The company’s 18th annual fleet passenger car maintenance study found that scheduled maintenance costs increased, although overall car maintenance costs were down 1.5% from 2010 due to vehicle replacement initiatives.

The study is based on a survey of actual maintenance expenses incurred by more than 32,000 passenger cars from 1^st January to 31^st December 2012.

Research found that while monthly preventive maintenance expenses rose 4% in 2012, younger fleet age helped offset increased parts and labour costs. Overall, average car maintenance costs rose from $49.20 to $52.66 per vehicle each month.

Key factors referenced in the study that influenced maintenance costs include:

Increased preventive maintenance expense – Costs for oil changes increased by $5 from the previous year. However, oil change frequency decreased, from 7,752 to 8,850 miles, lessening the total impact of the cost increase.

Increased average tyre expense –The cost per tire increased by 8% and replacement tire costs increased by 15% due to higher manufacturing costs, larger rim diameters and limited availability in the retail market.

Improvement in overall vehicle quality – Overall vehicle quality continued to improve across the industry, resulting in longer lasting parts and less frequent maintenance requirements.

‘While we expect passenger car maintenance expenses to rise slightly in 2013, improvements in vehicle quality will present opportunities for fleet maintenance savings in years ahead,’ said Eric Strom, maintenance and safety product manager for GE Capital Fleet Services. ‘As cost savings remain the largest area of focus for both fleet and executive management, we’re committed to working with customers to identify and reduce costs across their vehicle fleets.’