NEW YORK — Credit unions may want to advise members who are shopping for a used car that they may get the best combination of price and maintenance costs by looking at vehicles that are about six years old, rather than the three- or four-year-old models commonly recommended, according to an analysis by Bumper.com.
The vehicle data website analyzed depreciation and maintenance expenses and concluded that six-year-old vehicles have already passed two important financial milestones: a significant depreciation point around year four and a sharp increase in maintenance costs around year five.
Bumper found maintenance expenses jump 31% in a vehicle’s fifth year.
That could make buying a four-year-old vehicle less attractive than it initially appears because the new owner is purchasing just before maintenance expenses increase, according to the analysis.
“Within 12 months, the year-four buyer is the current owner living through a repair cost surge that was entirely predictable and is not a surprise to anyone who looked at the data,” Bumper analysts wrote.
The Potential Benefits
By waiting until a vehicle is about six years old, buyers potentially benefit from depreciation that has already reduced the purchase price while the previous owner has absorbed some of the first significant maintenance and repair expenses, Bumper said.
Maintenance costs then tend to stabilize temporarily before another significant increase. Bumper’s analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data found maintenance expenses jump another 59% in a vehicle’s eighth year.
The findings come as high vehicle prices continue to put pressure on household budgets.
New Vehicles Nearly $50K
New vehicles sold for an average of $49,855 in July, according to Kelley Blue Book data cited in the report.
Used vehicles remain substantially less expensive, although their prices also have been rising. The average used vehicle was listed for $27,027 in June, up 6% from a year earlier, according to Cox Automotive data cited by Bumper.
Americans also are keeping their vehicles longer.
The average vehicle on U.S. roads reached 12 years old in 2025, a record, according to Department of Transportation data cited in the analysis. An aging vehicle fleet can shift consumer spending away from new-vehicle dealerships and toward repair shops and auto-parts businesses.
The Conventional Advice
Conventional advice has often favored purchasing a three- or four-year-old vehicle because cars typically experience their steepest depreciation during their first several years before the rate of decline slows.
Bumper’s analysis argues that depreciation alone doesn’t tell the full story.
By considering both resale value and maintenance expenses, the company said six years may represent a better “sweet spot” — old enough for someone else to have absorbed much of the depreciation and initial maintenance increases, but young enough to arrive before the next major jump in repair costs.
