oil changes.
The Older Used Car
Car aged 9 years or older, regardless of make
€75 – €130 /mo
Bigger repairs become more likely: keep the buffer deliberately generous.
Average maintenance costs per month by car type
The amounts below are buffers: you set them aside each month so a service, set of tyres or unexpected repair is never a surprise. Combine this buffer with the other fixed costs using a monthly cost calculation for your car.
| Category | Example models | Average age | Recommended buffer /mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compact car | Toyota Yaris, VW Polo, Kia Picanto | 3 - 8 years | €35 – €55 /mo |
| Mid-size car | VW Golf, Ford Focus, Renault Megane | 3 - 8 years | €55 – €80 /mo |
| Large car / SUV | Volvo V60, BMW 3 Series, Nissan Qashqai | 3 - 8 years | €80 – €120 /mo |
| Older used car (all types) | Any make | 9+ years old | €75 – €130 /mo |
What makes up your monthly maintenance costs?
Regular servicing and MOT
The annual minor service (€150 to €250) or major service (€300 to €500) including the mandatory MOT inspection.
Wear parts
Parts that wear out through mileage, such as tyres, brake pads, wiper blades and battery capacity.
Unforeseen repairs
A reserve for parts that can fail unexpectedly, such as an alternator, exhaust or suspension.
What does this mean for your budget?
For a car aged three to eight years, expect a buffer that scales with weight and engine size. Once the car passes nine years old, the chance of bigger repairs increases, so it pays to raise the buffer by roughly twenty to thirty per cent. The free calculator shows how this affects your total monthly costs.