Repair vs Replace Decision Calculator

ROI of repair vs replacement.

Inputs

Current vehicle value ($)

Estimated repair cost ($)

Vehicle age (years)

Current mileage

Annual miles driven

Monthly payment if replaced ($)

Tab to move between fields

Results

Replace score (0-100)

Repair as % of value31.3%

50% rule threshold ($)$4,000.00

Est. years remaining6.7

3-year cost to keep$4,900.00

3-year cost to replace$17,400.00

3-year savings if keeping$12,500.00

How to Use This Calculator

Enter Current vehicle value ($), Estimated repair cost ($), and Vehicle age (years).
Set Current mileage, Annual miles driven, and Monthly payment if replaced ($).
Review the Replace score (0-100) result.
Use Repair as % of value (%) and 50% rule threshold ($) ($) to inform your decision.

What each input means

Current vehicle value ($): Fair market value (check KBB or Edmunds).
Estimated repair cost ($): Total cost of needed repairs.
Vehicle age (years): How old the vehicle is.
Current mileage: Current odometer reading.
Annual miles driven: How many miles you drive per year.
Monthly payment if replaced ($): Expected monthly payment on a replacement vehicle.

What each result means

Replace score (0-100): Higher = stronger case to replace. Below 30 = repair, 30-60 = borderline, above 60 = replace.
Repair as % of value: Repair cost relative to vehicle value. Over 50% generally favors replacement.
50% rule threshold ($): If repair exceeds this, the 50% rule suggests replacing.
Est. years remaining: Estimated usable life remaining after repair based on mileage.
3-year cost to keep: Repair cost plus estimated maintenance over 3 years.
3-year cost to replace: Payments plus maintenance on a replacement vehicle over 3 years.
3-year savings if keeping: Positive = keeping saves money, negative = replacing is cheaper.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Current vehicle value ($) = 8000, Estimated repair cost ($) = 2500, Vehicle age (years) = 10, Current mileage = 120000 = 6 input(s) provided
Calculate Replace score
Replace score
35 = 35
Calculate Repair as % of value
Repair as % of value = repairCost / vehicleValue
31.3 = 31.3%
Calculate 50% rule threshold
50% rule threshold = vehicleValue * 0.5
4000 = $4,000

Engine last updated July 28, 2026. Checked against 2 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators.

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