Maintenance costs per year or per mile

Like many of you, I am doing the math on when to let go of my Tacoma. Wife is over it (based on the down time/unreliability). Last year was expensive and 2024 is starting out the same. I am wondering if anyone tracks their maintenance costs over time or mileage. I have always looked at the cost per month since I have owned the truck vs. the car loan payment for a newer truck.

Edit: I track EVERY expense. Stereo, light bulbs, wiper blades, fluids.

2003 Tacoma Pre-Runner 4x4 5-speed
204,000 miles
Since January 2018 (purchased with 170,000 miles):
$240.00 per month in maintenance/repair (no fuel costs).
$2,452 per year over 6 full calendar years.
$0.8245 per mile over 34,000 miles.

 

Damn. That’s a lot of of expense in maintenance and repairs. Are you doing any of it yourself?

I’d have a mechanic look over it and tell you what his opinion is. But currently, it’s looking like it’s time to let that truck go.

A mad wife and a broken truck.
Nahhhh…….one or the other has to go

Loos like you’ll be selling that truck soon.

 

I don't do any "major" repairs myself. Oil change, belt change, alternator swap is about it. Biggest expenses have been:
- new front end (axles, joints, steering rack, etc.),
- air conditioner replacement,
- new clutch, flywheel, master/slave cylinders,
- new driveshaft.

 

I wish I had that kind of data on mine.... Wait, maybe I don't!!

$2400 / year is a lot. Since 2018 you've put in like $15k...?

I've had a 2000 since 2012 and I'd estimate $500/year. I had a valve job in 2017 ($2k) and last year a frame weld and slave and master ($1.6k) but those were extreme years. 2022 I put on new shocks myself for $400 and no other maintenance. Steering rack this year ($1k). I'm thinking I'll let mine go in 18 month not because of costs but I need to thin the heard...

Curious what you've fixed for that amount...

If you feel like there's nothing left to fix maybe hold it, especially if the frame is good. If you're feeling impending doom, let it go and tell wife to buy you something else...

BTW, Pre-runners are not 4wd...

 

Just curious as to what you're spending $240 per month on?

My wife and I have had multiple Toyotas with 180k to 200k miles and haven't had anywhere near that kind of cost per month on them.

We currently have a Highlander with 180k miles on it, and a 2008 CRV with 200k miles on it (teenager's beater), and neither of them cost us anything but gas.

If I had to wrench on it enough to cost $240 per month I'd certainly be looking at something newer.

 

When you buy something with 170k, you need to receive a full set of maintenance documentation, not just a list of oil changes.

And it's a good idea to have a prepurchase inspection by a trusted independent mechanic prior to plopping down your hard earned sheckles.

IF you did all that and still had that much cost, you just had bad luck. But good for you to fully track stuff. It will make your sale easier if a buyer is smart enough to care.

 

$240 per month average. It comes in chunks.

My bad. Correct. It is TRD not Pre-Runner

 

Once that stuff is done those costs go away. It's not like you'll be revisiting them on a recurring basis.

We had a 2000 4Runner we wanted to keep for 20 years. When it was 10 years old we started tackling major systems once a year. Brakes one year, then A/C, then cooling system, etc. It cost us a couple grand over time but averaged per month it wasn't that bad. Once that work was done it was good to go for another 100k miles.

 

Today it is in the shop for leaking radiator and leaking transfer case.
2 weeks ago: new clutch, flywheel, master/slave cylinders. $2,100
Feb: new spark plugs and wires. $600
Nov-2023: Front axles, joints, steering rack. $2,400 [201,000 miles]
Jan-2023: new rear drive shaft. $1,500
Apr-2022: new air conditioner. $1,600
July-2020: Front axles, joints, shocks, brakes, and rear shocks. $1,700 [181,000 miles]
Jan-2019: Replace valve cover gaskets, plugs, wires, water pump, timing belt. $1,200 [174,000 miles]
Dec-2018: Replace clutch, resurface flywheel , replace rear main seal. $700 [173,000]

 

I'm sorry, you paid $600 for plugs and wires and $2100 for a clutch job??
Plugs and wires is a 15 minute job for like $75 in parts..
And you needed a new clutch after only 30k?? My oem clutch had 250k before it started slipping.

$1500 for drive shaft seems insane as well..
Just saw a quote from another guy that was like $250 for all new U-Joints, which is probably all you needed..

Anyway it looks like most your big ticket items are dealt with, I'd say you're probably good to go till about 275k before you start getting hit by big items again. But you can't let the easy stuff cost you $1000, little things break on old vehicles and they're usually pretty cheap and easy to fix if you can do it yourself. I'd start getting multiple quotes too, in my view your shop is screwing you. Though I haven't taken mine in for a while so maybe I'm out of touch on prices.

 

Now that those items are done, they should be good to go for another 100k miles. So, your costs should drop.

With our 4Runner we made the decision to keep it for 20 years, so we looked at the cost to redo those systems as an investment. It was cheaper to keep it on the road than it was to buy a new one. Plus, we really loved it and didn't want to let it go.

 

Are you physically capable of working on this truck yourself?

You're getting taken to the cleaners on labor costs, and I'd bet my bottom dollar your mechanic is using cheapsy aftermarket parts that are not lasting nearly as long as an OEM option would.

Front axles should last a decade unless you wheel this truck like crazy. Yours barely made it 3 years.

If you can't work on this truck yourself, then maybe a new car with a warranty is your best bet. Older vehicles are very cost effective when you DIY maintenance and repairs. Not so much if you outsource that work

 

I keep track of every penny including gas, registration, a few tools (like a good hydraulic lift and a decent torque wrench)and insurance. I do my own repairs except the labor for two steering rack replacements and one rear axle bearing and seal replacement. I bought the truck brand new in January 1998 and it is completely stock except for a radio/cd player, a camper shell, and a few other nigglies. It has the original engine and drivetrain.

I drive about 400 miles every single year of bad to "YIKES!" roads and two-track paths in southern Utah and north and east of Ely, Nevada.

To date my total expenses are $77,099.96 and the truck has 117,000 miles on it. That runs about $3350 per year or about 66 cents per mile. I've attached a chart for those who are interested.

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Yes. So true, so true!

 

I bought it as a "beater" for my kid to learn to drive. Was not too worried about the longevity at the time. I thought we would keep it 2 or 3 years. I ended up keeping it for myself when he went to college. I love to drive it and the cost per month is tolerable when compared to a newer vehicle. It has just been a LOT in a short period. I keep telling my wife, "we should be good for a while now." Tacoma, "Not so fast! I feel another leak."

 

I think this is the correct answer.

 

Don't have the tools or experience to do some of these repairs. Me and YouTube have tackled some projects, but it's often not in my comfort zone. I live in a small town and have limited options for mechanics. I believed the previous clutch and front end work were shoddy. I have started using mechanics in a larger town further away. It is inconvenient and the labor rates are higher, but the mechanics seem to me more knowledgeable. Rather than just throwing parts at the truck and hoping for the best.

I guess the economics of owning an old truck make sense. It's just a tolerance level thing for being without my truck sometimes. Carpooling or borrowing a ride.

 

Sounds like you need to buy a beater daily so you can work on the truck without the need to drive it in the morning
I think anyone can do pretty much anything on these trucks, you just got to try. The information is here and on youtube. Once you get started you have no choice but to figure it out and get it done. But everyone may not be able to get it done in one evening after work, or even over a weekend depending on the job, hence the 2nd car.

At the end of the day, its just nuts and bolts

 

That's just it. If you were balancing keep versus buy new or damn close to new, maybe there's an argument (which would need other factors considered of course). I had a car in college that one year cost me about $1500 which was mostly wear stuff. My friend asked why I didn't just ditch it. I replied "because if I do I'm buying a similar age/mileage vehicle and could have all this stuff come up pretty fast, I know what I have in the current one"

I dropped about 4 grand last year on mine. I've had it since 2012 though so that's a tad different. But like you, it was a lot in one year.

That's the thing. I work from home so I can survive short term if mine is at the shop or I can't fix it until the weekend.

 

Tools can be bought with MasterCard.

Working on your own vehicle while saving thousands in labor costs... Priceless