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4 Cars and Brands You’ll Regret Buying When Living on Social Security

August 31, 2025

3 min Read

Written by Caitlyn Moorhead

Edited by Ashleigh Ray

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If you are living on a fixed income and depend on Social Security, making big purchases can be a bit of a financial hassle. What if you need to buy a car? You might be tempted to settle for the cheapest set of wheels you can find to save money, but keep in mind that cheap to buy can mean expensive to own.

Simply put, you should definitely reconsider purchasing vehicles with a reputation for high maintenance costs or poor reliability. Just because the upfront sticker price isn’t high doesn’t mean it won’t cost you more than you can afford down the road. Using a recent research study from CarEdge, we compiled this list of four types of cars and brands that you may want to avoid if you live on Social Security alone.

Ram Trucks

If Social Security is all you have, you’re probably shopping on the used car market for a dependable vehicle that you expect to last at least 10 years. If you’re looking for a pickup, be wary if you see a great deal on a Ram.

Here are a few key takeaways as to what this purchase would look like for your budget:

Average Ram 5-year maintenance costs: $6,682
Average Ram 10-year maintenance costs: $21,595
Most expensive Ram truck model to repair: The Ram 3500 is estimated to cost about $27,445 over 10 years of repairs.

Trucks, in General

Ram trucks are the most expensive to own, but pickups, in general, keep taking and taking and taking until they eventually swamp even the retirees who negotiate bargain purchase prices. Here’s a look at some popular trucks that may not be worth investing your nest egg in:

Ford F-Series: The series ranges in costs; for instance, the Ford F-150 has an average 10-year maintenance cost of $11,367, whereas the Ford F-450 will run you $16,170.
Chevy Silverados: The Chevrolet 2500 will run you approximately $15,462 over to years in maintenance costs. The Chevrolet 3500 is estimated to be about $15,497.
GMC Sierra 1500: The average 10-year maintenance cost for this model of truck is $10,002

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Jeeps

Jeep, as an overall brand, finds itself on many mechanics’ and car experts’ no-no lists. A wide variety of the auto makers’ models are some of the most expensive brands to own over 10 years. Even if you spot a bargain on the used market, a fixed income probably won’t keep pace with gas, maintenance and repairs over time. You may want to reconsider buying the brand or the following Jeep vehicles in retirement:

Average Jeep 5-year maintenance costs: $3,757
Average Jeep 10-year maintenance costs: $11,690
Jeep Gladiator 10-year maintenance costs: $12,679
Jeep Grand Wagoneer L/ Grand Wagoneer 10-year maintenance costs: $12,375/ $12,269
Jeep Wrangler 10-year maintenance costs: $11,664

Vans and Minivans

If you really want a pickup but the data convinced you — wisely — that a Social Security check won’t keep up with the long-term costs, you might think that a van is the next-best option.

It’s not, but it’s the next most expensive. Here are some estimated prices for 10 years of maintenance to underline that point.