Independent · Consumer-first · Not a dealership
Know the real cost before you buy the car.
True Cost Files show the best years, worst years, repair pain, insurance shock, recalls, owner complaints and estimated monthly cost — for every popular US car.
337
Car files
644
Recalls tracked
0
Owner reports
92,101
Complaints analyzed
Most viewed
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Sample True Cost File
2023 Toyota Highlander
Mid-size SUV · Updated May 2026
B
True monthly cost
—
Repair Pain Index
Medium
Insurance Shock
Medium
Resale Strength
Very Strong
NHTSA recall data
Updated daily from federal records
Owner-submitted bills
0 verified reports
Six-cost monthly model
Payment, insurance, fuel, maintenance, repair, depreciation
Years to inspect, flagged
Cautious wording, evidence-backed
01 · Browse
Most-searched car files
B
Mid-size SUV
Toyota Highlander
True cost / mo
—
Repair pain
● Medium
B
Compact SUV
Hyundai Tucson
True cost / mo
—
Repair pain
● Medium
B+
Wagon
Subaru Outback
True cost / mo
—
Repair pain
● Low–Medium
B+
Compact SUV
Mazda CX-5
True cost / mo
—
Repair pain
● Low–Medium
B
Mid-size SUV
Honda Pilot
True cost / mo
—
Repair pain
● Medium
B
Compact SUV
Toyota RAV4
True cost / mo
—
Repair pain
● Medium
B+
Compact SUV
Honda CR-V
True cost / mo
—
Repair pain
● Medium
B
Compact SUV
Kia Sportage
True cost / mo
—
Repair pain
● High
02 · Smart used buys
Best used cars by true cost
Modeled ownership costs are temporarily withheld because the active cost prior was due for refresh on 2026-07-01. No stale or fallback amount is shown.
No vehicles have complete monthly-cost estimates.
03 · Buyer warning
Cars with the highest repair pain
Frequent complaints, costly fixes or recall-heavy histories.
01
Severe
02
Severe
03
Severe
04
Severe
05
Severe
Tahoe
2021 Chevrolet Tahoe
Full-size SUV
Edge
2017 Ford Edge
Mid-size SUV
Expe…
2019 Ford Expedition
Full-size SUV
Yukon
2021 GMC Yukon
Full-size SUV
Cher…
2019 Jeep Cherokee
Compact SUV
Use these signals to focus the service-history review and pre-purchase inspection.
04 · Insurance
Insurance shock rankings
Models that surprise buyers at quote time.
Chevrolet Tahoe
$223/mo
Insurance shock: High
Ford Expedition
$219/mo
Insurance shock: High
GMC Yukon
$219/mo
Insurance shock: High
Ford Expedition
$216/mo
Insurance shock: High
Ford Edge
$214/mo
Insurance shock: High
Chevrolet Tahoe
$214/mo
Insurance shock: High
Estimates based on US averages. Your quote may vary by state and history.
05 · Buyer caution
Model years to inspect carefully
Higher complaint signals in these years.
-
2019
Toyota RAV4Higher complaint signal led by fuel/propulsion and engine reports; verify recalls, service history, transmission …
06 · Fresh data
Latest recalls
From NHTSA · NHTSA data synced 5 d ago
Critical
SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L, 2022-2023 Je…
Campaign 26V562000 · 1 Sep 2026
Critical
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2026 Nissan Armada, 2011-20…
Campaign 26V455000 · 15 Jul 2026
Critical
STRUCTURE:BODY
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Explorer vehicles. The roof rail…
Campaign 26V448000 · 14 Jul 2026
Critical
SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2027 Aviator and 2020-2026 Explorer v…
Campaign 26V451000 · 14 Jul 2026
07 · Head to head
Compare popular cars
True monthly cost, repair pain, insurance, resale — side by side.
Tucs…
vs
Spor…
Hyundai Tucson vs Kia Sportage
Shared platform, different brands. The differences are smaller than buyers thin…
High…
vs
Pilot
Toyota Highlander vs Honda Pilot
Three-row family SUV decision. Both reliable; different reputations on resale a…
CR-V
vs
CX-5
Honda CR-V vs Mazda CX-5
Family comfort vs driving enjoyment. Both excellent compact SUVs.
RAV4
vs
Outb…
Toyota RAV4 vs Subaru Outback
AWD wagon-SUV showdown. The Outback is standard AWD; the RAV4 is more refined.
RAV4
vs
CX-5
Toyota RAV4 vs Mazda CX-5
Reliability vs drive feel. Similar price, similar cost, different vibes.
RAV4
vs
CR-V
Toyota RAV4 vs Honda CR-V
The most-searched used SUV showdown. Comparable cost and reliability — differen…
08 · From real owners
Recent owner reports
Repair bills, insurance premiums and dealer quotes submitted by US owners. Reviewed before publishing.
No approved owner reports are available. Submit the first reviewed report.
Help other buyers
Got a repair bill, dealer quote or insurance shock?
Submit it. We review every report and roll verified evidence into our True Cost Files so future buyers can ask better questions.
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- ✓Reviewed before publishing
- ✓Get a free personalized cost report in return