Average maintenance costs

jimogr

Hello All,

Just wondering what the average person spends on servicing/maintenance per year. Obviously this depends largely on the car and probably a lot on your luck.

I have a 00 ford focus, with 115k miles and in the past year I have spent, 1200 euro (but there a few things I have put off which need to be done.) In the past year, I covered 15k miles.

725 euro on a service, change of one bearing, change the timing belt (and tensioner) and some work on the breaks.
400 on a new fuel pump
75 on getting the spark plugs changed (was chugging.)
(all from a ford dealer in dublin)

When I was getting the spark plugs changed they said the clutch is slipping and that will need to be changed very soon. The car has recently started creaking when driving slowly around corners, I am guessing I need work done on the front suspension.

The question is, is this amount of maintenance normal or is it excessive.

Stephen

In the last 12 months I've had the following done on my '00 Fiesta - now at 71,000 miles:

Exhaust replaced - under dealer warranty. Would have been a good few hundred euros otherwise.
Driver side door check-strap and speaker replaced, also under dealer warranty.
Regular service - about €100, local garage. Few minor parts (filters etc) replaced, and oil added.
Faulty door lock replaced + pre-NCT check - about €75 including parts and labour in local garage

Not too bad really. Passed the NCT with flying colours about 2 weeks ago. That exhaust problem would have been a killer if I had to pay for it myself - it was rotted through and basically fell off onto the road about 2 weeks after I bought the car - wasn't happy with that! Ford dealer replaced it with a new exhaust on the same day.

I'm afraid I can't answer your question about whether that level of maintenance is excessive, but I guess its not too bad given the mileage you've got on your Focus - nearly 20k a year. I'd say that's considerably above average.

PowerHouseDan

Have not had my car 12 months about 9.... Service 120 Euro. Reverse Light Switch, 2 Brake Hoses, Something gone in the front right wheel aswell, All in All about 400 Euro for Bmw 316i

crosstownk

I work for a leasing company and we charge €80 per month for a focus petrol. This figure is based on 15,000 miles/24,000kms per annum and includes road tax, tyres, servicing etc. Some years are more expensive than others. Your service this time round was quite expensive due to your t/belt replacement and also due to the fuel pump replacement. Your next service should be somewhat cheaper but you may need tyres or further work which will push the price up. Given your mileage and year would you not think of going to a different repair garage rather than a main dealer. Main dealers are significantly more expensive than smaller garages - worth checking out.

Henry Ford III

€75 to clean a set of plugs is ludicrous.

There's really no point benefit using a main dealer at the mileage and value of your car. No offense. €75 to clean the plugs is crazy!

Use a cheaper independent instead.

115,000 miles is a good bit. Service parts will have to be done always, but major components will need ongoing attention too at that kind of mileage and beyond.

I'd buy a fresher car if I was you.

Atomic Pineapple

Have had my Focus since jan 04 and have only had to service it, only other thing was my wing mirror was taken off and had to replace that.

Have a few stratches I need to get rid off and theres chips in the windscreen i need to fix before I sell it on hopefully this month.

SouperComputer

Have our '97 Passat just over a year now. Bought it with 78K on the clock, it now has 93K.

So far:

2 Oil\filter changes (self done)
1 Air filter change (self done)
1 Suspension Arm\Bushings (cost guts of 200)
2 Headlight bulbs (€15 IIRC)
1 brake fluid change (looked like it needed to be done!)
1 set of tyres (Around €250 IIRC)
1 Set of wipers.

In another 5k ill do the oil again and the plugs in addition to the pollen filter. Probably change the timing belt myself in about 10k's time, was last changed at 56K


Ibiza of same year bought in september 05 at 107K, now has 109K

Brake fluid change
Rear brake shoes
Left rear wheel bearing

maidhc

Henry Ford III wrote:

I'd buy a fresher car if I was you.

Here here!!

My mondeo cost virtually nothing extra with high mileage than it did when new. All it needed was a new water pump and a seal in the diesel pump, a battery and wearing parts like ball joints, glowplugs, timing belts etc. It is due for an oil and filter change now at 165k.

jimogr

Henry Ford III wrote:

I'd buy a fresher car if I was you.

Would like to, but can't afford it atm

So, what would ye estimate the life of a ford focus in miles is? Surely beyond a certain point the cost of maintenance out ways the cost of owning a newer car.

It seems to me that miles on the clock is more important than age of the car – is this a fair assumption?

BrianD3

jimogr wrote:

Hello All,

Just wondering what the average person spends on servicing/maintenance per year. Obviously this depends largely on the car and probably a lot on your luck.

I have a 00 ford focus, with 115k miles and in the past year I have spent, 1200 euro (but there a few things I have put off which need to be done.) In the past year, I covered 15k miles.

725 euro on a service, change of one bearing, change the timing belt (and tensioner) and some work on the breaks.
400 on a new fuel pump
75 on getting the spark plugs changed (was chugging.)
(all from a ford dealer in dublin)

When I was getting the spark plugs changed they said the clutch is slipping and that will need to be changed very soon. The car has recently started creaking when driving slowly around corners, I am guessing I need work done on the front suspension.

The question is, is this amount of maintenance normal or is it excessive.

The timing belt is a service item that should be replaced at set intervals anyway. I think the Focus has a 100k interval for the timing belt so that won't need doing for another while yet. Spark plugs are also a service item and 75 euros to replace spark plugs would be excessive for a routine service but in your case the car had symptoms of poor running so the garage probably ran diagnostics before replacing the plugs. Garages usually charge extra for running diagnostics.

The fuel pump is not something that I would have expected to replace. But certainly wheel bearings and water pumps can wear out at this mileage and while not service items can't be expected to last forever. IME they usually need doing at around 100k. If you've only had one bearing done so far, budget for having to replace the other 3 in the next year as they will probably go too.

The clutch will depend a lot on how the car was driven and what sort of driving (urban, open road etc.). It would be common for a clutch to need replacing at 100k or earlier but in an ideal scenario it should last a lot longer than this.

it is also normal to need ongoing work on suspension, steering and brakes. Bushings, balljoints, track rods, brake pad and discs all wear out. Sympathetic driving style and good roads can prolong the life of these items but they will always wear out eventually.

So the answer to your question is - no it doesn't sound abnormal (apart from the fuel pump) and you could find that the car won't be as expensive in the coming year as you won't need a timing belt, water pump or fuel pump. OTOH you might need an exhaust or even worse a CAT to pass the NCT....there's alwasy a risk of things breaking and wearing out in a high mileage car. However, unless you're really unlucky the maintenamce costs will be a lot less than the depreciation costs you would incur if you decided to get a new car now.