10 Car Brands with the Cheapest Parts (Exact Costs)

The repair and maintenance cost plays a key role in swaying your car purchase decision. The cost of replacement parts for any brand greatly impacts the overall maintenance cost of the cars.

This article discusses the top 10 car brands that come with the cheapest parts with their approximate costs.

1. Ford

Though not the brand with the most reliable cars, Ford’s replacements are certainly priced very reasonably with an average cost of around $ 136 for most of the common parts. The Ford Focus, Fusion, and Escape are some of the models with the most affordable parts in the Ford Lineup.

Shock Absorber: $140
Alloy wheel (16 inches): $235
Headlight: $374
Tail Light: $157
Brake pads (front): $67
Disc brakes (front): $100
Driver side mirror: $174
Clutch kit: $293
Windshield wiper blades (front): $36
Oil filter: $22
Air filter: $26
Spark plug: $8

However, despite the cheap replacement parts, Ford cars aren’t the cheapest to maintain. On average, Ford owners spend around $775 annually on their car maintenance. This also includes the repair costs which are somewhere around $550 annually.

Also read: Are Fords Good Cars? (and Models to Avoid)

2. Honda

Honda has been pretty generous in terms of replacement parts cost for most of its models. $145 is the average cost of the majority of the replacement parts. The models with the most affordable parts include Odyssey, HR-V, Civic, and Accord.

Shock Absorbers: $104
Alloy wheels (15 inches): $200
Headlights: $263
Taillights: $145
Brake pads: $80
Disc brakes: $160
Driver Side mirror: $120
Clutch kit: $490
Windshield wiper blades (front): $30
Oil filter: $18
Air filter: $25
Spark plugs: $16

When you combine cheap replacement parts cost and high reliability of cars, the result is a brand with incredibly low maintenance cost. So, on an average Honda owners spend as low as $428 on the annual maintenance of their cars. While the average repair cost remains around $380 in a year.

Read it: Top 5 Countries that Make the Most Reliable Cars

3. Toyota

Toyota cars come with fairly affordable replacement parts, with an average cost of $149 for most of its common replacement parts. However, this cost is variable and it eventually boils down to the model you choose. The Toyota models with the most affordable parts include Corolla, Pirus, Tacoma, and the Camry (XL version).

Shock absorber: $74
Alloy wheels (15 inches): $182
Headlight: $489
Tail Light: $280
Brake pads (front): $56
Disc brakes (front): $120
Driver Side mirror: $95
Clutch kit: $328
Windshield wiper blades (front): $13
Oil filter: $17
Air filter: $28
Spark plug: $25

Owing to the low cost of parts, the repair cost and the overall maintenance cost eventually become considerably low for a vehicle. On average, even an engine repair on a 2014 Toyota Prius costs just around $83. And overall, Toyota owners spend just around $770 for the annual maintenance of their cars.

4. Nissan

Nissan has been pretty decent with the cost of replacement parts for most of their models. $145 is the average cost for most of their common replacement costs. The models with the most affordable parts include the Kicks, Altima, Pathfinder, and Versa.

Shock Absorber: $95
Headlight: $420
Tail Light: $260
Brake Pads (front): $97
Disc Brakes (front): $150
Driver Side mirror: $141
Clutch kit: $380
Windshield wiper blades (front): $19
Oil filter: $13
Air filter: $24
Alloy wheel (16 inches): $279
Spark plug: $22

The cheap replacement parts’ cost does reflect on the overall repair and maintenance costs. The average annual repair cost is anywhere around $280 and the overall maintenance cost is nearly $500. Also, it is worth mentioning that Nissan scored 4.0 out of 5.0 in the recent reliability ratings from Repair Pal.

5. Jeep

At an average price of around $145 for most of its common parts, Jeep is certainly one of the brands with cheap replacement parts cost. And the models which reflect this cost are Compass, Wrangler, and Renegade

Shock Absorber: $96
Headlights: $380
Taillights: $220
Brake pads (front): $70
Disc brakes (front): $150
Driver side mirror: $140
Clutch kit: $460
Windshield wiper (front) blades: $30
Oil filter: $20
Air filter: $26
Alloy wheel (16 inches): $240
Spark plug: $18

Annually, Jeep cars demand around $570 for their maintenance. In terms of reliability, Jeep scored 173 in the latest dependability review, which placed the brand in the 29th position among 40 brands.

Read it: Are Japanese Cars Good? Best in the World?

6. Chevrolet

Chevrolet cars like Spark, Enjoy, Cruze, and Trailblazer come with quite reasonably priced replacement parts. On average, most of the commonly replaced Chevrolet parts cost only around $150.

Shock Absorber: $177
Headlight: $300
Tail Light: $243
Brake pads (front): $90
Disc brakes (front): $180
Alloy wheel (16 inches): $220
Side mirror: $140
Oil filter: $20
Air filter: $16
Wiper blades (front): $32
Clutch kit $380
Spark Plug $9

The average annual maintenance cost for a Chevrolet car comes to around $545. Furthermore, Chevrolet cars are pretty reliable as Chevrolet has maintained its spot in the top 10 reliable car brands listed by JD Power.

7. Suzuki

The average cost of the most commonly purchased replacement parts in Suzuki cars is $158. The most economical Suzuki models include SX4, Swift, Ignis, and Baleno.

Shock Absorber: $113
Alloy wheel (15 inches): $177
Headlight: $368
Tail Light: $223
Windshield wiper blades (front): $33
Brake pads (front): $73
Spark plug: $6
Disc brakes (front): $202
Driver Side mirror: $150
Clutch kit: $520
Oil filter: $18
Air filter: $23

What helps even further is the supreme rankings of Suzuki in reliability. In 2018, according to a survey by ‘What Car’, this Japanese car manufacturer came out as the most reliable car brand in the UK with the SX4-S cross appearing at the top spot.

As far as Suzuki’s repair and service costs are concerned, the average cost to repair a Suzuki comes out to be approximately $285, and the average maintenance cost is somewhere around $503.

Also read: Are Suzuki Cars Good? (3 Suzuki Cars to Avoid)

8. Kia

The average cost of the most commonly purchased replacement parts in Kia cars is $159. The most economical Kia models include Soul, Seltos, Sportage, and Rio.

Shock Absorber: $125
Headlights: $590
Tail Light: $270
Brake pads (front): $67
Disc brakes (front): $120
Driver Side mirror: $120
Clutch kit: $390
Windshield wiper blades (front): $28
Oil filter: $8
Air filter: $20
Spark plug: $14
Alloy wheel (15 inches): $160

Kia cars are utterly reliable as well. In the reliability ratings of Repair Pal, Kia has scored almost 4.0 out of 5.0 and is placed at the top three amongst the 32 brands that were surveyed. In respect of maintenance, Kia maintenance cost approximately $474 in a year.

Read it: 10 Car Brands that Last Almost Forever (Unbreakable)

9. Hyundai

Hyundai has considerably improved over time both in terms of reliability and ownership cost. With an average price of $167 for most of its common replacement parts, Hyundai makes a sure spot on this list. Furthermore, this cost has mainly to do with the models like Venue, Kona, Accent, and the Elantra.

Shock Absorber: $132
Alloy wheel (16 inches): $293
Headlight: $520
Tail Light: $180
Brake pads (front): $71
Disc brakes (front): $170
Side mirror: $148
Clutch kit: $430
Windshield wiper blades (front): $30
Oil filter: $13
Air filter: $17

In conclusion, Hyundai cars come with an affordable maintenance program. The average annual maintenance cost for Hyundai cars is roughly around $468, and repairs round about to $420 annually. Also, Hyundai cars have proven to be fairly reliable over time with comparatively lesser breakdowns and repairs than some of its rival brands.

10. Volkswagen

Volkswagen replacement parts aren’t the cheapest in the automotive market, but they do take a respectable spot in this list with an average price of $169 for most of the common replacement parts. Polo, Jetta, Tiguan, and Passat are some of the VW cars that contribute to this low average parts cost.

Shock Absorbers: $141
Alloy wheels (15 inches): $190
Headlights: $420
Tail Lights: $240
Brake pads: 50 front
Disc brakes (front): $280
Driver side mirror: $134
Clutch kit: $500
Windshield wiper blades (front): $30
Oil filter: $16
Air filter: 22
Spark plug: $12

As stated by Repair Pal, on average, per year Volkswagen cars need around 0.5 visits to a repair shop, and the chances of that repair cost being severe is close to 11%. As far as the maintenance cost is concerned, VW cars cost $676 on average annual maintenance.

Why do Some Brands Have Cheap Parts, and Others Expensive?

The pricing of replacement parts for any brand lies upon multiple factors like availability, production capability, demand, and several other factors that vary from one company to the other. Mostly, you would find the luxury and exotic brands on the expensive side of the spectrum. Also, parts for not-so-well-known brands or ones with thinner sales figures tend to cost more.

Lower Production volumes accounted for the most important factor for the high spare parts cost. Brands like Ford, Honda, and Toyota mass produce their parts, whereas due to the exclusivity in the luxury car brands’ sales, the production volume of parts isn’t that high. Consequently, low production means high cost per unit.

Moreover, many brands don’t manufacture their cars locally, so every part needs to be imported from another country, and this essentially means the parts are subject to import duties and other taxes. This obviously brings the cost up.

How to Buy Parts Cheaper?

A major way to purchase car parts cheaper is to buy online or to go for aftermarket parts rather than OEM parts. But it isn’t that simple as it sounds, you need to take the important factors into account before you shop.

This mainly includes the type of part that you are looking for and the retailer from whom you are buying. Go for an aftermarket part only if that is not responsible for any major mechanical or technical function in your vehicle, as it will save you from a lot of risks. And finding genuine parts online can be a bit of a task, so opt for shopping parts online only when you require aftermarket parts and when you don’t have any time constraints.

Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts are the genuine parts that are made by the car manufacturer itself and those parts are meant to exactly fit in your vehicle, completely similar to the part that they will replace.

Hence, buying an OEM part is subject to quality assurance, even some car makers provide a warranty on their parts. So, OEM parts certainly keep your mind at peace. But, OEM parts do have their cons. The biggest one is definitely the price, as OEM parts tend to be up to 60% more expensive than aftermarket parts. Therefore, purchasing OEM replacement parts for your vehicle does ensure a hefty bill.

Although OEM parts are of better quality (not always necessary), purchasing aftermarket parts can be a good option in some situations, especially for people who are concerned about the cost. Parts that are generally of aesthetic value or parts that aren’t responsible for major mechanical or technical functions in your vehicle can be purchased aftermarket.

Make sure you never go with aftermarket parts in case of a collision repair because aftermarket body panels might not fit perfectly on your car, thus resulting in less safety during crashes. Also, avoid aftermarket parts for major repairs like engine components, transmission repair, or clutch kit.

When buying an aftermarket market, always go with brands that you trust and are familiar with. If buying online, research well by comparing the best deals, reading customer reviews, and only choosing genuine brands.

Top 5 Cars with the Cheapest Parts that Almost don’t Break Down

It’s important to understand that cheap parts don’t really translate to cheap quality. In fact, many cars feature the cheapest parts but are dead reliable. And the top 5 examples of this are- Toyota Corolla, Toyota Prius, Honda Accord, Ford Crown Victoria, Hyundai Kona.

Which Car Brands have Expensive Parts?

Mainly the luxury brands come with ridiculously expensive parts. Even a set of brake pads for the front axle on a BMW can cost you over $250, which is almost 5 times more expensive than the brake pads on a Toyota. On average, you have to spend almost $17800 to keep a BMW on the road for a decade. Some other brands with the most expensive replacement parts are- Audi, Mercedes, Volvo, and Cadillac.

Note :

All the costs mentioned in this article are only for OEM parts.
These are average costs and can vary based on your model, age, location, and shop.
The average parts costs are calculated based on the average models of any brand and don’t include the high-end luxury or sports model.