High-Mileage Cars: Is 200,000 the new normal?
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In the 1960s and 1970s, many automobile odometers did not even read beyond 99,999 miles. Hit 100,000, and the odometer turned back to zero. But now, thanks to tougher quality standards and post-recession financial concerns, Americans are driving their cars longer than ever before and high-mileage cars are the rule, not the exception. Is 200,000 miles the new 100,000 miles?
Consider Porsche salesman Mark Webber. While selling new sports cars every day for a living, Webber still drives his 1990 Volvo to work, despite having more than 300,000 miles on the car. “I just can’t see the point of spending a lot of money driving a newer, racier car every day in city traffic when my old Volvo just wants to keep on going,” Webber told the New York Times.
Webber has plenty of company. While Americans once prided themselves on driving the latest and greatest car, a shift in spending habits following the recession has more Americans than ever before working to extend the life of their cars. A recent survey by the automotive research firm R.L. Polk & Co found that the typical car buyer keeps a new vehicle for 71.4 months, an increase of nearly 18 months since 2006.
This shift corresponds with a change in Americans’ attitudes toward automobiles. Cars, once synonymous with an individual’s identity, are no longer as important to today’s millennial generation.
David Champion, the senior director of Consumer Reports, says that in the past, “[People] would sell the car at 60,000 miles to get some residual value out of it. Nowadays, 100,000 miles is only halfway through the life of the car.” In fact, used car prices are rising as recession-savvy buyers look to keep spending down while getting the biggest bang for their buck.
The life expectancy of cars has steadily increased since the 1970s. A generation ago, many parts simply fell off a car at the end of their life cycle. Cars produced in the 1960s and 1970s were also more susceptible to rust and corrosion, so engines and transmission simply stopped working by 100,000 miles. Now, thanks to greater quality control and technology advancements, today’s automobiles meet strict requirements for anticorrosion standards. Gas mileage for cars is also an important factor — as mileage increases, it’s difficult to justify a new purchase.
And carmakers intend their cars to say on the road for a long time. For example, Hyundai and Kia now include 100,000 miles/10 year powertrain warranties with their cars.
Is your car approaching 100,000 miles and you hope to double that? These three tips will help keep your car on the road well past the 100,000-mile mark.
Drive gently.
Aggressive driving, hard stops and starts, and rapid accelerating or decelerating not only hurt your fuel economy, but these rough driving also adds unnecessary wear and tear to your car. Think about your morning commute: do you race to every stoplight, weaving in and out of traffic? Curbing your need for speed can help keep your car running longer.
Keep it clean.
A good wash will not only help high mileage cars sparkle, but it will also remove excess road tar and salt. This is especially important during winter months when salt residue from wintery roads can cause undercarriage corrosion. Regular waxing protects the paint job and resists rust.
Don’t ignore the check engine light.
Many drivers, myself included, enter a guilty state of denial when our check engine light turns on. Weeks turn into months, and the check engine light is still shining. If you have an older car, it’s essential to get the light checked out right away. It may be indicative of a serious problem with the transmission, timing belt or engine. Prompt attention can save your car from serious damage – and save you the headache and expense of having your car towed to the mechanic.
When you’re putting all those miles on your car, you don’t want to overspend on gas. To find out the gas prices in your area, visit Allstate.com’s Gas Price Locator.
What’s your mileage number? And how long do you plan to drive your car?
Want to protect your car? Get an auto insurance quote now.
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i own a 2001 toyota camry and it now has 280000 miles on it. TLC and preventive maintenace keeps my car in great shape
Love toyotas! not surprised at all by this mileage
I delivered pizzas in a corolla. 230k of hard city driving. I made sure I never ran out of oil. Only reason I got rid of it was the a/c needed to be replaced and it was more than the cars blue book. So I bought another corolla. I’ve owned a 84,94,04 corolla and 09 Camry.
toyotas are good. I have a 1980 Chev LUV. yes a luv. still has the original motor and transmission. Just replaced the original fuel pump, and getting ready to replace the carbeurator. its 33 years old, still gets 300 miles on 12 gallons of gas, and has close to 400,000 miles on it. Originally built by Isuzu for Chevrolet, the build and durability is amazing.
I just went over 70,000 on my Prius (2007). I got a lifetime oil change Maintenance and 100,000 Khumo tires. I regularly get over 42-45 mpg. Now that it is paid for, I just put gas in it. I bought it with leather seats lat look as good as when it was new. So, I guess I’ll just keep it.
Did you notice any difference in fuel economy when changing from the original OEM Goodyear Integrity low-rolling-resistance (LRR) tires to the non-LRR Kuhmo tires? Less expensive tires can cost you more in the long run if they’re significantly less fuel-efficient.
Sold my 94 Jeep with 235,000 mile on it & was running fine @ that time, Regular perventative maintenance n driving carefully helped achieve that along with one each clutch n starter replacement. New car is a VW diesel (awesome mileage btw) which we plan on keeping for 500,000
you bought pure garbage ,diesel pewkls the atmosphere
Obviously you know nothing about current diesel technology. There’s a reason it is called “clean diesel” and why diesel costs so much now. And if you believe in “global warming” the diesel gets better gas mileage and has lower CO2 content per gallon burned than gasoline. In fact a diesel Hummer gives out less CO2 than a Toyota Prius operating at max efficiency.
Diesels give out more particulates than petrol cars, these particulates are thought to be the cause of not only asthma but also melting of the ice caps. (Clean ice gets soot deposits on it and melts when the sun shines on it because instead of reflecting light it absorbs it.) Many european cars are diesel thinking they are saving the planet, but they are not, they are making the problem worse. Particulate levels in the air just keep getting higher.
David you are 100% wrong in your statement.
I currently have 2 Jeeps over 200K,1Jeep 181K,1 car 135K,
Getting any car including the VW diesel to 500K is a challenge,however if you repair as you go it can be done. I have owned 2 vehicles that we have run to 325K, a Dodge Pickup and a Dodge Intrepid 1983 and 1993 respectively.
I was in the car service and sales business for 28 years, so I am talking with experience.
David, I also drive a VW Jetta TDI diesel. It gets 40 to 44 mpg. It currently has 89,000 miles on it, but it looks and drives like it is brand new. The newer clean diesel engines produce less pollution than most gasoline powered vehicles. As a bonus, I also use B20 biodiesel fuel, which saves petroleum. No wars have been fought yet over vegetable oil.
plenty of wars have been fought over food
corn used for biodiesel is corn not used for food production
it seems innocent; however, we need fewer not more items impacting food prices.
Michael. I’m on my third golf diesel and all I can say is the performance has improved dramatically. Now in my retirement I’m restoring an 81 rabbit pickup. Wherever I go people stop and ask about it. Vw needs to build ones here in America again and be allowed to use the new engines that get 70+ mpg.
Diesel engines will not start in wintertime.
Mcurb, there are very few biodiesel distributors in the US. The diesel purchased at your local stations are all straight diesel distillates (no processed food additives). The reason for the higher pricing is the additional steps taken now to remove the sulfur that was present prior to 2007 to be ULSD compliant. If you want to lower your consumable product prices have the oil companies stop shipping all of the processed diesel fuel overseas to the UK. Lowering the price of diesel in the US will lower prices for all consumer goods since everything is distributed by truck or rail. I also have a VW TDI with over 225K miles on it. Still runs great and i’m getting almost 40 MPG in it and I drive it like I stole it. I plan on getting another one to replace it as my daily commuter.
In fact there is strong evidence that the rising cost of corn which was aided by the harvesting of corn for vegetable oil led to social unrest in the Middle East…so I disagree with your claim.
Ignorant tree hugger. Go smoke some weed and dream of unicorns. Leave the car talk to people that know them.
When insulting folks it is best to not make 3rd grade mistakes such as “people that”. (The phrase is “people who”.)
you clearly don’t know the advancements in diesel technology, the first that the VWs get over 40 mpg. you sir are an idiot.
who made you an expert on diesels spouting off mindlessly
truckers run a million miles regularly now new diesels are cleaner than gas car
I have a friend with 420k on a VW diesel, so you can do it.
I have two pickups, with 194k and 112k.
I have a 1995 BMW 740i with almost 290,000 miles (I got it used). The inside is a little worn (well A LOT worn) but the engine and transmission run smoother than my 2004 Camry with 120,000. I fully expect it to outlast the Camry.
My camry has over 210,000 miles on it and it is going strong. I would also think BMW’s engine to outlast the toyota’s engine because of BMW reputation for making good cars and making incredible engines that get good miles and power.
My 2006 BMW 325i is a piece of crap. I’ve had to spend over $4,000 for repairs and maintenance going from 50K to 60K miles. I had to replace the water pump, valve cover gasket, transmission repair, window regulator etc etc
I have 240,000 miles on one of my Camry’s. Of course, I have 215,000 miles on my Hyundai Elantra. Both drive very well still.
i have a beetle 2001 tdi. i buy and sell high end cars. have a nice porsche s type and mustang…but i drive my tdi most. 50 mpg on the highway. the speedometer had been replaced when i got i, but i didnt care, owner claims it has 180k . well i went to the dealership for a minor recall… it was free and the guy said last time the car was at the dealer…. about 2 years ago it had 330k. yes 500k isnt crazy on this car. i havent put a penny into the car in repairs, just oil changes. its a great car , tons of room inside. one of the best cars iv ever owned…. and iv owned over 40 including porsches, mercedes, bmw
Totally, high mileage by itself shouldn’t be a red flag. My 99 Jeep Cherokee has 260,000… running great except front suspension’s starting to go. It’s had routine repairs (brake overhaul, clutch etc) but motor/chassis are solid. Probably will not fix it this time though, use the money instead for down payment on something newer like an Avenger.
Watch out for VW transmision problems. They say the fluid is for life of car (LOL) but my daughters transmission died at 125K. She bought new and BABIED the car for 5 years. VW had a customer for life but after being treated like dirt for challenging VW to fix a known $2000 problem, my daughter now hates them. KIA Optima is her new vehicle of choice (Good looking and riding car BTW).
Meanwhile my 95 Lexus drives like a dream. IN 197K miles I’ve replaced air filters, spark plugs, 1 cv joint and a starter. And I drive hard. But I do park under covered parking and in the garage. Parking outside is inviting a car to fall apart.
Oh and on the Diesel comment, tell the guy to buy a new encyclopedia. The new VW diesels are not like the old mercedes diesels. Volkswagen’s TDI Clean Diesel technology has improved performance, increased mileage and a 95% drop in sooty emissions.
She will love the Kia Optima. There are several Kias in my family. I own two 2006 Sedonas, one with 194,000 miles (just replaced head gaskets, but engine has been driven extremely hard over its lifetime), and the other with 231,000 miles (Never had ANY issues). Combine all the miles on the 7 Kias in our family, and it’s over a million! Great long lasting vehicles, just change the oil and trans fluid, and no problems!
I just traded my 2001 Kia Rio Cinco at 96K miles, only because it was at the end of the 10 yr, 100K mile warranty, and because it lived in the Northeast with the salt in the winter, and I was concerned about that, having grown up when a 5 year old car was a rust bucket and worthless. But, in 10 years, I had one O2 sensor go bad, and that was it. I loved the car. My favorite in 45 years of owning Subarus, Hondas, Toyotas, VWs, and even a Dodge!
Since buying a new 1976 Ford Mustang II in 1976, I have always had over 100,000 miles on my cars when I got rid of them, and I always now buy used cars with 15-25,000 miles on them, at great savings over new cars. My last car, a Dodge Stratus, had over 250,000 miles when it died. Before that, my Ford EXP had 120,000, my Ford Probe GT turbo, had 125,000, and was still going strong when it was totaled in an accident, my Ford Taurus had 165,000, when I was hit in the rear and the car totaled, the my Ford Windstar had 175,000 when it was totaled in a wreck my a woman pulling out of a parking lot, right into the side of my van stopped for a red light, my Pontiac Grand Am, had 100,000 on it when I sold it, and then the Dodge. We just purchased a certified pre-owned Ford Focus, that had 35,000 on it when we bought it, and plan on keeping it to over 200,000 miles. The big difference is that the bodies don’t rust through anymore.
I am new to this type of format. I am considering buying a 2007 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer 4wd with 90,000 miles on it. My wife is freaking out thinking it has too many miles. Will this be a car that will last my family at least 165,000 miles? Can you please tell me what the secret is to having a car last this long?
The secret to long lasting cars is as follows:
1.start out with a car that is made well: toyota/ bmw/ mercedes et. al.
2. maintain the car in accordance with the schedule in the owner’s manual: change the oil regularly (every 3000 miles for reg oil/ 5000 miles for synthetic oil)/ check the tires for correct air pressure/ check the brakes for wear every few months or if your hear them squeaking
3. do not drag race with the car. in other words, don’t try to burn rubber when the light turns green.
4. minimize your city based driving – stop and go driving takes its toll on a car’s brakes and transmission. Potholes and bad roads play hell with your wheels and suspension.
if you use your common sense, follow these simple rules, and have the fortune of not buying a lemon to begin with, you should have no problem putting well over a hundred thousand miles on your car.
the only problem as I see it is that despite the car looking perfect, people do not want to pay good money for high mileage cars. used car dealers will tell you this all the time and it is a given in the industry.
I am a ase certified master technician , you will have no problem getting 300 to 400 k out of this 5.4 engine as long as you maintain it , very good engine.
Have it checked out by a good independent automotive shop, not a chain first and if it passes, buy it .It will give you 200,000 miles plus if you maintain it and repair what ever breaks on it right away. If you can after you buy it have that independent shop change all the fluids, antifreeze, brake fluid-flush. power steering fluid, oil, Fluid in both differentials.
air filter and definitely the fuel filter. It is probably due for spark plugs at 90k or 100 also . If you maintain any vehicle properly they will get 200k and more. you will have to repair it time to time, it is mechanical and things will break I don’t care what kind of car you buy new or used. I have over 25 year in the autmotive repair industry.
No secret for high milage, just take care of maintenance. Had a Mercedes diesel for 17 years with 360,000 miles on it. I gave it away to a friends son only because the reast of the car was wearing out. seats, wiper motor, etc. changed oil at 10,000 miles and it never burnt a drop of oil between changes. Just do the maitenance. always started on the coldest winter day. replaced a few batteries and it had the same exhaust system. Diesels dont make water like gas engines so the exhaust lasts longer. Some cars just last longer then others of the same make .
I am sure everyone has their own opinion but I currently own a 2001 Explorer (5.0) which has 237K on it. The Explorer replaced a 1990 Bronco II with 252K. That one replaced a F150 with 132K. I have to admit, the F150 was still going strong, I just wanted a new vehicle to go with my mid-life crisis divorce.
The Explorer by the way, has been drove hard and put up wet many, many times. In fact, the most expensive thing I have done to it was replace the radiator twice. It has never had a tuneup and still cranks every time without a problem.
As for the Bronco II, the only reason I quit driving it was because I had too many vehicles. Five vehicles for two drivers is a bit much, especially since I was retired and she didn’t work, a daily commuter wasn’t even needed.
The secret is changing fluids and filters on a regular basis. I sold tools to machine engine blocks, heads, transmission bores, and CV joints in my career. The tolerances for fit and precision have decreased by a factor of 10 in the last 25 years, so clearances between moving parts are now miniscule, like a Swiss watch. Keeping clearances in bearings and valve spools clean from abrasion- causing dirt is critical with “thin” fluids. Drive trains now last amazingly long! I just traded in my second Pacifica AWD that easily would gone 200K (first at 91K with only a battery change–and with original Michelin tires) and and second with 146K with front brakes, spark plugs, and battery 70-90K and preventive timing belt/water pump and front/rear brakes (2 sets Michelins). 2nd Pacifica would easily run 200K but needed van. My priors were an 89 BMW525i (164K) and a 91 Volvo 940 with 164K but still running today with over 300K. I suggest you do preventive maintenance on the Eddie Bauer at 90K and drive to 200K: spark plugs, K & N air filter, full transmission flush including pan drop and filter/ fluid replacement (not the cheap transfusion type ATF replacement), timing belt/water pump replacement, since labor cost is same. I would monitor alternator and test voltage output but not replace until the light comes on. Change oil in AWD if so equipped at 150K. Check CV rubber boots from underneath to make sure they are not cracked at 6 years old. The Eddie Bauer will look almost new to 200K and should not break down if you pull this PM on the vehicle when you get it.
The Ford Expedition should last at least 165,000 miles. I have a 2001 Ford Super Duty Ex construction truck with a 5.4 2 valve per cylinder engine. I bought with a 100,000 on it and it has almost 180,000. I just changed the plugs, and cleaned the injectors for the first time before a smog test, I also changed the transmission filter and fluid, and It runs better than when I bought it. I’ve towed with it, and carried heavy materials. Before that I had a 2001 Dodge H/O 2500 with a Cummins 24 valve Diesel I bought new. This model only came with a 6 speed manual transmission. I used to add Diesel Clean in the fuel and this made it run clean. I sold it with 150,000 miles on it, the engine was just braking in. I got half the money I paid for it, after driving it hard for six years.
2000 lexus gs 300, 162,000 miles. It’s in great shape and is supposed to be extremely reliable, so I imagine keeping it at least until 200k or it starts giving me serious and repeated mechanical issues
I also have a 2000 Lexus GS300, currently has 182,000, good shape, but getting somewhat expensive to maintain. I just spent $1200 for a new water pump, timing belt, and front brakes. I hope to keep it for another couple of years or about 200,000 miles and replace it with a used VW Diesel.
I also have a 2000 Nissan Pathfinder 4D/4WD with 155,000, needs some maintenance but would like to keep it until around 200,000 miles as well and replace it with a used Toyota Tacoma pickup.
TIming belt is typical wear item requiring replacement at 90K on a lexus. You must have made the mistake of going to the stealership. They charge 3X what an independent mechanic would charge. I paid my mechanic $400 and bought the parts $200 last year for same items. Also, Toyota mechanics can fix lexus timing belts for half what Lexus charges….Check out http://us.lexusownersclub.com/ before returning the the dealer. I love my lexus and hate the stealerships….
Transmission is finally going on my 2000 lexus es 300 with 194,000 miles, make sure you have that checked out on your Lexus, because otherwise the car is running great…annoyed that this is what is going to kill my car!
A new transmission is not that big a deal, even at $3,500(some are less, some are more), if you like the car and want to keep it. I’ve done that on a few Japanese cars and it’s always been worth it.
I too have a 2000 Lexus GS 300 with 130,000 miles. Great car. Find a local mechanic and that really keeps cost down. I have done timing belt, water pump, etc and that was all preventive. Car has never left stranded, plan on keeping until it stops running. Recently took a 3,000 mile summer trip out to midwest this summer without any problem!
2007 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, 233500 and still going! 5335 Idle Hours
Two years ago I sold my Nissan 240sx with over 313,000 miles on it. I owned it from 1995 until 2010. It was a daily driver that I used for my job which was pizza delivery. During that time, I replaced the clutch only once (252,000 miles), never had any transmission or engine problems, compression was good and it didn’t smoke or burn more than a 1/2 quart of oil. It was still fast and the gas mileage was great. it was an extremely reliable car that I was I good have kept.
No brainer, when the average new car cost is $20K the manufacturer’s priced themselves where buyers can’t move up as often.
No, the auto manufacturers didn’t price themselves too high. Gubbermint did that with all their BS safety and fuel consumption rules and regulations. Have you noticed that windows in cars are a lot smaller than they were 20 years ago because gubbermint required more metal and less glass?
It would be so much better to drive a death trap than keep a car longer so it pencils out. Let me guess, people are spying on you and the you believe the earth is flat…
Your comment is foolish and uninformed. And it is spelled “government” and it forces changes that increase safety and foster energy security and independence.
Art: if you really loves and trusts da gub’mint, then I have a bridge I’d like to sell you!
I have a 2003 Ford F-150 with 152,000 miles and it runs like new. Also 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid with 95,000 miles 4×4 with 30mpg. Going to keep the Escape until 200,000 miles.
I bought a Ford F150 in 2011 that had 163,000 miles and since then added another 10,000 plus miles. It runs great but I had to do extreme maintenance on it and have spent over $5,000 on top of the $7,500 I paid for it.
Mind you, it look great at first, then the check engine light: cost over $300 to replace sensors. All Rotors were rusted, shocks rusted, brakes rusted. These were the neglect of the previous owner.
Rust eat the under carriage running boards because the nasty owner never washed it in Maine and salt eat what it wanted.
Upper control arms replaced, new lower control arms needed and body word to cut and replace rust areas. Overall, it runs like new and will be much better after replacing control arms and rust areas repaired. Powerful 5.4 Triton Engine and sucks the gas pumps dry but a work horse. Now almost 180,000, I think it will go another 200,000 with ease; no fear of snow here in the North East, rain or mud. If I don’t get tired of it, I can push it to a million miles, as trucks seem to last forever.
Based on my experience (& that of others I’ve known), I’d prefer the worst Japanese car to the best American car.
My parents have two Hondas with just over 20,000 miles- both with problems.
My Ford went 176,000 with no issues into a lady ran into me and totaled it. [text edited by Admin]
Honda’s used to be good cars. Starting in the mid-90′s the quality fell like a rock. They are living on borrowed time at this point. Meanwhile Acura’s are one of the best. Guess moving factories to the US didn’t work out as planned. Toyota/Lexus and Nissan/Infinitis are all outstanding, IF you maintain.
My ’99 CR-V 5MT AWD is approaching 244K miles and it has been nearly trouble free. I put a radiator in it myself at around 160K miles, rear brake shoes at 215K miles, and my driveshaft U-joints just wore out. Got replacements and will install them this week when i have time. Currently with the driveshaft out I only have FWD. No big deal. Still have never replaced the clutch, shocks or CV joint/axles. No bearings replaced either. I regularly tow 1000-1500 lbs over the mtns without a problem aside from 50 mph mtn climbs but big deal. It still gets between 25-26 mpg on the highway. Eventually we’ll sell our second car (VW Cabrio) and buy a new Jetta Sportwagen 6MT TDI which we’ll use for out of town trips and continue to carpool using the CR-V. We’ve adjusted our daily routine and where we live so that we can get by with one car just about all the time.
When we bought the CR-V new, gasoline was $1.65 or so. Now it is a bit north of $3. That tells me that during the decade+ ownership of our next vehicle gasoline will likely be north of six dollars per gallon. I’d hate to get stuck with a 16 mpg vehicle at those prices b/c the resale value with be in the basement.
For all you VW naysayers out there – I’ve owned eight of them over the years. I’m restoring a 70s van with over 200K on it. My Cabrio has nearly 200K on it with plenty of life left in it. Sold an 80s VW Rabbit ‘vert with over 200K on it. Have an acquaintance with an ’80s VW Rabbit diesel that has 425K on it. They are not good vehicles to neglect and VW has made mistakes telling their customers that the automatics are lifetime filled. Frankly I am not impressed with the service departments at most of the VW dealers I’ve visited but then I do ALL my own work after the warranty period is over.
Do what the article says – drive it gently, keep it out of the holes, don’t let the repairs stack up, use quality fuel, quality oils, and quality replacement parts. Use el-cheapo supplies and you’ll get what you paid for just like it’s always been.
Except for two mazda’s that I owned in the 80′s I have always driven American cars and have had great results in reliability and durability. My father always drove his American cars well over 100.000 mi.
I am currently driving a 2001 F-150 with 259,000 ( original engine and transmission) and it us still running great and the metal work is in good shape. 300,000 is my goal. I had a 2006 Ford Fusion that had 110,000 trouble free miles until my grand daughter hit a tree. I really liked my Fusion and would buy another one.
I used to work at a job that required me to travel all over the midwest and east coast. Several of my coworkers had American built vehicles with over 300,000 miles on them. I think the asian manufacturers build good vehicles but I think the Americans car companies build comparable ones. That may not have always been the case but I think the Americans caught up. One year I bought an 1985 Buick century for local transportation that had 130,000 on it when I bought it. Then I had to use it for travel. I put another 110,000 on it and this was a carbureted engine. It was still running fine when I got rid of it but by that time it had other things like switches going wrong with it . I liked the Mazda’s too but had a bad wreck in one of them and decided they were too flimsy. I guess as you read through these comments you can have bad experiences or good ones with most any make, but a bad apple here and thee doesn’t mean they are all junk.
Charlie – I think American car manufacturers (and Honda, VW and Toyota for additional examples) build good cars but they cheap out on things they shouldn’t. One example would be my sister’s Buick’s window regulators where a nylon piece that connected the glass to the window drive repeatedly broke. A similar problem was often had in the VWs of the late 90s. Another was my friend’s 90s Mustang which had a plastic intake manifold. Or a VW I have which had a plastic thermostat housing. These are all things easily replaced by a mechnic but the average American consumer can’t do these things themselves and so it costs $$$. if only the car manufacturers would restrain themselves to using plastic/nylon to things that aren’t on the engine or in the windows. FWIW my well aged Honda hasn’t had any power window problems despite it’s advanced age and mileage (243K). We are careful not to use any more force than necessary to close the doors and we don’t run the windows up and down one half inch at a time. You’d be surprised at how hard some of my friends slam doors and how they mindlessly fiddle with the windows.
You are obviously talking about 1970 decade cars, which I would agree. However, this is NOT TRUE for cars built after 1987. I supplied OEM cutting tools for North American, Asian, and European manufacturers over 30 years. American drive trains caught up in quality like the Japanese in the 80′s and the suspension/interior designs of the Europeans in the 90′s. Now the car/ drivetrain designs are global so there isn’t discernable difference. Look how the crappy early Kias and Hyundais caught up to the Japanese quality performance in less than 10 years! I have a neighbor who drove a 1988 Oldsmobile over 300K without a drivetrain failure. I drove Volvos and BMWs in the 1980s & 1990′s, but my last 4 new car purchases (2001, 2003, 2007,2013) have been North American and I have had excellent results with quality and reliability. Japanese provided the Deming quality consistency lessons to others and the whole global industry has caught up. In fact, I found Japanese manufacturers harder to covert to new innovations that would improve their operations due to their extreme regimentation to perform to their current methods and reluctance to work with non- Japanese (kiretsu) suppliers.
my gf (now wife of 7 yrs) bought a 2001 nissan altima in 2002. it spent its first yr of life as as rental and had a tick over 26k miles at when she bought it. we sold it 1-1/2 yr ago to one of her relatives for 800.00 with 213k miles on it. i was still driving it to work (70 mile round trip) until just a few months before selling. it still ran pretty well but was obviously not the same car it had been. replaced by a 2006 ford fusion i purchased with 62k miles. it now has 106k and is falling apart. was a great car when i bought it, but at 95k miles things started going bad. the fusion unfortunately is not gonna last to 200k like our altima did (altima is still being driven by a cousin of hers as far as i know)
own a 2004 lexus rx 330 with 180000 miles bought used with 70000 milesfrom lexus of watertown, ma.
no problems , just regular maintenance.
Owned a 2000 Malibu LS, 3.1 V6, full leather, all the options. Gave it to daughter at 230,000 and still running smooth and strong. No major issues, great car. Currently driving a 1992 Buick Riviera, 3.8 V6, full leather , all the options with 185,000 … runs and looks great!
I’m in a 2006 F-150 fleet truck. 8′ bed, extra cab, 5.4L V-8 Triton (vin 5) currently at 343,265 *smiles*. Had 83,500 on it when I got in Dec ’08.
Change the plugs every 100k miles, run Valvoline Max-life high-milage oil, change oil/filter every 5k miles. Air filter ever 20k, fuel filter every 100k miles. Only needs new Catalytic converters and front-end work, now.
Before that, drove a 1991 Ranger with a 4.0L V-6. Bought it 10 years old with 153k miles on it. Engine flush on it, Valvoline Max-life and ran it to 390,000 miles before it developed a head-gasket leak on the passenger side bank. Nearly impossible to service without tearing the body apart, and removing the AC lines/evaporator.
My 1991 Honda Civic CRX was pushing 225k miles when it got stolen.
i own a 99 Chrysler Town and Country, so far I have racked up 168,000, thats more than Ive ever driven a car or truck. still runs great.
The Chrysler minivans are about the best product Chrysler makes. They seem to last and last and last if driven carefully and serviced on time.
I have a 2004 Toyota Sienna XLE with 193,000. It has had very few problems and I hope to drive it for MANY more miles. The price of new cars and the economy these days just doesn’t make it possible for the middle class to afford new cars.
02 Chrysler Sebring,162,000 miles
I know someone who sold the same year and model car at 260,000 miles,so she is just now getting broken in. I LOVE THAT CAR
91 Integra 334000 miles 30 mpg. I drive a 90 mile round trip daily.
Absolutely, i am not a person that puts a lot of miles on a car, so somewhere north of 175k is when I starting looking to replace them, that has always meant the vehicle is at least ten years old. I currently own an Oldsmobile intrigue with 171k on it, and I have no doubt it’ll be running when I decide to replace it.
My in-laws were people that didn’t believe in keeping cars longer that 100,000 miles, however they’ve since changed their minds.
Yeah, I have people in our social circle watching our car habits and feeling like they have to justify their more frequent replacement habits (not that I care). “Well, it only had 120K miles on it but we thought…” Whatever – it’s your money. LOL. I’ll continue running our cars to about 250K and then decide if we keep them longer or replace them.
My F150 has 435,000 miles and my Mustang has 235,000 miles. Meticulous maintenance and gentle driving is the key.
if you drive a ford just expect to spend 400 a month to keep it running after 200,000 miles.
Dan – that’s BS. It has everything to do with how well you keep the vehicle. If you use it up before 150K miles then yes, I expect you’ll be on the forever fix-it mode. And some models do better than others.
I have a 1998 Honda Accord sedan with 120,000 on the odometer. It was previously owned by my partner’s mother and has been gently used since new. When people ride in it they always think it’s a new car. I plan on driving it until my next car is ready for me, which is my mother in law’s 2012 Honda Accord sedan
.
I drove a 1985 Lincoln Towncar 435,000 miles over ten years and this was mostly in brutal New York City traffic not so dissimilar from what a taxicab would do.
I had to replace the transmission at about 275,000 miles but it was because the overdrive burned out; the lower three “street gears” were all still perfectly fine.
I subsequently sold the car to someone who put in a rebuilt engine and the car went at least another three years; I lost touch with the guy I sold it to.
The car had no rust and the interior was perfectly fine; it was cloth and there were no holes in the seat, including the driver’s.
I mostly used specialized garages that dealt with the taxi and livery industry; the advantage to this was since the different kinds of cars used in the industry was limited, parts were always in stock and we also got our service and repairs at wholesale prices.
One time I had to get something specialized done at a shop that did, what was in “those days,” work on some of the computerized systems (this can now all be done with a hand-held unit the size of an I-Pad); the computer, back then, was the size of a living-room wall unit.
A retail customer with a private car started in talking with me and asked me how many miles I had on the car and when I told him it was (at that time) 250,000 he simply refused to believe me!!
I have a 1996 Honda Del Sol and it has 198,000 miles on it and it still runs like a champ. However I think I need to cease driving like I’m speed racer and “darting in and out of traffic” so I can extend its life even longer.
My Volvo was great for 170k before it was crushed and they wouldn’t fix it.
Mercedes C series 2003 – runs great at 195,000; headed for at least 250. BTW: Good friend of mine got 380 on his BMW 7 series
I have a 1997 2500 Suburban 4×4 454 vortec it has 260000 miles on it. no major problems just regular maint. I tow a 5000 boat regularly with it and it does great. I will keep till 400k then give to my son to drive. Doesn’t burn oil or leak any fluids. Great ride.
I’ve got a question for you all. I am looking to buy my daughter her first car. I found a listing for a 1998 BMW 323is with 181,621 miles on it for under $4K. Good deal or not? I don’t know enough about BMW’s to know if the car is worth it or not. Do they last long with that kind of mileage on them? Will she get a few years out of it without any major breakdowns? Any advice would be appreciated.
For a BMW of that vintage; I highly recommend a service warranty of some sort (if you can get one) . Parts/labor are going to be very expensive on the Beemer.
thats my point of view.
BS, E36′s go well into the 300k miles. Just replace the cooling system (belts, hoses, waterpump, thermostat, coolant reservoir tank) every 60k and you are good to go. Same for those with E46s. BMWs are as reliable as Japanese cars but their OEM parts don’t last as long (100k) as the Japanese suppliers.
I owned BWM E36, E46, Hondas & Toyotas.
My 2000 Toyota Solara SLE has just turned 285,000. and still running great. Original engine/transmission. Just tuneups and change of transmission fluid every 50k or so.
and no, I dont change my oil every 3,000. I change it at 7,000.
Heading for the 300,000. mile mark- and will write Toyota to thank them.
just bought an 02 bmw 104,000 miles, expect to knock 200,000 before it’s all said and done!
I have a 2004 VW Passet wagon stick shift >198,000 miles and still going strong. The paint and body look just great.
96 audi A6 qattro 318000
225000 miles on my 1995 Ford Explorer.
My 2002 toyota Corolla has 187,000 miles and running just fine, I still take cross country trips a couple of time each year, and no problems.
My last Cadillac was traded in at 225K miles…
My other Cadillac was traded in at 182K miles…
My current Buick Lesabe is running fine with 175K miles…
I plan on keeping it for another 4 years when the house is paid off…
I have a 89 Chevy Camaro IROC Z with over 550,000 miles on it. I bought it in 1999 with less than 90,000 miles. If you keep up maint, and stuff cars can last a long time. Yes I have left a few burn out marks and slid around a few corners many times, and still do on occasion.
wow that’s insane for an american car. Very nice.
I drive 2002 Ranger EDGE – 178,000 miles. Last truck 1992 F-150 – 240,000 mi when traded.
Wife drives 2002 Ford Taurus – 185,000 miles. Before that? 1992 Taurus with 300,000 miles when tranny died.
2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Close to 180,000 miles, mostly highway. It runs as good as the day I bought it. I have only ever had one issues with it, the water pump went bad, and after replacing it, I found that the impeller was made of plastic, poor design in my opinion and could have been prevented. Other than that, I love my Jeep and plan on keeping it for years to come.
My Mitsubishi Endeavor has 344,000 miles and still runs great
1991 Saab 900S Convertible. Low Mileage. I’ll get another 10 years. 128K
I owned a 1978 Olds Cutlass and 1979 Buick Regal.Both cars reached 200,000 miles. Every 3,000 miles I changed the oil and once a month I topped off all engine fluids.
Very interesting. My 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT 3.8 Litre is flirting with 112,000 miles and *knocks on wood* I plan to put another 50-80,000 on her.
The Dodges will keep going as long as you can keep having the transmissions rebuilt.
2007 Dadge Ram 2500 5.7L Hemi. Biggest pile of junk I ever owned. At 101,000 miles the transmission give out. $3,500.00 and just out of warranty. Never again!
and I’ll bet never serviced in that 101k miles
I had a 2000 Dodge Dakota 4×4. The tranny gave was giving out at 34,000. A buddy had a Ram and the tranny on that one was completely cooked at 42,000. We traded ours for a 2002 Wrangler. Much better vehicle and we still have it.
99.9 Percent of Transmission problems are caused by being Over Filled and maintenance not being kept up. The Transmission usually teamed with that Engine when Automatic is a Mercedes Transmission which is bullet proof. Mercedes does not put a dipstick on their transmissions to keep 17 year olds from Putting the wrong fluids and too much fluid at at Jiffy auto service
Regardless – even a transmission replacement is cheaper than a few months of new car payments.
I’m a pickup fiend. My 1992 F-150, 300/6 cylinder had a little over 200,000 on it with very little problems when, in 2001, a brown parcel truck pulled out and destroyed it. Bought a Dodge 1500 Ram which I’d still be driving today if the ********g doors hadn’t rusted out in three years. Now own a 2006 Silverado which is the best truck I’ve owned.
AGREED..I had to stick a new one in my Caravan @ 98K
160k+ on my 96 grand caravan no transmission problems and no maint done on it, I just make sure the fluid is still red and shows no dirt when a drop is put on a clean white cloth. Also motor has had nothing but oil changes and filters.
I put 140,000 on a Caravan that was running well at trade-in. Change transmission fluid every 50K miles.
i give my 88 pontiac wagon to my sister with 110,000 mileage on 10 yrs ago now its on 180,000 she only drives to work and home, up to this day that car still runs smoother than my new windstar i have gotten 10 yrs ago, amazing! and surprise.
2005 Caravan with 3.3L and 124,000 miles. Bought used in 2008 as an ex-Enterprise rental at 50,000 miles. My transmission is fine, I change the fluid every 30,000 miles and try to avoid aggressive driving. Hope to hang onto it through 2016, as it has a combination of MPG’s, interior space and just enough power to satisfy my needs.
jci got 4 cars the 2007 that’s got 290000 dodge caravan that’s never had a bolt turned on the engine or trans and the 2001 ford explorer that got 196000 on it and the 1999 dodge ram van that’s got 4998960 on it and never had a bolt turned on it until last week the timing chain went out and the vans runs almost 24 7 when they are on the road the 2 dodges is the best cars we ever had the chives we had after 130000 thousand just dallored us all the time the dodge caravan that got me using them i got from a friend that said he give it to me if i come and get it he said the trans was burned up but it wasn’t it was just a 6.00 dollar relay and i put 200000 thousand miles on it and that sold me on to them
“1999 dodge ram van that’s got 4,998,960″ … whoa … 4 million miles?!? You’d have to drive 40+ miles per hour for 13 years straight, 24/7! That’s impressive. I wonder if TJ really meant 499,000 miles?
p-e-n-m-a-n-s-h-i-p and p-u-n-c-t-u-a-t-i-o-n please
Dude, learn to spell and punctuate, please.
He can’t because he’s too busy driving!
Don – +1 – that was funny!
I’ve got a 2005 model Dodge Grand Caravan (bought in Apr. 2004) with over 375K miles; had some repairs for normal wear/tear, but the engine is still sound. I bought it for the Stow n Go feature (2005 was the first model year for it). It has much more utility than any SUV. I can carry over 40 boxes of books (I’m a bookseller) and have moved large pieces of furniture as well (sofas, sideboards, bookcases). I’m debating whether to shoot for 500K.
We had a 1992 Volvo 240 wagon that runs great with 200,000 miles on it. We just sold it to our friend and it’s still going. These cars can reach 400k or 500k fairly easily as long as they don’t rust out.
400K, that’s nothing.
Search for Irv Gordon who drives a 1966 Volvo 1800S that is now approaching 3 Million (yes, I said Million) miles. he bought it new and has rebuilt the engine only twice. He owns theGuinness Book of Records for most miles on a single-owner passenger vehicle.
Now that’s longevity!
1999 Ford F-250 Superduty 5.4L 326000 miles
1999 Buick Regal GS (former taxi) 257000 miles
1989 Ford Festiva 154000 miles
1971 Ford Mustang 86000 ORIGINAL MILES
Worst cars
1988 Mitsubishi Cordia TURBO. Retired at 180000.
1990 Chryler Town and Country mini van, total of 4 tranaxels in 190000 miles. Traded in during road trip for the 1999 Ford F-250.
1978 Lincoln Mark VIII sold at 160000 miles
I have never bought a new car, never will. ASE Certified Master Technician, 32 years experience.
My best cars, 73 VW beetle 400k ,then sold to a customer .81 Chevy pick up Almost 400k. 65 Chevy almost 200k.My 98 Kia has almost 150 k And my 78 F100 has 190k . The Vw was the best car I ever owned .Changed the oil at 2500 miles and adjusted the valves twice a year .
Best vechicle ever, 1994 Ford Aerostar 433000 and counting, original engine and transmission.
97 Aerostar (latest of 6) paid $750 200K now 265K and going strong.
If people would Change transmission every 50 k they would have less problems.
Tim – agreed. We carpool 8 miles each way plus do some mild towing on the weekend. I’ve always used the severe maintenance schedule and recycle the fluids. 5K for example on synthetic oil which is usually black as night at 5K. Have no desire to run it another 2500 or 5000 miles as other people have advised me. An old timer once told me to change the oil when you can read through the oil the marks on the dipstick aka when the oil is dark. Around 5K is when my oil gets dark with a quality Wix filter.
My best car was a 84 Oldsmobile Delta 88.I had the car 11 years.It was not a looker but it ran,ran,and ran.I donated it because I could not afford a transmission for it.
I have over 230,000 on my 2000 Ford Windstar, and I drive coast to coast. Only thing that I replaced are the oil and tires, and a couple of light bulbs
1999 Ford f-150 5 speed 219000 miles and running strong
Ez is right…my 1997 Ford Ranger 4X4 3.0L 5-spd is still going strong at 219,850 miles. The most problem-free vehicle I’ve ever owned, including my ‘other car’ a street-rodded ’40 Chevy Business Coupe, with a souped 283 V-8. That engine has 2 rebuilds and 300K+ miles on it. Motor/vehicle longevity depends on how you drive them and how you take care of them…
1997 Acura CL, 114,000. Mechanic says it’s probably good for another 100k! Aside from a few minor dings, still looks goos.
Before I got rid of it my old ’92 Taurus made it to 425,398 before it finally died the car I have now is a ’99 Malibu it has around 95,000 and still kicking!!!!!!!!
Good to hear Tim! Chadd and I are looking at getting a Taurus (our Impala still runs well but rusted out at 141000) What are the chances I would happen onto your comments out here on the internet!? Tell Liz I said Hi! -Erika
I bought a 1998 Acura Integra GS-R in 2001. It had 34,000 miles on it. I sold it in 2011, after putting on another 230,000 miles, having it stolen and recovered twice (thank you LoJack!), and I got $800 cash with it running on three cylinders. The mechanic’s estimate to fix it was >$2500.
I did not drive it gently – I would start fast, brake hard, and shift a lot. I rarely red-lined it, but I’d run it at 4000 rpm for hours at a time. I also did not maintain it as well as recommended. And until I blew out a cylinder, it was running pretty good at 260,000 miles, and had only ever had fluids, tires, and brake pads replaced.
I HAVE A ACURA 2001 3.2 TL. It has 96,000 ORIGINAL miles and is in immaculate condition as I am the ONLY driver. Should I change the timing belt, other belts, hoses, water pump and other items right now or wait a bit. They look excellent. Also, the spark plugs–do they need to be changed now. Any and all info is welcome. [text edited by Admin]
Replace the timing belt! If it goes you can loose the engine…
yes please replace everything you said
Mitsubishi Mirage 380,000
212K on 1987.5 Audi Coupe GT and it is still faster (and cooler) than your newer Audi A4 or BMW 3 series any day.
2003 Volvo S60 at 147K, planning to have some front-end work done and maybe — just MAYBE — some exhaust. I will be keeping that car for a long time to come…
I had never allowed a car past 115K before without selling/upgrading. Simple economics dictates that change.
1998 Chrysler Concorde, 3.2 litre V6, 191,000 trouble-free miles. Full-size, leather, plus averages 25 mpg, too. Regular oil changes and basic maintenance. I plan to keep on going with it!
My husband’s MDX had 268K and his J30 had 365K before he sold them!
I WORK FOR A TAXI COMPANY,WE HAVE MOSTLY LINCOLN TOWN CARS,300,000 IS THE NORM FOR THESE CARS
ford is best, braintech/abb robots were key since 2003 in all ford motors and drivetrains, no human hands , blue print and many steps beyond, no yuckers touching engines and trannys. 3d vision robots that think on the fly. braintech got the prestigeous henry ford award for being their most important supplier.
What is the gas mileage for a typical Lincoln town car used as a taxi? Being a taxi, isn’t gas expense a consideration when computing profits?
88 Ford Escort 190K was still running good when sold
92 Explorer 185K was still running good when sold but needed transmission
97 Mountaineer 160K still going
02 Taurus 140K still going
03 Taurus 125k was still running good when sold
Very minimal problems with all of these cars. Have had more problems with a 2011 Wrangler and 2010 Jetta.
in my neck of the woods, I still see a lot of old Volvo and Mercedes, ironically they both used 240 as their models.
I put 300,000+ miles on my 1994 Mazda MX-3 and except for a starter failure it never let me down. The selling dealer replaced the starter for free because I always had my maintenance done at their facility. In the 10 yers I owned it the Midwest’s salty winter roads took their toll but there was only minor rust damage on the door bottoms which I had fixed. I kept the black paint waxed and protected and I used protectants on the dashboard and interior vinyl panels.
When I sold it it looked like new and ran well though there was some compression loss at 300,000 miles. The new owner ran it into the ground and blew the engine up at 380,000 miles.
Any modern car can last a long time by following the factory maintenance schedule and letting the dealer service the car even though it may cost a little more.
I have over 220,000 on my 2002 Mazda Protege; have it serviced by the dealer only; do not go over 65 even on the Interstate; and hope to reach 300,000; am the only driver; and woul not sell it for anything under $10,000.
i wouldnt drive a protege for free
Had 3 Mazda Proteges. 1991, 1992, and 1995. Got over 250K on all of them!
Drivers Ed instructor: best cars 1995 Ford Mustang 240,000 miles when stolen and 2000 Ford Mustang 204,000 miles when given to my son (still running). As drivers ed cars these cars were subject to all types of drivers and performed wonderfully.
Well I have A 2005 Grand Prix GT with 340000 miles and she still run like new. Take care of yoour car and they will take you where you need to go lol…..
I have a 2006 Grand Prix GT showing 72,450 miles,Florida car,always garaged,maybe time to dump the 2005 GT and upgrade your wheels..No trades..This car is loaded and pampered..
You people drive too much….
They sure do! It took me over a whole year to put on 5,000 miles on my pickup!
I suppose they’re helping the economy somehow, prematurely changing out engine oil every two weeks.
Just turned 100k miles on my 2001 Saab 93. Runs like new. My 2007 Honda Element has 84k miles and has never needed a anything more serious than new brakes. Full synthetic oil in all my cars.
I own two cars, a 98 Toyota Avalon, with 131,000 miles, and once Toyota fixed the famous sludge problem at 22,000 miles, not a thing has gone wrong.
My 2007 Lexus ES350 has 104,000 miles and it runs like a dream, with the only maintenance is religiously adhered to scheme of oil changes at 2,500 miles and fluid checks every 5,000 miles. What a car.
1972 Ford Pinto, 500k, looks like a pile of crap, but runs great
1973 pantera de tomaso powered by ford 351 cleveland engine still going strong.
I have a 1997 Camry purchased new from Jim Limbaugh in Birmingham. The sales person said ” This car will out last me if i keep it serviced ” He has since gone to be with the Lord. My Camry has 387.894 miles.The oil is changed every 4.000 miles the timing belt has been changed twice. All service is done by me except timing belts. I can blind the key hole and it will start 85% are highway miles.
2000 Saab 9-3 Viggen, 298000 miles just needed a clutch.and now needs struts. I replaced the engine bearings and found them remarkably sound for the mileage. Original turbo-very strong.
I have a 2001 dodge 2500 diesel with 250,000 miles and it runs great. Would buy another. Hulen
AMEN Hujlen, I’ve got an 05 3500 with 778,000, and an 03 3500 with 280,000,both diesel.They don’t stop and the milage improves as the miles go up.Both my sons drive dodge diesels,change the oil and keep the air filter clean and you’re golden.
My brother-in-law has an 87 Toyota Hilux with 345,000 mi on it, but both it’s engine and transmission have been replaced. My daughter has a 94 Dakota with 368,000 mi and all that’s been done to it is a trans overhaul and radiator. My wife’s 98 528i is in it’s prime at 189,000 mi. But the mileage king in my family was my ex-wife’s 86 Volvo 240 wagon. It went to the crusher this year after being fatally injured in an accident, still running on it’s original driveline at 985,000 miles.
Rather than a new normal, 200,000 miles is yesterday’s news. I routinely see vehicles with 300,000 or 400,000 miles on them today. Most all automakers have made quantum leaps in quality over the past 25 yrs.
I have a 92′ Ford F-150 XLT 5.0L 302, Right at 315000, got it as an early graduation gift with a little over 245000. Still drives well, though I need new tires, and an alignment.
1987 Mercury Sable, crankshaft pulley fell off at 182k miles
1994 Buick Regal, was still running when I parked it at 197k miles
1994 Pontiac Grand Am, was starting to show tranny trouble at 170k miles when I traded it in.
2000 Toyota Camry, bought it with 68k miles, sold it at 165k miles, still running great until it was rear ended and totalled
2004 Ford Taurus, bought it with 28k miles, drove it another 140k miles, then the engine locked up on me. I am very sure it was my own fault – there was a light tapping in the engine for a few weeks that I did not attend to; it was trying to tell me it wasn’t getting oil to the rear cylinder bank at low engine speeds. Possibly because I really stretched the oil change intervals…lesson learned!
2005 Volvo XC90, 141k miles, running strong, looks great
2005 Ford Expedition, 334k miles, everything works, engine running strong, transmission replaced at 275k miles
In Greece the Mercedes E-Class CDI (diesel) cars are usually stretched to 1,000,000km. The weather is good, they can’t really drive more than 120km/hr and they perform regular maintenace.
My best ever cars…
’79 Pontiac Grand Prix V-8/301 CID – 200k+
’85 Olds Calais 2.5L 4cyl, 5-spd – 270K+
’89 Chevy pickup 350 CID, 5 spd – 225k+
’99 Ford F-150 4×4 – still have it – 150k+
Sold all three and the next owner continued to drive.
Worst cars:
2001 VW Jetta 4cyl-auto – sold at 70k because it was a nickle-n-dime POS
2005 Nissan Frontier – absolute biggest piece of junk I’ve ever bought – in the shop 8 times for enigine and body rattles – sold at 10k miles and bought a new F-150. The new truck has been problem free.
The key? Do ALL of the recommended maintenance and drive it sanely. Pretty much any car today will last but as my recent examples have proven the imports are not immune to being problematic and it’s a BS myth that they’re of higher quality than “American made”. My domestic cars have been far better than any import I’ve ever owned (including my wife’s Toyota Avalon).
Toyota Avalons are designed in the U.S.A. for this country’s drivers. They are only built in Georgetown, KY, and never exported to Japan. It is an American car. My 1998 Toyota Avalon is better than my newer (2005 & 2009) Dodges. No wonder GM & Chrysler went bankrupt, and had to be “bailed out” by the taxpayers.
Nissan Frontier is built in the USA (Tennessee, I believe).
I have a 1998 Volvo S70 T5 with a rare 5-speed transmission. I purchased it with148K miles back in 2003 and I currently has 238K miles on it and will hopefully keep going and going !!!
i have a honda crv 2002 190000 miles with no problems except new battery
I have a 97 Honda CR-V with nearly 180,000 miles on it. Other than scheduled maintenance, and replacing the water pump when we did the timing belt, no problems. Love it!
We have a 2001 Chevy Cavilier, driven off the lot with only 8 miles on it….it now has 295,000 miles and still going! We’ve only done maintenance and replaced a fuel pump once…NO MAJOR repairs!!! Where can I get another one of these in a few years?
We will keep it until it quits or falls apart!
I own a 2002 Lincoln Lse, Sport Coupe, has 130000 miles on it. I have done general maintaince on it through out the years, and replaced batteries, tires and brakes. I do not pamper the car,I do run Royal Purple in the car and have since purchase. The car runs great, hopefilly another 2 hundred thousand miles.
91 Toyota MR2 Turbo – 199,877 as of this morning. Put in a rebuilt transaxle last week, but that was my fault..
1991 Chrysler le baron convertible,sold it at 190.000 miles,all it ever needed was $ new computor at a cost of $ 500.00. Sold it in 2006.
Well, heck… let me add mine too.
Just kept maintenance up – had to – woman on road…
1970 Red Eldorado Cad – 197,000, running mama-jama! now in garage, been idle but would run with TLC.
1978 Cad, 180,000, still running when sold.
1980 Red Eldorado, 192,000, timing chain at 189,000, gave to brother. Would still run with TLC, AC went out so he parked. I loved that car.
1996 Red Eldorado, 178,000 looked and ran like new when sold. This one was actually a better car than next one. -
2002 Red Eldorado, last of Mohicans, so put re-built engine in at 163,000 (that was my foot-in-it fault) now has 179,000. Love this car too. Great shape. Will drive til wheels fall off – no more Eldorados for me ever again. Sad…. All in all, 42 years of Great Rides.
[...] High-Mileage Cars: Is 200,000 the new normal? – Allstate Blog. [...]
97 chevy tahoe with 291700 miles and counting, oil changed every 6-10 thousand miles. I beat the hell out of this truck off roading and it still runs great. only repair was been a new belt around 200k, hardly a repair.
2002 Toyota Corolla – 147,000 miles on it. 2 belts,1 battery, 1 set of tires, front brakes and a water pump. Best car I’ve ever owned! With the economy and all, I just decided to keep it. I’m glad I don’t have those ghastly car payments or those high insurance when you finance a car.
my 2000 Nissan Xterra (my lil white pony) is at 260,000 miles and it is my baby. She has been to Tucson, AZ & New Orleans twice. All over the valley and to New Braunsfels several times (we are from Houston). She has endured every quick brake and quick turn I have given her when needed and without a problem. She also isn’t ready to be parked.
my only deal is her gas mileage now with the gas prices it hurts my pocket book). However, she is a keeper.
I have to look at it like this….Figure what your payment would be on the replacement, then how many times you could fill up each month for that amount…Makes my 2004 Prius look even better! (208K miles on this one, 98K on the ’00 Prius I traded in for it) Yeah, I drive a lot, too!
Who wants to drive an electric sewing machine? To each, his own…
my hot-rodded 1969 Malibu has turned over twice since I have it even though I have been through several engines and transmissions. Plan on doing a frame-off restoration when I have the cash.
2002 Honda Civic with 138,000. That’s not such a big deal, I guess, but how about the fact that it still has the original brakes and clutch?? It’s all about the 5 speed for me. Great mileage, fun to drive, and easy to take care of if you drive sensibly. All I’ve done is the recommended maintenance, including the timing belt/water pump change, and the battery replacement. Doubt I will ever get to 200000 miles though, since now I mostly use my e-bike except for trips out of town. That’s even cheaper to run!
Sweet about your e-bike! I put an e+ conversion kit on my mountain bike and use it for commuting and some errands too, so I also don’t put many miles on my car anymore. ’98 Chrysler Sebring convertible owned since new; 108,000 miles at present. More power to you – drive less & keep the car longer!
1991 Corolla Station wagon, original engine and original manual transmission: 330,000 miles. It runs better (more power) than my 2004 toyota tacoma, which has 150,000 miles.
I also put 230,000 miles on my first car: 1975 Gremlin.
220,000 Dodge Caravan. All of my cars have had manual transmissions, and all ran over 200,000 with no major work on engines or transmissions. Minor stuff like brakes, clutches, starter motors, radiators…were replaced as needed.
I don’t drive them hard, and I change the oil every 3 to 4 thousand miles.
2007 Saab 97x. 112,000 miles. One set of front brakes, a new battery and new set of tires. Best vehicle Ive ever owned.
Dodge Dakota V6 316,000 miles. Utility model manual 5-speedwith oversize radiator, now on second radiator. 18.5 to 24.3 mph per tank. Mileage depends on city or rural, speed and the number of hills. 22 gallon fuel tank. Oil change every 3,000 miles since new. As long as the engine compression stays high I intend to use this vehicle regularly and for long trips – repair as needed. Washed once a year, whether it needs it or not.
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT is a federal requirement to force folks to spend excessive money to fine tune the EPA pollution system. Doesn’t affect the car at all. Big Brother at its worst. Now the Red Engine Light is another matter entirely.
YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COULD MEAN MANY THINGS NOT JUST EMMISIONS. AN OWNER SHOULD ALWAYS GET THE CAR CHECKED WHENEVER THE LIGHT COMES ON. IT MAY BE A SMALL PROBLEM NOW THAT COUL LEAD TO BIGGER PROBLEMS LATER. EXAMPLE: A FAULTY 02 SENSOR COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE TO SEND TOO MUCH FUEL NOT ONLY RESULTING IN POOR FUEL ECONOMY IT COULD ALSO DO DAMAGE TO THE CONVERTOR .
Spend $20 on ebay to buy an OBD2 reader, or go to autozone and they will read it for free. Not checking the check engine light is why cars die. Usually it’s a minor fix, once you know how to read an interpret the OBD2 codes.
Or, ignore it and buy a new car / catalytic converter / transmission / etc in a few thousand miles….
Me, I don’t have money to burn if I can avoid..I always save and pay cash for new cars. I can do this because I maintain my current ride…
We have two Chevy Impalas…one an ’04 with a 3.4…one an ’05 with a 3.8….both have over 220,000 miles. The ’05 had a transmission overhaul at 215,000 and the ’04 will need it soon. I also have a ’92 Chevy S-10 with over 260,000 and the engine was replaced at 193,000.
I gave away to a friend my 1995 4 door Mercury w/270K+ miles on it. Only replaced tires, a battery or 2, brakes shortly before this “turnover”. The raising of the passenger and driver windows began to malfunction.The roof interior lining began to “diminish”. Been very proud of it, with following recommended maintenance. I liked the back doors,.as they opened wide for my arthritic mother and handicapped , daughter with multiple-scleroris simultaneously, but now deceased. Wheelchair and walker were placed in the huge trunk.
1989 grand mark 460k when I sold it
1988f-150 332k when I sold it
1975 old cutlass 590k when I sold it
2004 chevy p/u 310k when I traded it in
1971 chevy p/u 780k and still going long block never opened but did get 1 transmission
1999 grand mark 110k as of now still counting..no major work
2004 sport trac 115k as of now still counting.. no major work..
1980 sunbird 157k never cared for miles.. drove into junkyard but needed frame straightened from getting clipped and totalled
1984 fiero 490k and still counting. nothing major
1986 monty carlo SS 87000k
1973 Ford F250 185,000 miles and one engine, 1976 Dodge PU 178,000 miles and one engine and one differencial, 1988 Ford F250 180,000 miles and one engine, 1989 Toyota PU 345,000 miles still running, bearings in transmission and transfer case, 1996 Merc Grand Marquis 318,000 and still running, no major service, 2001 GMC Yukon 320,000 miles and a transmission last month.
I had a Chevrolet SW circa 1985 that ran for 250,000 miles.
I changed the oil and filters regularly and other basic maintenance and that was about it.
I finally gave it away to a friend he drove it til it died. Probably at about 300k miles.
2009 Chevy 2500 crew cab 155,000 (farm miles) still going strong cab is starting to see signs of wear though
After 21 years of not buying a new vehicle, I was in situation I had to buy a new pickup. I’ve had, I think , 9 Toyota pickups now. I bought an ’06 Tacoma. I have just about 220K on it now. The only mechanical repair I have had done, beyone normal maint. is a pully for serpentine belt. There have been some ‘cosmetic’ issues, but I am very pleased. I have the four cyl, manual transmission. It is great to hear many other people are getting even a lot more miles out of their vehicles. I still don’t have a drop of oil from it, and it doesn’t use any oil. I have replaced light a few light bulbs.
bulbs
I have a 94 Chevy van with the 4.3 Vortec V6 with 220,000 miles. It still runs great, and never fails to start. In the past nearly 2 years I’ve owned it, I’ve only had to replace front brakes and the fuel pump/filter. My van averages 13-17 mpg.
I also have a 2000 intrepid with the 2.7. This car is at 206,000 miles. It’s sitting down and out at the moment with what I believe to be a failed water pump. Before I do any work on it, while it still runs great, I’m going to be doing a compression and a couple of other tests on it before I decided to plunk 5-1100 dollars into it for a water pump and replacing the timing gears/chain. I know I can get another car for the same or less, but I don’t want to inherit another car with the same problems I’ve already spent almost a thousand dollars fixing over the past 9 months since I’ve bought it. My Intrepid averages 29+ mpg.
Oh, also had a 2005 Ford Taurus with the Vulcan V6 that I bought at 3 years old with 43,000 miles on it. By the time I let it go, I had logged an additional 130,000 miles in 4 years. The only work I had done on the car was to replace the coil pack, the front brake pads, and the entire rear brakes.
When I let it go back to the bank, the catalytic converters had clogged up, presumably from when the coil pack failed previously. And I still owed over 7,000 on the car (I got creamed on the financing even though the purchase price was a steal at $8500), since it was going to be about a $1000 to fix the car, I decided that it wasn’t worth fixing. But, had I owed 1-2500 on the car, I’d have fixed it in a heartbeat.
This car averaged 27-30 on the highway at normal speeds, but if I drove at 55-60 steady on relatively level ground, I could get 35+ out of it.
I miss my Taurus.
My 1997 Honda Accord SE 4cyl,4Dr has 156,000 and still going strong!
Owned it since new.
Never had to add one drop of Oil between oil changes.
This is and will be the most reliable car I ever owned.
Not sure about the new Hondas being this well made.
My wife’s 2002 Toyota Sienna has 285,000. All it has needed is tires, an extra quart of oil now and then.
What? You never changed the timing belt?
I asked my mechanic if I need to change the timing belt on my Toyota Echo (now has 259,000 miles on it). He said it was a chain one that didn’t need changing. I didn’t think they still used the metal chain type ones anymore. I figured they had all gone to those rubber ones that disintegrate through time. Nice for Toyota to do that!
2006 Ford Freestar with 250,000 miles and still ‘pers like a kitten,!!
We are aiming even higher… 500K on the Toyota. Not sure about the Mazda, it was bought used, have no idea what the previous owner did to it other than leave cigarette butts under the floor mats…plus it has sub-standard MPG in my book (~25-30 mpg…bleh), so, as soon as the funds allow, I may talk us into a new car with the same or better fuel mileage than the Toyota. I used to drive 50 mpg in the Geo, only could afford 40 mpg twelve years later, indeed, 40 mpg was the max any car I could afford got in 2003…apparently, I am the only customer who purchases vehicles on MPG…but I digress…
1986 Jeep Cherokee 2.5l 5 speed. 238,000 purrs like a kitten. Only new car ever was a 1977 CJ-5. since then 5 Cherokee’s or Wagoners Can’t beat a Jeep for durability..
Worst car was a Chevy Chevette. The engine failed at 60,000, and it had major rust issues before that.
I have owned a series of Hondas that have performed well. My 79 Accord had 160,000 on it, and no issues other than some rust, when I sold it. My current ride is a 2003 Accord with 142,000. It runs great, drives like new, but I did just replace the automatic transmission.
2005 Camry, 184,000 miles, runs excellent and still gets 38mpg in Austin, Texas
88 Ford Bronco with a 5.8 Original engine lasted 235,000 miles. Transmission went out at 250,000 miles.
1986 BMW 635.
Well over 200K. Starts and runs every day.
Still looks great. BMW M30 engines will easily go 300K
My 1998 Honda Accord has 230,000 miles on it, and my mechanic says it should be able to reach 300,000. The paint job has issues, as Honda apparently had issues with the clear coat back in those days. But I will hang onto it until it dies.
1997 Ford F150 V-6 is now at 215k, 1994 Ford Taurus wagon hit 240k and was donated to Kars for Kids, 1994 Ford Escort wagon 5-speed had 320k when the neighbor backed into it, insurance write-off, but a coworker bought it back, fixed some sheet metal, and drove it for another two years and got $1500 trade-in on a Nissan Quest. All my rigs get oil changes at 4k, and weekly washes to keep from rusting away.
So far I have put 140,00 on 2 different Grand Caravans without any transmission problems. I serviced the transmissions once or twice during that time. Most people never change the transmission filter or fluid…
Sold my 97 Chrysler Town and country with 255,000 on it. I would have driven it to California from MN today.
The newer Chrysler products have Mitsubishi transmissions so not to worry like the older ones.
I have a 2002 Astro van with 215,000 on it, never had a major problem. Runs like new. in fact better, the gas milage is better now.
Good maintanence and they run forever now.
170,000+ on my 1989 Porsche 928 S4. Interior is all cracked from the sun, but the motor runs strong as ever. Aside from consumables like tires and belts and a set of motor mounts, no issues whatsoever.
Try that in a Ferrari or Lambo.
mmanigotru
1994 BMW 315i. 202,897 starts and runs in the coldest weather. Bought it in 2007 with 147,000 miles. Never a problem! Needs a new convertible top. I will invest the $1,500 because I plan on driving it past 300,000 miles. The oil change is done every 3,000 miles. I rent a car for long out-of-state trips. I keep my car clean and put the best gas in it. Love my beemer!
I would say 400,000 is my expectation. I bought an ’04 Scion xB that is built on the Toyota Yaris platform (supposedly Toyota’s most reliable platform, which they have built the most of) with the intentionof being able to be able to attain that longevity. I can’t afford a new car, so I really need my Scion to last a LONG time. Unfortunately, that car is turning out to be not quite as well-built as I would have hoped. I’ve already replaced the 5-Speed transmission once (at 90,000 miles) after it seized up on me, as well as the front wheel bearings (which cost an astounding $500 PER WHEEL) and at 110,000 miles the catalytic converter went out (another $1500!), and now at 140,000 miles the transmission is having problems again (a bad synchronizer is causing the gears to grind together, which means it needs to be rebuilt or replaced again). I change the oil regularly, and thankfully the engine still runs like it is new. However, it seems to me that Toyota is losing grip on their reputation for superior quality, durability, and reliability. When I worked at a Toyota dealership for a few years, I saw MANY Toyotas, including an alarming number of Camrys that came through our service department with catastrophic powertrain failures before before they hit 100,000 miles. Toyota’s prices for parts and service are becoming outrageous as well. My last 4 cars were Toyotas, but my next car might just end up being be a Ford, or possibly even a Kia.
I think that Toyota reached its zenith in the 90′s. Slow decline since.
My first Toyota was a 1992 camry. I put 394,000 miles on it before a snowy day accident retired it before it was done running. I now have a 2005 Prius with 331,000 miles on original battery pack with just normal wear and tear to talk about. Would take it coast to coast, its my daily driver. Slow decline maybe. . . on the American built ones. So sad. American pride is misplaced.
Except that all Scions are built in Japan…
That, and whether built in Japan or in the US, they are the same design. When I see comments like those from Harver Tomsson, I want to ask where he/she works so I can avoid their products due to their being “inferior” because they are made here.
All of my vehicles get complemented that they never look their age or mileage. Some people have even thought the cars were no more than a couple years old. It all about maintenance (internal and external). I would probably buy a new car but very few have any soul. They are more like disposable appliances.
1981 Triumph TR8 – 31,000 mi
1984 Audi 4000S Quattro – 159,000 mi
1990 VW Corrado – 111,000 mi
1991 Suzuki Samurai – 172,000 mi
1993 Audi V8 Quattro – 178,000 mi
I drive a 1994 Honda Civic. IT has 425,000 miles and runs excellent. It has original engine, different transmission and even though I know it is a waste, I change the oil every 3,000 miles. I drive 45 miles one way to work every day and it is perfect for that.
2003 Jeep Liberty [purchased new in Nov. 2002] now over 212,000 miles. Always started, never let me down and no rattles or vibrations. Even I was suspect when I purchased it, not anymore.
I drive a 1990 BMW 325 with 220k on it, barely broken in and runs like a champ. Also have a 08 suzuki sx4 at 95k, runs like a champ. I’m sorry to see Suzuki pull out of the states, it’s been a fantastic car.
cyndibear ford probe 1989 441,000 mile on her she runs great
2000 S10 235.000
1995 Geo Prizm 188,000
1996 Toyota Celica 199,000
The prizm and celica are some of the best cars I’ve owned.
1992 Mercury Capri, 295,000 when it went to charity, 1997 Ford Thunderbird, 260,000 and still counting, just not in my hands, and my current vehicle, 2004 Ford Focus SVT 264,000 + miles and still going strong. To heck with with driving them easy … this thing sees runs to the red line (7200 rpm) every day. Only wear & tear items and regular oil changes at 5-6k miles.
i have a 1997 ford explorer with 377,000 miles, but… im letting it go since the transfer case went for a second time
Have a 1999 GMC 2500 Sierra P/U (Gas) 360,000 and still strong also have a 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser 288,000 and still strong. Regular maint. pays-off
96 Buick Regal, bought @110k, running good when sold @175k
89 Jeep Cherokee, bought new,running good when sold @164k
00 Ford Explorer, bought new, running good when totaled @155k
87 Ford F150, bought @98k, running good when sold @189k
97 Ford F150, bought @119k, running good when sold @184k
02 Ford Focus ZX3, bought @76k, running good when totaled @205k
03 Ford Focus ZX3, bought @99k, running good, expecting over 300k
06 F150, bought @71k,running good, expecting over 300k
09 Ford Escape, bought @42k, running good, expecting over 300k
I think rountine maintenance is the key. Change fuilds and “keep an eye on things” as you drive it.
I have a 1994 Lexus ES 300, bought it at about 120K now reads 331k and everything still works great. Had 2 Honda products break the 400k mark.
Now that’s living.
I have a 1999 Chevy Prism with 128,000 miles on it that I intend to keep until it absolutely dies. I have replaced the clutch, the door handles and the compressor, but that’s it. I love this car. And it gets 32/38 mpg!
The Chevy should work well for you… I have 220K on my 2007 Silverado… and my wife has 200K on her Honda Odessey van… we take good care of them and they last well… better than $30 – $40K for new ones!
2007 pontiac Vibe 150k. This has been the most dependable car I have ever owned. runs great
1998 Volvo V70 GLT 230,000 miles and still kicking. Regular oil, transmission, coolant and brake fluid changes. It just won’t die.
I drove a Mack truck. It was good for 4 million miles.
Honda Odyssey minivan. 164,000 miles. Will drive it until it dies.
Gee David you must not know that the modern Clean diesels in cars put out very little pollution. They solved that problem in the 90′s in europe where their clean air standards are tougher than ours. You would find diesels in most cars in Europe, as they get phenominal fuel economy
I have a 2005 Hyundai Elantra with 178,000 miles. The car has never been in the shop except for routine maintenance (tires, belts, etc). I use synthetic oil and good filters, and change them every 6,000 miles. It also gets 38 mpg on the highway, so no complaints there!!!
2005 Ford Freestyle: 224,000 miles and still running like a new car.
2001 Ford F-150: 138,000 miles and still perfect.
My Nissan pickup has 220,000 miles on it, and I should have sold it about 20K sooner as it now has an exhaust manifold leak, the check engine light and two other warning lights have come on. Told that it needs an instrument cluster but finding one for a 95 vehicle won’t be easy. And will that fix it? Shocks gave out long ago.
Maybe you can keep these vehicles a lot longer but that depends on being able to find reliable reasonable people to keep fixing them. Got conflicting opinions on what was wrong, and what it would cost. Dealer quote out of sight.
There are no ‘American’ cars any more; all cars are global products.
And almost all cars sold in the United States are assembled here.
The car with the highest percentage of American made parts is the Toyota Camry, so if you want to support the American auto industry, buy that.
Can’t do that. Toy is still a Japanese company and their cars, especially the Camry, are just butt ugly.
I miss my 96 corisca over 250000 miles when i got it lasted me 4 years until i scrapped it for a truck. Still kicking myself for that one the truck lasted 6 months.
I have a 1999 Lexus RX 300 with 221,560 miles, runs strong and i will keep it going, all original engine and tranny all service done by lexus only!
89 Camry 4 cyl 5 spd, the first model run from Georgetown, KY.
Two teen drivers, long ago, now just short of 350,000–original clutch
and many other parts, including hoses, drums, discs, and wheel bearings
Thirty hour round trip this past summer–well over 30 mpg
coworker, 2001or 2 prius (first generation hybrid). replaced at 350K.
I am driving a 2004 Chevrolet Venture Van with 159,000 miles on it. No problems so far. I’m trying for 200.000 miles.
1992 Jeep Cherokee, 302112 miles on her and still going strong. Not looking good, but running awesome.
i have a 1996 Oldsmobile 4 door Cutlass Ciera, it has 195120mls.
2003 Honda Accord with 226,000 miles. I am hoping for 300,000. Routine maintenance and a catalytic converter at 195,000.
1984 Honda Accord LX hatch, 5-spd, bought new, 37mpg hwy. Moved to LA, drove fire roads, goat trails, just a super car. Rear-ended at 40mph at a stop lite in Long Beach, crumple zone saved my life (belted). Great repair shop, good as new. Moved back to MA in 1989, started to rust around rear hatch window. Only rust on car. Lasted 199k and cat plugged. Sold at 10 yr. mark, exported to Central America (cat removed).
2000 Dodge Intrepid, 3.2, ES trim. Bought new, just turned 270k last night. All highway. 750 miles a week last dozen years. Original drivetrain, just timing belt/water pump/pulley/serpentine service. 26 mpg, 55mph or 85mph, no change. Needs rear brakes and CEL lite on for EGR. Repairs on these will be cheaper than 1 month’s new car payment.
Have a 1993 GMC S15 Jimmy. Have 376,000 miles on all original engine and drivetrain. A little maintenance goes a long way
I put 245,000 miles on my 1971 Porsche 911T Targa. My current ride is a 1995 Porsche Carrera 4. It’s got 103,000 miles, so it’s just well broken in.
406 thousand, 1998 Saturn station wagon. 35 MPG. runs like a charm
I’m at the other end of the spectrum. I live in the Phonex area where cars don’t rust. In feb 09,
I felt sorry for General Motors and purchased a new 2009 chevy Malibu. I drove it home, put
six, yes, six coats of wax on it, put it in the garage, and covered it with a cover. It still sits in the
garage, smells new inside and has 72 miles on the clock. Maybe when it gets 100 miles on the
clock I will trade it in for a new Buick (my favorite car). Bill, 30 year USAF VET.
I know we are talking cars but my 2003 4cyl BMW motorcycle has 105,000 miles and I know it will go another 100,000 miles.
[...] Is 200,000 miles the new normal for cars? My second-to-last car went 200k. My last car may well make it there. As someone who [...]
I expect my cars to run to 250k at least. Last car I disposed of was a Mazda MX6 with 260K. Currently driving a 95 Camry with 270K. Wife has an 05 Camry with 120K. My biggest worry about the Camry is the plastic parts. Plastic deteriorates over time and parts become hard to come by on older models like the 95.
[...] High-Mileage Cars: Is 200,000 the new normal? [...]
I have a ’96 4runner with 315,000 miles. The engine was replaced at 220,000 due to my negligence, but now I am treating it right and it still looks really good for it’s age. Most of the time it’s been in the garage. Also re-upholstered the front seats, added a really nice CD player with Bluetooth (including new speakers) and chrome rims with 20″ tires. No complaints. We just bought our oldest daughter a 2012 VW Jetta, so she has a better car than we do!
I have a ’92 Volvo 940 GL that has 210,000. The only thing that has ever gone wrong is the float in the gas tank. Had to replace the starter, too. My motorhead brother says that model typically makes it to at least 300K.
2001 Chevy Tracker 4 door, 6 banger. 260k, just have to watch the oil level, otherwise runs like a clock. Had to change a master cyl and a radiator, but the radiator was my fault, overfilled it. Everything else is regular maintenance, though i use the cheap oil. Never had to put more freon in the AC, either. And i laugh at the “check engine” light, its been on for 3 years.
My 1993 Honda Civic DX hatchback just got a “new” (used) engine at 303,000 miles (replacing the original engine). Since I recently replaced the transmission, I expect to run another 100-200,000 miles without major repairs.
I’ve run many vehicles well over 200,000 miles with good maintenance. I even ran a Geo Metro to 219,000 before retiring it and it was still getting over 43 MPG! It just needed enough repairs at that time I couldn’t justify that many dollars on a car worth almost as much as the gas in the tank!
This year I replaced a GMC Sonoma pickup as my work vehicle only because I run around 30,000 per year and wanted to go for better economy (Sonoma ran from 18 – 23 MPG depending on season) so now have a Cruze and averaged 35 MPG (actual) all summer. It is a bit lower now in cold weather.
Hi mileage? No sweat. Take care of the vehicle and it will run for a long time.
I own a 1992 toyota at180 t18 it is almost pushing the 300k mark and the only thing it needs is some rust removal from one of the idiots that worked on it before ,all of the water drain holes where closed up
but other from that engine is stil running smooth and getting decent gas milage on it .
had a full summer to recoat the underside and only a few spots of rust there on impact spots.
A little TLC will bring this beauty wel past te 500 mark according to the garage guy that stored the car the for sale
2008 Toyota Prius wiht almost 101.000 miles on it. No plans to get rid of it. Has only needed minor, regular maintenance. Love the 45.5 average MPG I get.
I
I have a 2001 Honda Odyssey with 222,000 miles on it. I’m going for 250,000.
I have a 1996 Lexus LX450 with 308k miles and still use it as my daily vehicle. I run synthetic oil and Slick50 every 50k with the original engine. I also have a 1997 Infiniti Q45 with 285k which my daughter drives @ college (out of state). Both vehicles were garaged and bodies are well maintained. I get offers periodically for the SUV and always get compliments when I indicate the year and mileage.
I was the original owner of a 1991 Toyota Previa. After 14 1/2 years , 440,000 miles I sold it because the alternator died for the second time. My replacement? A 1995 Previa with only 104,000 miles. I figured I’d have it for 356,000 miles.
215k on my 2001 F250 diesel. Planning on driving for another 200k. Been spraying the cab corners, wheel arches and so on with corrosion stop by PB Blaster for last 4 years after I spotted some rust bubbles. Stopped the rust in its tracks and truck looks great!! Also, oil pan was rusting badly. Took a tub of axle grease and some rubber gloves and smeared grease over pan. Worked great! Had a 1988 Chevy truck with almost 300k when I sold it. I have family and friends that drive foriegn cars as well. I think all the automakers make junk at some point. You have to do you research before you purchase. I always check Ebay for the prices on replacement engines, transmissions before considering a purchase. A 2.7 chrysler engine that runs will be worth 5 times as much as a 3.0 ford from the same year because there is a very hight failure rate for the 2.7. I ebayed engines and transmissions for the 2007 Fusion i bought last year. Can find both for less than 400 on ebay.
Well according to triple a half the car owners are atypical then. Cause the average of the entire fleet is 12 years old. Haven’t had a car payment in 12 years and will keep it that way until petrol is no longer available for us peons. As it is now have averaged less than 1500 miles a year since 2000. Just smart about where I live and work and combine trips as much as possible.
I’ve rarely purchased a car with less than 100K. I got my 89 Jeep a while back at 128K, drove it to 240K when it developed an oil leak that would require pulling the engine. Rather than re-install an old engine I just opted to put a remanufactured one in and start again.
My wife’s 87 Mercedes has well over 300K.
I worry a bit about the new cars however. Pressure to increase fuel mileage has resulted in extremely complex solutions (hybrids, turbocharging) with add hundreds of more parts to eventually repair (turbo blowers and batteries especially) with only a little fuel savings. Probably not worth it.
Additionally the move is to work very tiny engines pressed to high power outputs. That’s never a recipe for longevity. MUCH better to use a larger, unstressed engine, but that apparently uses a bit more gas. I’d rather buy the gas.
I have a 2002 PT Cruiser Limited Edition that has 212, 000 on it and I have absolutely NO idea how. I’ve never really taken that good care of it. I have a tune up and oil change once a year – and that’s the extent of my attention to it. I had to replace the capacitor and the timing belt last summer- but other than that, I’ve had no other issues or repairs in the ten years I’ve owned and driven it. Cosmetically it’s turning to rubble, but – who cares how it looks?
We had an 1999 Honda Odyssey where the tranny died at 68K – Honda replaced it since they were having so many troubles with them. We sold it with 110K as it started to have the same starting issues with the tranny. We bought a new Honda 2 years ago – but it has been in the shop 5 time already for mostly minor issues — but issues. I also have a old Pontiac Grand Prix that I thought about selling for the past 5 years — but at 160K – it keeps on going with zero issues. This may be my last Honda….
I just sold my ’94 Sunbird LE 3.1 with 257,000…. with the 3.1v6 and 5-speed it would probably go forever.
It’s way cheaper and easier to change the clutch every 100k or so then a new automatic trans.
WOW, wish I had my Dad’s old 74 Duster 138000 miles, Fixed trans and then sold it to our insurance man’s daughter. DID have Geo Storm 115000 before tranny , AMC Spirit 115000 Sold for $225 after being totalled and still drivable. 98 Dodge Neon R/T 168000 before totalled Currently Mazda 3 2005 with 219000. Spent 1200 on new shocks, struts, and 2 engine mounts not covered under a recall. Rides like a new car.
I own a 2009 Jetta TDI and 2012 Passat SEL TDI and given VW TDI engineering with clean diesel I expect at a minimal to reach 300K for both vehicles. The Jetta at a minimal gets 40mpg and the Passat at a minimal 41mpg. It was a no brainier for us given the cost of fuel today. Both vehicles ride well and are very well made.
I could not fathom getting a hybrid due to the expense, not to mention the battery replacement. Plus, like any human looks is everything. Likewise, an electric vehicle was out of the question, too. Especially, since the EPA has put more restrictions on coal and petro, where do you think the cost is going to hit? The consumer! Anyone thinking otherwise must have windmills for a brain.
I haven’t had the same luck with high mileage cars as most of you. I’ve had a 87 Nissan 200sx bought at 105,000 miles in 1995. After a few months of driving it, the starter went out leaving me stranded in the middle of the road. The AC was broken too. The car checked out to be very good on my test drive and inspection before I bought it. I also bought a 96 Mazda Miata at 95,000 miles in 2006. The car ran well during my test drive and inspection but the crank angle sensor went out and left me stranded a few months after purchase. Now, these are not critical or costly problems but my conclusion is that after 100k miles, there will be parts that will be wearing out that need to be replaced. The chances of a high mileage car leaving you stranded are much much higher than a low mileage vehicle.
mikeM Mike, You sound like an Anti-Environmental, Republican, To Me
Let’s see. I had a ’84 Chevy Spring and after 9 years and 336,000 it finally gave up. Ihad a 2000 Sebring and it died in 2011 after 177,000 miles. I bought a ’97 MEdition Mazda Miata with 168,000 miles in 2011 and it now has 187,000 and counting. It’s totally doable, having a high milleage car. None of these cars ever needed anything but maintenace. Good news is I didn’t have car payemts and all got/get great gas mileage.
I have a 1999 Mercedes Benz SLK230. Purchased it from the original owner in 2007 with 24k on the odometer. It now has just under 65k, it’s my daily driver but I have only put 8k a year on it since purchase.
No mechanical issues, just routine maintenance, tires, belts, hoses, brakes, etc……. I’m 55 and plan on being buried in it….(LOL) I’m sure this car will outlast me!
“Consider Porsche salesman Mark Webber. While selling new sports cars every day for a living, Webber still drives his 1990 Volvo to work, despite having more than 300,000 miles on the car. “I just can’t see the point of spending a lot of money driving a newer, racier car every day in city traffic when my old Volvo just wants to keep on going,” Webber told the New York Times.”
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Wait, no one else found it hilarious that the Porsche salesman is the one telling people its not worth buying a “new racier car”….HAHAHAHAHA
Walter Ford
Jan 16, 2013 at 9:15 pm
Had to jump in here. Preventative maintenance is the key to high mileage.
Bought my Chrysler Cirrus new in 2000. V-6 24 valve DOHC direct fuel injection. I run the best Michelins plus Ams synthetic oil. 22 mpg city. 27 mpg mixed. 32 to 34 mpg Freeway Portland to Seattle. The power is great at 80 mph on the freeway to Mountain Resorts etc at about 25MPG. Tires, oil and preventive maintenance has been the key in my 60 years of driving. New Heads, time belt, water pump at 190,000 miles. My Dodge 318 truck was donated still running strong and reliable with 305,000 miles.
1973 Ford F250 250,000 when sold engine rebuilt @ 150,000
1978 Dodge P/U 220,000 when sold-engine rebuilt @ 155,000, replaced Differential, body work from rust
1982 Ford F250 215,000 junked when rebuilt engine failed
1989 Toyota P/U 345,000 still have it, bearings in Transmission and Transfer Case, timing chains @ 150 & 300K, and a distributer, body is a rusty disaster
1996 Merc Grand Marquis 324,000 still use it daily, ball joints, rusted through this fall
2001 GMC Yukon 320,000 still in use daily rebuilt transmission this fall, rusted through this fall
Maintenance as required, tires, brakes, shocks. Could drop $500 to $1000 in each of them right now but won’t unless it’s safety or go/no go related.
Have used Mobile 1 since 2000 change the oil twice a year whether or not it needs it, except the Merc which uses a quart every 2300 with this one I top it off as needed and change the filter twice a year.
Spoke with a UPS mechanic years ago who told me that with their Ford Econoline chassis engine oil was changed @ 5000, transmission and differential oil @ 50,000. Their inline sixs got 125,000 miles between rebuilds and were rebuilt 6 times, trannys got 300,000 to 500,000 miles and rear ends 500,000 to 800,000 miles and they had one chassis with 1,800,000 on the rod out that depot at that time.
Start out with a quality car like GM, FORD
Have found that most any car will last if you will take care of it. Miles scare most people. 95 satrun here with 300,800 on it and still getting around 38 mpg in a 4 door. Its my driver go anyhwere any time. So why would i want to change that its paid for. Cost about 100 a year in up keep. Can you beat that.
1991 Toyota pickup at 210,000. I plan on driving it until the frame rusts out, but I am looking at a more fuel efficient used Volkswagen because I do some pretty long drives. 15 MPG vs 40 MPG.
2003 Buick Lesabre-350.000 miles.First,minor and only repair at 327.000 miles,still feels like I’m driving a new car,love it.
I cant compete in this group of 200-300K mile cars, but I have had high mileage cars all my life:
1965 T-Bird – Drove it to 160K
1974 Vega – 160K
1981 Chevelte – 160K – Would have lasted longer if I had taken care of it
1988 Honda Civic – Sold it with 160K, still running strong. Had water leaks into the body.
1994 Ford Ranger – Current vehicle – Has 138K. I’m bored with it, but it is very reliable.
The only vehicles in tihs list with major repairs were the T-Bird and Vega. Previous owner of the Bird had failed to maintain anti-freeze, resulting in a cracked block. The Vega was, well a Vega, and lost it’s first engine at 40K
check engine light lol
I have a 2000 Mercedes E320 with 312,000 miles. I get 31 mpg on the highway. The engine and transmission are original without ever being touched except for oil and filter changes. I have done the usual tune ups, coil changes (there are 6 of those expensive coils and 12 spark plugs) and other basic maintenance along the way. I don’t burn any oil nor do I have any fluids that leak from anything. With any car it is very important to service it often. I believe paying attention to any strange sounds or sensation that arise and taking care of them quickly will help save money and make the car last longer in the long run as well. I hope to get another 100,000 out of my car because I just bought new tires and brakes. My car has the original pain and still looks new with the exception of some stone chips on the front bumper that I’ve touched up. Never has seen any accidents.
My wife’s 1999 EXPORER 4X4 4.0 sohc [non-flex] has 335k miles on it just having done REGULAR Maintenance; CHANGING OIL EVERY 5K MILES. The check engine light NEVER came on until we started using ethanol gas..it kept giving us error in bank 1 readings for O2 sensor. REPLACED THEM TWICE; CHK ENGlight still comes on but we ignore it. We have replaced tranny once with AAMCO at 180k miles. This is her daily driver, i UNDERCOATED TRUCK MYSELF, when we first bought it, we don’t have any rust, gonna get in painted this year as i see a few pinholes that i don’t want to get worse. Hope to rebuild this motor if it goes before 500k because new vehicles don’t get any better gas mileage then my 20mpg on ethanol; and this tranny has the ‘selectable 2wd, 4whHIGH OR 4whl LOW. Newer AWD don’t give you tht option. Plus the AWD i am seeing cost 40k-50k for that privilege…no thanks.. CENTRAL vIRGINIA
Btw ; I should tell you that is our 3rd explorer.. we had a gen1 Eddie Bauer that went 325K till it was involved in full frontal [hard hit accident] . Replaced that with my current 2004 Sport Trac. Wifey’s truck is GEN2 Eddie Bauer. Keep good records and keep up with the regular maintenance, change all belts and hoses 6 years regardless of wear. Stay ahead of the maintenance, preventative maintenance is the key. We have never been stuck on a roadside with one of our vehicles in 25 years.
I own a ’92 Chevy Z-34 with the 3.4 liter DOHC engine with 245,000 miles. Everything works great, very strong motor, rubber gilmer belt for the 4 camshafts need changing very 80,000 miles is the most maintenance. I did not know plan on keeping car this long but the occassional drive from NY to LA in 3 days convinced me to keep it.
My wife commutes 300 miles a week in our 1972 MG Midget sports car. (37 MPG, 270K miles) With regular maintenance, a car can last indefinitely. I don’t intend to ever retire the car. Cars don’t “die”, their owners just decide to stop maintaining them.
High everyone in the bog world looking at this topic….let me explain somthing you may not belive at all cuz most people have a sence of trust in certain apsetcs of todays computerized vehicles……the higher milaage you now see on vehicles of simular age to ones previous to 2005 is because gm/ford and dodge and I believ many forghien builders are using an algorythm that adds millage at a rate higher than what is acttully adding up…some of these algorythims start to do this at 70.00 miles to 110.000 miles while others do this at 80.000 miles to 140.00 miles..at these intervells they start adding a % to them untill they hit the inteened failure rate and have to be replaced…at that time the manufatur gets the evidence of this erased as a new unit is installed with the current millage..which is usually 30.00 to 50.000 miles more that the yehicle really has…there started this by trying to find algorythims that will refelct better gas millage reults and realised to do that it affedted the total miles adding up by a small precentage and cumative at differnt speeds so the highway mile trucks are to the extrem of these algorythims…this is how they meet epa millage demands.sell more truck becaues the used industry is flooded with higher than normal millage vehicles…it the biggest scam the auto industry has ever pulled off..why can they get away with this ? becasue the govermnt likes gasoline fuel tax and so do the states there not inclined to do anything about somthing like this becaause it generates so much revenue….sorry for the bad spelling but it doesnt make what im telling you any less truthfull…only cell phone companys are hidding a bigger scam than this from the public but I wont go into that. thanks for taking the time…just google gm faulty cluster 2003 to 2005 gm silverado you will see the actuall stament were gm confierms the actual millage that each year will fail at…otu could the fail or act up at the exact millage and for the eact range ? just think if you had all the resousces to do this and a corrupt mindset..it isnt a far reach to undertsand they just coulndt help themselves form using what so far is somthing not many are aware of cuz no one wants to belive it.
Wrong. I have GPS. Unless they’ve worked out some kind of devil’s bargain with Garmin what you’re claiming is simply not true.
It would also be VERY illegal. And there are thousands of GPS users out there, who track their mileage carefully, who would notice. It would be impossible to pull off such a scam.
You need to exercise a little common sense when you read something on the internet.
my ’84 corolla got to 314,000 when the left rear strut assembly rusted off. engine ran perfectly. burned no oil. original starter, alternator fuel pump. incredible. sold it for parts. had an ’82 taurus that got to 265,000
before water pump failed and car junked. own 92 volvo 240 with @ 320,000 going strong, some oil burn, but no major repairs to date, runs perfect, 28 mpg hwy. own 89′ saab 900 with 280,000 on body but head gasket
blown at 235,000 mandated engine replacement. own 97 ford f150 with 82,000, no issues to date. all of these cars maintained meticulously by me and as needed, top tech. i am sure the volvo will go over 500,000 easily. this year/model saab have reached 1 million mi if you watch for head gasket failure and replace with improved saab gasket.
Just sold my two old vehicles and replaced them.
2006 Taurus- 278,000
2001 Grand Caravan- 163,000
before that had an Accord with 190,000 miles.
If you Google my name Peter Gilbert SAAB you can see that in 2006 I drove a 1989 SAAB 900 SPG over the 1 million mile threshhold. This was done with devotion to changing the all the fluids at common sense intervals: Synthetic engine oil every 7,500 highway miles; transmision, power steering, air-filter, fuel filter 30,000 miles; Coolant 50/50 with distlled water once a year (63,000 miles).
In the winter used a pressure washer twice a week to clean the brakes, wheel arches and body from road salt. In the good weather once a week by hand. I had the manual gearbox rebuilt at 192,000 then it still remains in the car today along with its 3rd clutch (including the factory one) which was last changed at half a million. The only engine work was to replace a head-gasket at 350,000 together with a timing chain only because the labor was the same because of the gasket. Otherwise this car is still with the original turbo with a million miles on it because I warmed it up for 30 econds before driving off in the morning and let it coool down after a hard run.
This car is now on perminent display at the Wisconsin Auto Museum, Hartford, Wisconsin.
Peter…. I remember your car from reading it on SaabUnited. My last three cars…..
1995 Saab 900 sold with 198k(50k was put on by me)
1999 Saam 9-5 sold with 235k(wasn’t running and I owned last 125k miles)
2007 Saab 9-3 still own and bought at 40k. Now has 140k and been best of my Saab’s…. looks and drives new new
I HAVE A 1998 CADLIAC NORTH STAR DIDNT MAKE IT TO 100 THOUSAND ENG NO GOOD FOR THAT KIND OF MONEY IT SHOULD ALSO HAVE CHEVY CALVLER 1999 300 THOUSAND IT JUST A BETTER CAR
I drive a 1996 Toyota Avalon with 330,000 miles and it just keeps going, and going and you know the rest. My commute is 135 miles a day or 750 miles each week. I wont get rid of it as long as it keeps me going!!
“Curbing your need for speed can help keep your car running longer.”
Not worth going slow if you can afford the wear and tear. I’d rather pay more and be able to speed than drive slowly. I LOVE the adrenaline rush and have been driving for 8+ years and no accidents. I pride myself in my jet-fighter reaction speeds and being able to see cops before they can see me. Speeders rule!
Pretty good internet troll skills too.
Just so you know Toyota Camry very dependable my sone has a 91 Camry drives every day and as of now has 420,000 miles on it and I would drive it anywhere
I’ve always maintained by cars as if I’m going to drive them a million miles, but then I trade them when they’re still “young.” With my ’07 Honda Accord I’ve decided to wait and see the results of my efforts. 140,000 miles on the clock so far, and aside from a tendency for the radio’s backlight to brighten or darken randomly it’s perfect. Starts instantly, runs smoothly, burns no oil, and operates in every way like it’s brand new.
I change the oil every 6 months, using full synthetic. (About 12,000 miles between changes.) At 80,000 I replaced the spark plugs. At 100,000 I replaced “everything”: Shocks, brakes, belt, hoses, transmission fluid and power steering fluid.
People who change their oil every 3 months or 3000 miles are wasting money and effort. That was a good idea 50 years ago, but today it’s just plain silly.
I’ll do another “hundred thousand” routine when it hits 200K, and I plan to sell it at 250K when it’s still worth something. Somebody is going to get a pretty good car for a great price.
The ultimate “drive it forever” car is an old Mercedes-Benz. Pre-1990s. They were simple, built like tanks, and part of the reason for the original price was that they maintain warehouses full of new-old-stock parts for virtually any model made since the 1950s. And the parts are surprisingly cheap. A skilled do-it-yourselfer will find an old Mercedes an absolute delight to own and maintain. They’re made to be rebuilt over and over, for generations.
Not so with the newer ones. Now they’re just another car.
233000 On a Crown Victoria does not even qualify as broken in yet ! They are the tanks of the car industry. After the police are done with them they find their way into local taxi fleets, then after a few hundred thousand more miles they end upo as retired guy’s car !
I have a 2004 kia sedona with 240,000 miles and still driving it everyday
1997 Lexus LS400 219,000, middle aged but pretty much showroom perfect and headed for 500000, I do the work so costs are low. The trick is to find these high quality models, even if they are up there in miles, give a little TLC, they last forever. This LS has the most amazing Nakamichi stereo ever put in a vehicle, a $5000 option when new. I would look for cars in the mid 90s before thet started putting all the electronic crap (broken soon) on it you want to nurse an ultra high miler. And I’m an electronic eningeer.
Oh and I wanted to mention, I did a brake job on a brand new Ford Focus last month; The inner pads on both front wheels were siezed in the caliper, not moving at all. A NEW car. It took Japan 50 years of post war hard work to develop the systems that have in place, When did our clock start ticking? We’ve got a ways to go boys, till then, I drive the most serious car I can find,
Well I see your problem. Dadge? You clearly bought a knockoff.
200,000 on my ’03 Chevy Cavalier. Still runs great, gets me 32 mpg on average.
If the Allstate insurance company was competent and/or honest then they would admit Toyota and Nissan were building 600,000 mile capable cars back in the 1970′s.
Does anyone have any advice on an acura mdx with 185000 miles on it?
1991 GMC Sierra 4×4, drove it 378,000 miles on the original untouched drivetrain. It wasn’t driven gently, used it to tow a 5,000 pound boat and ran it in the woods and mountain trails on many camping trips. Sold it to a friend when I bought a 2002 Silverado. The GMC is still on the road with over 400,000 miles on the odometer. The 2002 Silverado has now gone 168,900 miles with the original drivetrain and still runs good.
Nice! Proof that any car will last as long as it’s driven!
Just turned over 200k on my 94 Dodge Grand Caravan.
24 mpg, drives like a ten-ton armored car, burns zero oil, ice cold AC.
Mercury Monterey, 2005, just topped 300,000 miles and the only problem it has is this rusty seat bracket that’s on recall. Of course, these are highway miles, but that baby still purrs.
I hear you. I drove a 2003 Corolla for 297000 repair-free miles and only stopped because I hit a deer.
I was looking forward to seeing how far that little car would go.
My 2002 Toyota Prius, bought new, has 234000 miles. Replaced the HV battery in 2008
99 Mustang six, hard top, automatic – 123,000 miles, drives well, no plans to retire it until I have too – has needed very few repairs -
i own a 87 fiero with 200k. and yes its my daily driver. and yes i drive it in snow. i can keep a car running ad infinitum, only limiting factor is whether i get bored of it. reason mileage is so low is the 4 previous owners did not use it as a daily driver. it’s a toy though, and it gets hard mileage and i kinda want the engine to die so i have an excuse to put either a 350 smallblock v8 or a 3800 in it. i’ve seen 80 year old cars on the road. what keeps a car on the road is more than anything the owner. Once had a 95 contour, got it at 80k brought it to 200k, didn’t do a single repair other than standard maintenance (brakes and what not) and a suspension coil snapped in half. got rid of it because it was gonna cost more to put tires on it than it was worth. also the clutch was getting soft and the suspension was getting worn. also didn’t have confidence that it would pass inspections. also didn’t want to push my luck especially with a relative throwing away a newer car. Still have limited contact with the new owner, he still drives it, it’s now well over 300k. now all my cars but my fiero have been taken away from me due to hit and run t-bones, along with the health of my vertebrae. I’ve seen 50 year old lotuses and mg’s on the road… as I said. all up to the owner deciding his car is worth it. you wont catch me dead driving a toyota and honda though. I drive cars, not appliances.
I have a 1989 Grand Prix with 227,000 and still going strong wont get rid of it till i have to!!
I drive a 2000 Mercedes E320 with 186,000 miles. It is in perfect condition, drives well and gets very good gas mileage. I must admit that the car has alwsays been serviced when required (A&B service). I would not think of giving it up.
2001 Honda Civic – 270,000 miles. Rear brakes and clutch changed around 250,000 miles. Still looks nice (rust free). Only major issue – windshield has never broken but it is pitted terribly after all those miles. Waiting for a rock to hit it! Oh, by the way, this car replaced my 1989 Honda Civic with 275,000 miles on it!
2002 Ford Focus. 150,000 miles + Its been down to Vegas at least 4 times now, thats 450 miles down and 450 miles back, been a fantastic car. Only have had to put a new clutch in it one time and I dont think thats too shaby for a car wsith 150,000 miles on it. I always stick to my maintnence schedule as much as I can, beside the cluthch, only other major think I had to replace was the thermostat thing under the hood, I was driving up a hill and my temperature gauge went to hot way too quickly and I started to see steam coming from under my hood. Other than than been a very good car, Dont believe one second about what people say about the letters FORD–Found on Road Dead, my car’s still living……
I’m driving a 2001 Pontiac Grand AM GT. It has 182000plus miles on it and is expertly cared for by my local GM dealer. I get compliments from the dealer techs whom work on the car on occasion. At such high mileage, it still looks brand new and runs as smoth as ever. I was told once I’ve got the second oldest car to ever regularlly come into the dealership for maintenance and occasional repair. Apparently there’s someone with a ’94 Buick Skylark that also comes in for service…