What do you consider "high mileage" when buying a used car? I'm starting to shop for a new-used pickup and 100K doesn't really phase me. I would think most vehicles built in the last 10 years should have at least another 100K low maintenance miles on them?
Current DD is a Chrysler T&C with 214K that runs perfect on minimal maintenance since 2005, but it's dissolving back to the earth.
I tend to agree. These days, 200K miles isn't really all that uncommon. My 2008 Grand Caravan turned 200K yesterday and that was with the bare minimum of maintenance - regular oil changes; if something breaks, fix it. Even then, breaks have been fairly minor: a set of front calipers, an injector, a heater hose, and most recently a radiator and t-stat. Most expensive to fix will likely be the A/C, which means I probably won't do it (a few recharges have lasted less and less time).
Cars used to start to have major issues at 100K.. it seems to be 200K now...
Fueled by Caffeine said:Cars used to start to have major issues at 100K.. it seems to be 200K now...
Which is funny, because perception among the commoners is exactly the opposite.
I've also noticed more ads with the sellers using the words "low mileage" while the vehicle has in the low 100K miles on it already.
I'm with you that 100K on a fairly new vehicle has lots of life, but I wouldn't go so far as to proclaim that low mileage. Unless it's something like a 3/4 ton diesel, which I routinely see for sale with 250K+ and still asking substantial sums of money, then maybe I'd give a 100K example a pass as actually being "low mileage".
My current daily is an '08 Volvo V50 with 215K on it... minimal maintenance, original struts/turbo/etc. and runs great. I'd have no problem replacing it whenever it does die with another heavily depreciated ~5 year old vehicle with 100K on it, expecting lots of life out of that one as well.
So to answer your original question, I'd say "high mileage" is somewhere between 150-200K nowadays. I expect most reasonably maintained cars to go 200K.
I'll echo the 200k sentiment. I know when I go to sell cars, those with low 100s sell easy. anything near 200 is usually a tough sell, so I stay away from them
I'd say it kind of depends on the price, almost more than the vehicle
Example: my p71 has 230k on the clock, I paid $600. Ranger has 206k, in February in PA I paid 2700. Both not bad prices for miles. Now, I'm still seeing a 1996 Tacoma with 260k miles advertised for $6700?! That's too high of mileage for the price.
Locally, everything under $5k has 200+ thousand miles or a body made from Swiss cheese, or both. I still see tin worm as the number one cause of vehicle death up here,and tin worms don't care about miles.
Duke said:Fueled by Caffeine said:Cars used to start to have major issues at 100K.. it seems to be 200K now...
Which is funny, because perception among the commoners is exactly the opposite.
I think there is a common misconception that a brand new vehicle should not need any service beyond oil changes (if that, even...) all the way to 200k miles. People complain because they "need" new brakes after 100k miles or they have to do a water pump at 120k miles. I often hear "why couldn't they build this better so it would last longer?" or "I never had to replace the coil on my 197X old hunk of American iron" Well, yeah, but how often did you change spark plugs and points? Fuel filters? How was the fuel mileage? On my wife's Five Hundred, we replaced a starter and some piece in the A/C system that caused it to blow hot when sitting still. My FIL bought that car in '08 at ~35k miles and we sold it at 198k miles. AFAIK, it was on the OEM rear brakes when we sold it.
On the other hand, it is often funny to see how many common items "fail" right after a vehicle is out of its standard warranty period. I know a guy that had an F150 that had a driveshaft start to fail at ~100 miles out of warranty. Same guy had another truck that started killing coils one after the other ~1k miles after its warranty expired. OEMs are pretty good at establishing what needs to be done to get it out of its factory warranty (see: BMW & Mobil 1's 15k mile oil change)
Low mileage is less than 12k/year up to @8 years or 100k after which mileage is irrelevant and maintenance history and condition are more important.
My wife's 2 year old car with 80k miles is high mileage, but my FILs Roadmaster with 100k probably isn't, because it is 20 years old.
The ms6 has 150k on it and that's 30k less than my Jeep had. I talk to customers all the time who want a new car because their current car has over 90k miles. Just depends on perspective I suppose.
Bought a Honda CR-V last year with 200k. I knew its history and maintenance records so I had no issues. In the past year of daily driving, I've only had to replace a burned out headlight bulb. With the right care, I don't see why I can't get 300k+ out of her.
I guess it also depends on what people consider a "major issue." When I told coworkers my van needed a new radiator, they were near horrified and figured I'd should get rid of it. The van is 10 years old. Stuff wears out. I don't consider that to be a big deal. Of course, most of my coworkers are in the "100K miles is a lot" camp.
In reply to Ian F :
Just explaining plans for the ms6 at work is the same way. Told someone I want to replace all the rubber hoses and they said the same thing. Oh man I'd just buy a new car at that point.
At this point, mileage is irrelevant. Let's talk about rust :)
Never having thought about it like this but, a car with the timing belt service completed at ~120k miles is low miles but a car with the timing belt service still due at ~120k miles is high miles. Haven't owned a timing chain car in a while so I don't know where the break is on those. 150k?
My mom leased a new car (Dodge 600 turbo convert) in the mid 80's. I recall her saying she had to keep it under 12k miles per year. Fast forward over 30 years and 12k, maybe 15k seems to the yearly limit averaged out before they penalize heavily for going over.
I think the powertrains, for the most part, can go 200k these days. But once you get over 100k, you're going to have to start dealing with ancillary systems. My son's 2002 Exploder is a good example of this. At 160k, it runs great, but it's starting to develop electrical gremlins, the power windows barely work, and one died completely and needed a new regulator, the HVAC system has had problems with things like blend door actuators, various bulbs have burned out, etc. Nothing that's going to leave you stranded, but stuff that needs to be dealt with all the same, and can become a nuisance.
To me it depends on what vehicle your talking about. For example, I wouldn't mind higher mileage on a Toyota truck as long as the frame isn't rusted and it has a good history. I bought a 07 4Runner last summer with only 75k. That's low to me for a 4th gen 4Runner and I gladly paid the high book value. I've seen these go 500k+ with the original engine/tranny, so who knows if 200k is really that high. FWIW, I had a guy bring me $10500 for a 2004 Double Cab Tacoma 4x4 that was getting ready to hit 200k. He was also out-of-state and 3 hours away. That was just 3 years ago. I've been surprised to see other brands go for high miles that I would not have expected...so who knows. I do love high mile stories.
My DD is a 2005 Toyota Tundra crew-cab 4x4 with the 4.7 V-8. It currently has 257,000 and purrs like a kitten. I also use it to commute back and forth to FL every couple of weeks. A few months ago I began wondering when the Tundra might let me down and strand me somewhere between PA and FL, so I decided to look for another vehicle. I ended up finding a good deal on a 2013 Ram 1500 quad-cab Big Horn edition with the 5.7 hemi and 70,000 miles. I showed a few friends the “new to me” Ram and the overwhelming response was that I would be incredibly disappointed in it compared to the Tundra? Really, 256k vs 70k? I like driving both of them, but now I’m concerned that the Ram won’t go as far as the Tundra has or at least in the ballpark. Everyone keeps telling me to sell the Ram and drive the Toy because it’s a 500,000 mile truck! I haven’t sold either one yet as I’m trying to figure out which to keep long-term. In my world, long term is until it dies, but in my fiancées world, it’s 3 years or less! High mileage is all dependent on how much maintenance / nickel & dime stuff you are willing to replace over time. I hate car payments, so it’s high mileage cars for me!
Funny thing is the NADA value for a clean 2005 Toyota Tundra with 250,000+ miles is just shy of $14,000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In reply to lotusseven7 :
The difference between Toyota and Dodge (or anyone vs Dodge for that matter) on trade value is laughable. They just don't hold their value at all
Yeah, North and South have a big bearing on weather I want to pursue a 150+k mile vehicle or not.
Down there in the rust free climates something toward 200k means you just want to get some understanding of previous maint.
Up here in the north, toward 150k you want to get some looks at how the chasis/body are along with maint.
The southern cars will have poor top paint and sun baked interiors.
The northern cars will have rusted out rockers and underbellies but the interiors will often still be near mint.
oldopelguy said:Low mileage is less than 12k/year up to @8 years or 100k after which mileage is irrelevant and maintenance history and condition are more important.
My wife's 2 year old car with 80k miles is high mileage, but my FILs Roadmaster with 100k probably isn't, because it is 20 years old.
This is important. Low miles is less than 10k per year, for me. So a 15 year old car with 150k on it is still low miles. My daily driver is 17 years old with less than 10k per year put on it. Still great.
When the rear quarters or floor boards or sub frames are rotted out or there's obvious lifter noise and burning of oil. Otherwise cars built in the last 15 years seem to basically be impervious to minor owner neglect and mileage, which really says something about the engineering and materials that goes into them.
In reply to lotusseven7 :
Just in case you haven't heard about that million mile Tundra 4.7, I leave this here:
http://www.trucktrend.com/how-to/project-trucks/1705-million-mile-tundra-the-tear-down/
It still had the original engine/tranny. Only major problem was reverse went out......at approx. 800,000 miles...lol. So is your 247,000 miles high? Good question.
My uncle just asked me the same question when looking for a new work truck. I know Chevy and I told him what the GM mechanics at work told me: An old truck with a small block that was maintained well could usually make it to the 200k mark before it wasn't worth fixing, while the newer stuff, say 2002 and up, will usually go 300k or more. Around here rust is not a concern but good maintenance from day 1 is. Most people I run into are too cheap to really fix something right or in a timely manner. For example: my sister who I love dearly, is bad at cars. Her husband, who I like a lot, shouldn't be allowed to touch a screw driver. When her old saturn has an issue and she calls me to diagnose funny sounds over the phone I always ask if the engine light is on. "Yeah but its been on for months." Luckily up to this point it has never been anything major but most of it could have been avoided in the first place.
I'd say anything over 200k is high mileage but if proper maintenance has been performed there should be plenty of life left and the price should be lower too.
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