There's a place for tires: the cost of preparing cars for winter increased by 16%
It will cost an average of 35-40 thousand rubles to prepare the car for winter this year, market participants told Izvestia. This figure has increased by 16% over the year. The most significant item of expenditure is winter tires: a set for a passenger car costs 25-30 thousand rubles. But a full diagnosis of the vehicle before frosts is necessary in order to avoid large-scale breakdowns and expensive repairs in the future, experts say. How to properly prepare cars for the cold season is in the Izvestia article.
How much does it cost to prepare a car for winter
In 2025, car preparation for the season increased in price by 15-16%, Forsage Lubricants told Izvestia. The increase in the average service receipt was also confirmed by Natalia Chepurnaya, director of the AvtoBystro technical center and member of the Board of the Union of Car Service Stations.
Preparing the car for winter includes replacing tires with mandatory balancing, checking and refilling antifreeze, replacing the wiper blade with a "non-freezing" one, installing new wiper blades, diagnosing the battery, brake system and belts, as well as lubricating seals and locks, said Konstantin Ozhogin, Tamashi auto expert. And this is just a basic list of procedures that directly affect the safety and reliability of starting the engine on frosty days.
"The cost of training has increased significantly," he admitted. — If we limit ourselves to seasonal maintenance without buying new tires, the average check today is about 15-20 thousand rubles. This amount includes liquids, consumables, and work. But it is winter tires that form the main burden on the budget. As a result, the complete preparation of a turnkey car reaches 40-45 thousand rubles, and for crossovers and business class the amount may be higher.
According to him, over the past year, the cost of preparing a car for winter has increased by an average of 10-15%. At the same time, the tires themselves have risen in price moderately — about 4%, but tire repair services and related work have increased up to 15-20%, depending on the region.
According to Bulat Kilov, the founder of the Krytex brand, only every fifth car owner carefully prepares a car for winter. Another 45% cost a minimum — replacement of tires, glass fluids and wipers. At the same time, 5% of car owners prefer not to use a car at all in winter, 19% say that their car is "always ready", and 11% do not prepare the vehicle for winter.
— The minimum preparation of a car without buying rubber will be about 3 thousand rubles, — he noted. — At the same time, the maximum preparation with the purchase of rubber and body coating will start from 60-70 thousand rubles.
How to properly prepare a car for winter
Over the past ten years, the basic costs of tires, battery, oil, technical fluids and service have almost doubled. If in 2015 the minimum set cost about 10-12 thousand rubles, by 2025 the amount often exceeds 35-40 thousand, Ilya Shilov, Director of development at Forsage Lubricants, confirmed.
— Car owners have learned to adjust: They buy winter kits in the summer, track discounts in online stores, and even consider used options," he said. — If previously such solutions were considered the lot of only the most economical, now the used tire market is actively growing.
Car batteries have also almost doubled in price, with the average bill in 2025 approaching 6-7 thousand rubles. At the same time, the share of cheap batteries from Asia has increased significantly in the market, which attract the price, but do not last long. Another strategy is becoming more common: to hold out with an old battery for at least one more winter, regularly recharging it.
— Oil is a consumable, which it is impossible to do without during seasonal maintenance, — Ilya Shilov added. — In ten years, the price of a liter of synthetics has approximately doubled: from 300-400 to 700-800 rubles. A 4-5-liter canister needed for replacement costs an average of 3-4 thousand rubles. As a result, the average check for seasonal maintenance this fall was about 7.3 thousand rubles, and a change of a set of wheels was almost 2.7 thousand.
According to him, official dealers have even higher prices: scheduled maintenance of a crossover today can cost 15-20 thousand rubles, whereas ten years ago they charged half as much for the same work.
In this regard, interest in self-service has returned, Ilya Shilov said. More and more car owners are changing the oil and filters themselves, rather than taking the car to the service. Those who are not ready to do repairs turn to private craftsmen or small workshops. This choice allows you to reduce the cost of work by half, even at the expense of waiving guarantees and branded service.
— Preparing for winter has turned from a formal procedure into an economic choice. And this choice today determines not only the quality of car service, but also the sustainability of the entire market of automotive products and services," the expert added.
Nikita Rodionov, technical director of the international Fit Service car service network, noted that part of the work on preparing the car for winter can be carried out by the car owner himself, and part should be entrusted to professionals and stopped at a service station. Winter in Russia is an extremely difficult period for cars, so it is better to prepare for it in advance and carefully.
"The first thing to do when preparing a car for the cold season is to change the tires," he stressed. — Check the condition of the rubber in advance if you plan to use it for several years. The tread depth must be at least 4 mm. In addition, there should be no deformations, cracks, cuts or other damage to the tire. I recommend changing the tires at +7 degrees, until the snow cover is stable and there is a rush on the tire.
In addition to changing tires and balancing, the expert recommends checking the wheel angles. It is useful to carry out this procedure seasonally, without waiting for fault signals.
— Spark plugs also need to be checked and replaced if necessary, — said the expert. — Trouble-free winter start-up depends on the serviceability of the ignition system and all its elements. The first frosts always come unexpectedly, and there is a high risk that the battery may fail during a severe cold snap. It is necessary to inspect the terminals for oxidation and various contaminants. In addition, we look at the electrolyte level and check the charge. The level should not be lower than the minimum mark, and the charge should not be lower than 12 volts.
It is also necessary to make sure that the levels of all technical fluids in the car (engine and transmission oil, antifreeze, brake fluid) are normal. Before winter, you should undergo a full diagnostic at the service station: check the main systems of the car and make sure that the units are in good working order — the braking system, suspension, fuel system.
— Before the onset of cold weather, check the car's heating system, — Nikita Rodionov added. — After about ten minutes of the stove operating at medium intensity, the cabin should become warm. If this does not happen, the stove is blowing weakly or the air is not warm enough, then it is necessary to register at the service station and look for a malfunction.
The expert also advised to have a brush with a snow scraper in the car and wires for starting. You should also buy special lock defrosting products and silicone grease for car rubber seals in advance.
What will happen to the spare parts market
To reduce costs, experts recommend purchasing rubber in advance, before the seasonal rush, choosing proven models in the middle price segment, and doing the most work in one visit to the service. This approach allows you not only to save money, but also to avoid unnecessary risks on the road in winter.
The increase in the cost of preparing a car for winter reflects the general rise in the cost of the automotive segment, said Igor Rastorguev, a leading analyst at AMarkets.
—But the situation on the Russian car market is much more stable today than it was two or three years ago," he added. — Manufacturers have established supplies, and the presence of Chinese brands has expanded, offering a wide range of equipment and components. This promotes competition and prevents prices from rising even faster. Moreover, Russian factories are gradually increasing the localization of production, which in the future will reduce dependence on external suppliers.
A positive signal in 2025 was the stabilization of the auto parts market — in the first seven months of 2025, prices increased by only 7-9%, and even decreased by 5-10% for a number of items, said Alexey Ivanov, owner of the Alliance Trucks commercial vehicle dealership network.
"The product range has expanded through parallel imports, and delivery times have been shortened," he explained. — It is especially important that domestic auto parts manufacturers have increased their market share to 45%, ensuring independence and price stability.
According to him, the Russian car market is demonstrating stability — almost 878,000 new cars were sold in eight months, which, despite all the difficulties, shows the continued consumer demand and the adaptive capabilities of the economy.
The increase in prices for winter preparations, according to Igor Rastorguev, rather reflects structural changes in the market and does not indicate a shortage or crisis. As the supply from Russian manufacturers increases and cooperation with friendly countries strengthens, car owners' costs should be expected to stabilize, the expert believes.
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