Budgeting for repairs

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
View Threaded
Mon 28 Nov 2011 14:50
Budgeting for repairs - Man without a plan

Hi guys,

Following on from my recent "having a baby, need a bigger car" thread, i'm just doing the sums on second hand versus leasing a new car.

The easy bits are working out the cost of the car (including financing), fuel costs, tax and MOT costs....

The hard bit is working out how much to budget for repairs / maintenance for an older car that is out of warranty versus a new car.

So can anyone give me an rough idea of what I should be looking to budget per year for repairs / maintenance to keep it running and get it through its MOT. For arguments sake, lets say a 1.6 pertol engine - and I don't really do mechanics so would be done at local friendly garage.

Shout up if i've missed any info....

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 28 Nov 2011 14:57
Budgeting for repairs - madf

If it's a Toyota, 10 k service £130, 20K service £240..

Plus MOT say £45

Tyres.. say 25k life so over 1 year .. 1.5 tyres or anything between £70 to £150 depending on size.

If you buy a car with a very good/excellent relaibility record, then only brakes every 4 years say £40 per year.

If you buy a Renault or any other car with a spotty reliability record, add anything between £0 and £500 plus a year..

Edited by madf on 28/11/2011 at 14:58

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 28 Nov 2011 16:13
Budgeting for repairs - Man without a plan

So would you say £500 a year would be an ok amount to allow....

This is excluding servicing BTW.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 29 Nov 2011 08:24
Budgeting for repairs - madf

So would you say £500 a year would be an ok amount to allow....

This is excluding servicing BTW.

Depends on the car and your luck..

Cambelt + tensioners plus waterpump on an Audi will not leave much.

But yes, £500 pa seems OK..Note: assuming you buy a car in good condition which has been properly serviced..

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 28 Nov 2011 22:00
Budgeting for repairs - barney100

If you go second hand you can cut some big bills out with one of the used car warranties. It's the wear and tear items like brakes, tyres and cambelts etc that can add up. Check all this type of item before buying.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.

The Good Garage Guide

From which small car to buy at which price point to the best UK-built cars, our Top 10s have the lot. Click now for your shortlist.

Unsure of what to buy? Our Top 10s are here to help you....