According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for motor vehicle maintenance and repair are 3,101.66% higher in 2025 versus 1935 (a $15,508.28 difference in value).
Between 1935 and 2025: Car maintenance experienced an average inflation rate of 3.93% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, car maintenance costing $500 in the year 1935 would cost $16,008.28 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.55% during this same period, inflation for car maintenance was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Car maintenance, over time, for $500 beginning in 1935. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1935 | $500.00 | - |
| 1936 | $500.00 | 0.00% ** |
| 1937 | $500.00 | 0.00% ** |
| 1938 | $500.00 | 0.00% ** |
| 1939 | $500.00 | 0.00% ** |
| 1940 | $500.00 | 0.00% ** |
| 1941 | $519.08 | 3.82% |
| 1942 | $564.89 | 8.82% |
| 1943 | $572.52 | 1.35% |
| 1944 | $580.15 | 1.33% |
| 1945 | $583.97 | 0.66% |
| 1946 | $603.05 | 3.27% |
| 1947 | $657.12 | 8.97% |
| 1948 | $693.89 | 5.60% |
| 1949 | $708.40 | 2.09% |
| 1950 | $724.43 | 2.26% |
| 1951 | $780.15 | 7.69% |
| 1952 | $797.71 | 2.25% |
| 1953 | $841.98 | 5.55% |
| 1954 | $869.47 | 3.26% |
| 1955 | $887.79 | 2.11% |
| 1956 | $925.19 | 4.21% |
| 1957 | $958.02 | 3.55% |
| 1958 | $970.99 | 1.35% |
| 1959 | $993.13 | 2.28% |
| 1960 | $1,011.45 | 1.84% |
| 1961 | $1,037.40 | 2.57% |
| 1962 | $1,048.09 | 1.03% |
| 1963 | $1,063.36 | 1.46% |
| 1964 | $1,077.61 | 1.34% |
| 1965 | $1,099.24 | 2.01% |
| 1966 | $1,117.56 | 1.67% |
| 1967 | $1,160.01 | 3.80% |
| 1968 | $1,222.55 | 5.39% |
| 1969 | $1,301.53 | 6.46% |
| 1970 | $1,398.12 | 7.42% |
| 1971 | $1,498.53 | 7.18% |
| 1972 | $1,566.94 | 4.57% |
| 1973 | $1,649.44 | 5.27% |
| 1974 | $1,818.26 | 10.23% |
| 1975 | $2,048.15 | 12.64% |
| 1976 | $2,199.35 | 7.38% |
| 1977 | $2,362.89 | 7.44% |
| 1978 | $2,557.84 | 8.25% |
| 1979 | $2,813.86 | 10.01% |
| 1980 | $3,112.45 | 10.61% |
| 1981 | $3,405.46 | 9.41% |
| 1982 | $3,662.95 | 7.56% |
| 1983 | $3,827.07 | 4.48% |
| 1984 | $3,960.07 | 3.48% |
| 1985 | $4,075.75 | 2.92% |
| 1986 | $4,211.39 | 3.33% |
| 1987 | $4,380.50 | 4.02% |
| 1988 | $4,569.00 | 4.30% |
| 1989 | $4,766.29 | 4.32% |
| 1990 | $4,965.94 | 4.19% |
| 1991 | $5,190.25 | 4.52% |
| 1992 | $5,391.96 | 3.89% |
| 1993 | $5,566.94 | 3.25% |
| 1994 | $5,731.36 | 2.95% |
| 1995 | $5,878.45 | 2.57% |
| 1996 | $6,044.63 | 2.83% |
| 1997 | $6,211.10 | 2.75% |
| 1998 | $6,376.69 | 2.67% |
| 1999 | $6,559.60 | 2.87% |
| 2000 | $6,767.76 | 3.17% |
| 2001 | $7,004.40 | 3.50% |
| 2002 | $7,260.13 | 3.65% |
| 2003 | $7,465.36 | 2.83% |
| 2004 | $7,639.75 | 2.34% |
| 2005 | $7,897.53 | 3.37% |
| 2006 | $8,229.89 | 4.21% |
| 2007 | $8,510.02 | 3.40% |
| 2008 | $8,925.93 | 4.89% |
| 2009 | $9,287.67 | 4.05% |
| 2010 | $9,463.89 | 1.90% |
| 2011 | $9,660.28 | 2.08% |
| 2012 | $9,831.39 | 1.77% |
| 2013 | $9,986.30 | 1.58% |
| 2014 | $10,153.63 | 1.68% |
| 2015 | $10,332.69 | 1.76% |
| 2016 | $10,509.59 | 1.71% |
| 2017 | $10,718.57 | 1.99% |
| 2018 | $10,929.69 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $11,297.71 | 3.37% |
| 2020 | $11,679.01 | 3.38% |
| 2021 | $12,135.30 | 3.91% |
| 2022 | $13,135.07 | 8.24% |
| 2023 | $14,649.95 | 11.53% |
| 2024 | $15,544.83 | 6.11% |
| 2025 | $16,008.28 | 2.98%* |
* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.
Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Motor vehicle maintenance and repair:
| Year | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| CPI | 13.100 | 13.100 | 13.100 | 13.100 | 13.100 | 13.100 | 13.600 | 14.800 | 15.000 | 15.200 | 15.300 | 15.800 | 17.217 | 18.180 | 18.560 | 18.980 | 20.440 | 20.900 | 22.060 | 22.780 | 23.260 | 24.240 | 25.100 | 25.440 | 26.020 | 26.500 | 27.180 | 27.460 | 27.860 | 28.233 | 28.800 | 29.280 | 30.392 | 32.031 | 34.100 | 36.631 | 39.262 | 41.054 | 43.215 | 47.638 | 53.662 | 57.623 | 61.908 | 67.015 | 73.723 | 81.546 | 89.223 | 95.969 | 100.269 | 103.754 | 106.785 | 110.338 | 114.769 | 119.708 | 124.877 | 130.108 | 135.985 | 141.269 | 145.854 | 150.162 | 154.015 | 158.369 | 162.731 | 167.069 | 171.862 | 177.315 | 183.515 | 190.215 | 195.592 | 200.162 | 206.915 | 215.623 | 222.963 | 233.859 | 243.337 | 247.954 | 253.099 | 257.582 | 261.641 | 266.025 | 270.717 | 275.351 | 280.827 | 286.358 | 296.000 | 305.990 | 317.945 | 344.139 | 383.829 | 407.275 | 419.417 |