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What the published estimates include—and what they do not
“Maintenance cost” is not a consistently defined category across vehicle-cost estimates. Some sources separate routine maintenance from repairs; others combine maintenance with repairs and tires. Total cost-to-own calculations may also include fuel, insurance, financing, state fees, and depreciation. Those broader ownership costs matter to a household budget, but they should not be mistaken for the amount spent maintaining a car.
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The estimates below describe different vehicles, time frames, and cost categories. They provide reference points, not a controlled comparison of all midsize sedans or of what one owner will pay in a particular city.
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| Source and vehicle | Maintenance estimate | Other included costs | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edmunds, 2025 Honda Accord Sedan SE, 1.5L turbo CVT | $3,916 over five years, about $783 per year when averaged across the period | $796 in projected repairs over five years; maintenance plus repairs total $4,712, or about $943 per year | Edmunds’ estimate assumes 15,000 miles driven annually |
| Edmunds, 2026 Honda Accord Sedan SE, 1.5L turbo CVT | $4,097 over five years, about $819 per year when averaged across the period | $882 in projected repairs over five years; maintenance plus repairs total $4,979, or about $996 per year | Edmunds’ estimate assumes 15,000 miles driven annually |
| Kelley Blue Book, 2026 Honda Accord | $5,400 over five years, about $1,080 per year when averaged across the period | The page presents repairs and other ownership categories separately; this figure is maintenance, not total cost to own | Kelley Blue Book’s estimate uses its own methodology; it is not directly interchangeable with Edmunds’ projection |
| AAA, 2025 Your Driving Costs | Not stated as a maintenance-only figure | 11.04 cents per mile for maintenance, repairs, and tires combined | AAA’s category includes retail parts and labor for manufacturer-specified routine maintenance, an extended warranty, wear-and-tear repairs, and one replacement tire set |
The per-year figures in the first three rows are simple averages of five-year totals; they do not mean the same amount is due every year. The AAA figure is expressed per mile and combines three categories, so it is not a maintenance-only alternative to the Accord figures.
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The difference between the two Edmunds totals is also worth keeping visible: the 2025 estimate combines $3,916 in maintenance with $796 in repairs, while the 2026 estimate combines $4,097 and $882, respectively. Put another way, the maintenance-only averages are about $783 and $819 per year; once projected repairs are included, they become about $943 and $996. Those combined amounts are useful if you want a broader service-and-repair planning figure, but they still do not include every cost of owning a car.
AAA’s 11.04-cent-per-mile figure can be translated into a rough annual illustration by multiplying it by the miles driven. At 15,000 miles, that is about $1,656 for the combined maintenance, repair, and tire category. This is a calculation from AAA’s per-mile rate, not a maintenance-only total or an estimate tailored to a particular Accord. It also should not be compared directly with Edmunds’ maintenance-only averages.
Why the estimates differ
Different definitions change the total
Edmunds reports scheduled maintenance separately from repairs in its Accord estimates. AAA groups routine maintenance, repairs, and tires together. Kelley Blue Book reports maintenance alongside other ownership categories and also provides a total cost-to-own figure. Comparing only the headline number without checking the category can make two estimates appear to conflict when they are measuring different things.
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Likewise, a cost-to-own total is not a service estimate. Fuel, insurance, financing, state fees, and depreciation can appear on the same page as maintenance and repairs. If you are deciding how much to set aside for work on the car, leave those other ownership categories out of the maintenance line in your budget.
Different methods and vehicles are not a like-for-like test
Kelley Blue Book’s five-year maintenance estimate for a 2026 Accord is higher than Edmunds’ maintenance estimate for the 2026 Accord SE. That gap shows why publisher methodology matters; it does not establish which estimate will match an owner’s experience. The Edmunds examples identify a specific trim and powertrain, while the Kelley Blue Book estimate is for a 2026 Accord. None of these figures establishes a representative average for every midsize sedan.
The estimates also do not use one shared set of assumptions that would make them a controlled comparison. Edmunds gives a 15,000-mile annual-driving assumption for its five-year Accord projections. The AAA number is instead stated per mile, and Kelley Blue Book uses its own methodology. When comparing figures, identify the model year, trim when stated, time horizon, mileage basis, and whether the category is maintenance-only or includes repairs and tires.
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For its 2025 Accord projection, Edmunds lists $76 in maintenance in year one and $1,851 in year five. Its projected repairs for those years rise from $0 to $403. This is a forecast for one model, not a service schedule that applies to other sedans. The uneven figures illustrate why dividing a five-year total by five is useful for planning but not a prediction of each year’s invoice.
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The five-year averages are therefore best treated as a way to smooth a budget, not a service calendar. A low first-year projection does not mean a car will never need a costly service later, and a high later-year projection does not mean that exact bill is due every year. The work required at a given mileage and the timing of that work are specific to the vehicle and its service schedule.
What will change your own maintenance bill?
- The exact car: Model year, trim, powertrain, age, and condition affect which work is due. A new-car estimate does not describe the likely costs of an older, higher-mileage sedan.
- Mileage and use: A per-mile estimate and a projection based on 15,000 miles per year rely on different ways of expressing expected use. Your annual distance and driving conditions may not match either basis.
- Service history: Work already completed, deferred maintenance, and the car’s maintenance history affect what needs attention next.
- Local prices: Parts and labor pricing varies by location and service provider. A national or publisher estimate cannot substitute for a local quote for the exact work due.
- Repairs and tires: These can be separate from routine maintenance in one estimate and included in a combined category in another. Confirm what a quoted or published total covers before using it in your budget.
These factors mean a low annualized estimate should not be treated as a ceiling, and a higher estimate is not necessarily a bill every owner will receive. The most useful number for your situation is based on your vehicle’s actual maintenance needs and local prices.
It also helps to distinguish a new-car projection from a budget for a car you already own. The Accord examples are estimates for new model-year vehicles over a five-year period. An older sedan’s condition and completed or deferred work can change what is needed next; there is no basis here for carrying the new-car average forward unchanged or treating it as an estimate for every age and mileage.
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- Identify the exact vehicle. Record the model year, trim, mileage, and, if relevant, powertrain. These details help a service provider identify the correct maintenance requirements.
- Check the owner’s manual and maintenance history. Use the manual’s schedule to identify work due for your vehicle and driving pattern. Compare it with service records so you do not budget for work that has already been completed.
- Ask for a local estimate for the work due. Request pricing for the specific services required at your current mileage and condition. Ask whether the estimate includes parts and labor, repairs, or tires, and keep those categories distinct.
- Separate routine maintenance from uncertain costs. Track scheduled work separately from repairs and tire replacement. That lets you compare your routine spending with maintenance-only estimates instead of treating every vehicle expense as maintenance.
- Spread expected costs across the year for planning. If a known service is scheduled later in the year, setting aside part of its estimated price each month can make the eventual bill easier to manage. Keep the service date and the actual estimate visible; a five-year annual average alone does not show when a larger expense is likely.
- Update the budget as the car ages. Revisit the plan when mileage, condition, or service history changes. A projection for a new Accord should not be carried forward unchanged as a forecast for an older car.
When you request a quote, ask the provider to identify the work and the assumptions behind the price, rather than asking only for a general “annual maintenance” number. For instance, confirm whether the price is for the services currently due, whether parts and labor are included, and whether any repair or tire costs have been added. That makes it easier to compare a local estimate with a published maintenance-only figure without mixing categories.
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This approach turns a broad benchmark into a working plan without pretending that one published number can price every sedan. For a starting point, the recent Accord projections are most useful when their mileage assumption and distinction between maintenance and repairs stay attached to the figure.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to use each benchmark without misreading it
- Use the Edmunds Accord projections as examples of five-year maintenance and repair forecasts for a named model and trim at 15,000 miles per year—not as a universal midsize-sedan average.
- Use Kelley Blue Book’s 2026 Accord maintenance estimate as a separate publisher estimate, not as proof that one source is right for every owner.
- Use AAA’s 11.04-cent-per-mile figure only for its combined maintenance, repair, and tire category. Do not relabel it as maintenance alone.
- Keep fuel, insurance, financing, fees, and depreciation outside a maintenance budget, even when they appear alongside maintenance on a cost-to-own page.
For an individual car, the owner’s manual and a local estimate for the specific year, trim, mileage, and condition are more relevant than a generic annual average. The published projections help set expectations; they cannot determine what work your vehicle needs or what it will cost nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should I budget each year for midsize-sedan maintenance?
As a recent-car planning example, Edmunds’ five-year projections for a 2025 and 2026 Honda Accord Sedan SE work out to about $783 and $819 per year for maintenance alone, assuming 15,000 miles annually. Including the projections for repairs brings those averages to about $943 and $996. These are Accord-specific estimates, not a universal average or a guaranteed bill.
Does the estimate include repairs and tires?
It depends on the source and figure. Edmunds separates maintenance from repairs in its Accord estimates. AAA’s 2025 rate of 11.04 cents per mile combines maintenance, repairs, and tires, including routine maintenance, an extended warranty, wear-and-tear repairs, and one replacement tire set. Check the category before comparing estimates.
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Why is Kelley Blue Book’s 2026 Accord estimate higher than Edmunds’?
Kelley Blue Book lists $5,400 in maintenance over five years, or about $1,080 per year, while Edmunds estimates $4,097 for maintenance over five years for a 2026 Accord Sedan SE. They are different publishers’ estimates and use their own methodologies, so the difference is not proof of what a particular owner will pay.
Is the annual average what I will spend every year?
No. It is a five-year total divided by five for easier planning. In Edmunds’ 2025 Accord projection, maintenance ranges from $76 in year one to $1,851 in year five, while projected repairs range from $0 to $403 in those years. Use the owner’s manual, the vehicle’s history, and local prices to plan for work due at your car’s current mileage.
How can I get a more accurate estimate for my own sedan?
Identify the exact model year, trim, mileage, and condition; check the owner’s manual and service records; then request a local estimate for the work currently due. Ask whether the quote includes parts and labor, repairs, or tires, and keep those amounts separate when building your budget.
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The Bottom Line
For a recent Honda Accord, a reasonable published planning example is about $780–$820 a year for maintenance, or $940–$1,000 with projected repairs, under Edmunds’ 15,000-mile annual assumption. Kelley Blue Book’s separate 2026 Accord estimate is about $1,080 a year for maintenance, while AAA’s 11.04 cents per mile combines maintenance, repairs, and tires. Treat each figure according to what it includes, then use your owner’s manual, service history, and local prices to budget for your own sedan.
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