Interactive tool
Ownership Cost Calculator
Estimate total cost of ownership over a holding period, with and without protection products, so value is judged over the long run.
Holding period and expected costs
These are your estimates, not defaults drawn from anywhere. Real repair costs vary enormously by vehicle and by luck, so the useful exercise is to try a pessimistic set and an optimistic set and see whether the conclusion changes.
If a service contract is in place
Estimated 6-year total
Without a contract
$6,900
With a contract
$6,900
Difference
$0
| Year | Without | With | Cumulative without | Cumulative with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $700 | $700 | $700 | $3,100 |
| 2 | $700 | $700 | $1,400 | $3,800 |
| 3 | $700 | $700 | $2,100 | $4,500 |
| 4 | $1,600 | $800 | $3,700 | $5,300 |
| 5 | $1,600 | $800 | $5,300 | $6,100 |
| 6 | $1,600 | $800 | $6,900 | $6,900 |
Maintenance sits in both columns on purpose. Scheduled servicing is not covered by a vehicle service contract, and it is the cost people most often expect one to absorb. Only the repair line moves between the two columns.
Educational estimate built entirely from the figures above. It assumes repairs are covered and ignores the time value of money. Not a quote, not a projection, not advice.
Who it’s for
Buyers deciding how to protect a purchase, and advisors framing the decision.
What it does
Estimate total cost of ownership over a holding period, with and without protection products, so value is judged over the long run.
What you’ll get
A projected ownership-cost range across the holding period under different protection choices.
Maintenance sits in both columns
Scheduled servicing is not covered by a vehicle service contract, and it is the cost people most often assume one absorbs. Keeping it identical on both sides is the clearest way to show that only the repair line moves.
If a maintenance plan is being discussed, that is a separate product with separate terms and it belongs in a separate comparison.
Every rate here is yours
There is no built-in repair curve or failure frequency, because no such figure is credible across vehicles. What the tool contributes is the structure: separating costs a contract can absorb from those it cannot, over a period you choose.
Run it twice, pessimistically and optimistically. If the conclusion survives both, it is worth something. If it flips, the answer was always going to depend on luck, and that is worth knowing before deciding.
What it leaves out
Fuel, insurance, registration, tires, and depreciation are all absent, so this is not a full cost of ownership. It compares the repair-related slice, which is the slice a service contract touches. Depreciation, the largest ownership cost for most owners, is a separate question entirely.
Learn the topic behind this tool
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Elite FI Partners can apply this analysis to your actual finance office once you’ve seen how it works.
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