Repair or Replace My Car?
Compare estimated ownership costs over 1–5 years. Use your own estimates for running costs and depreciation; this tool does not invent repair prices.
Your current car
Running costs can include estimated fuel, insurance, maintenance and registration for one year. Do not include the repair above or loan payments.
If you replace it
Include estimated sales tax, title, registration and dealer fees here. Choose whether to compare a cash purchase or a financed replacement below.
Replacement payment method
Financing adds estimated loan interest to the replacement's ownership cost. The vehicle price itself is not counted twice.
Tip: estimates are only as good as the numbers entered. Try a low and high scenario for uncertain repair and resale assumptions.
What this calculator compares
This calculator compares two estimated economic costs over the selected period: keeping your current car after the repair, or replacing it with another vehicle. It uses the costs and depreciation rates you enter; it does not provide a vehicle appraisal or diagnose a mechanical problem.
How to use it
- Enter the current car's estimated market value and the repair quote you have now.
- Estimate each car's annual running costs, including fuel, insurance, maintenance and registration.
- Enter a reasonable annual depreciation assumption for each vehicle.
- Enter the replacement vehicle's price and purchase-related fees, then compare the projected totals.
How the calculation works
Keep cost = immediate repair + annual running costs × years + current car value − estimated future value of current car.
Replace cost = replacement purchase price − estimated future value of replacement car + replacement annual running costs × years + transaction fees.
Future values use a constant annual depreciation rate: starting value × (1 − annual depreciation rate)years. The current car's sale value is not subtracted again from replacement cost; the comparison uses depreciation as the capital cost for both options.
Accuracy and limitations
- Depreciation is an assumption, not a market prediction. It can differ sharply by make, model, mileage, condition, accident history and market.
- Annual running costs should be estimates for each option on the same basis. Keep the current repair separate so it is not counted twice.
- When financing is selected, the calculator estimates a fixed-rate loan payment, interest during the comparison period, and any remaining loan balance. Lender fees, insurance requirements, taxes beyond entered fees, and the time value of money are not modeled.
- The result is a financial comparison, not a safety assessment. Do not continue driving a vehicle with a potentially unsafe defect based only on cost.
- If you cannot estimate a value confidently, test more than one scenario instead of treating a single result as certain.
Frequently asked questions
No. Enter your repair quote. The calculator does not make up repair-cost data or claim to know the exact cost for your vehicle.
The comparison treats each car's depreciation as its capital cost. It does not subtract the current car's value a second time, which would distort the comparison.
Yes, when you select auto-loan financing. Enter your down payment, trade-in/cash credit, APR and loan term. The estimate includes loan interest over the comparison period and accounts for any remaining loan balance.
Compare uncertainty, reliability, warranty, safety, convenience and the likelihood of additional repairs. A small calculated difference may be less meaningful than the uncertainty in your estimates.
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