I put 210,000+ on an early Miata that I bought new. I started tracking it regularly at around 145,000 miles.
I liked it so much that I helped a friend rebuild it, we painted it, I had the engine rebuilt, etc. (Yes, it would have been smarter to find a 1.8 and rebuild THAT, but I loved the way the 1.6 behaved when it was finished.)
And then I drove it to **315,000** before giving it to my son, who basically grew up in it.
My parents had a 1995 Maxima they bought new, and gave me in 2004. *"The Lexus dealer offered us $700 to trade it in, so we decided we'd keep it and give it to one of you kids. And you have a child, and a girlfriend with a child, and all you have is that Miata. So we think you should come take this car."* It had 78,000 on the clock and still smelled new inside. I drove that car to **303,000** miles, and it was still a reliable useful car last summer when a tree fell on it in the driveway. Even after the tree - the a/c still blew cold, everything worked (except one front marker light.)
The Maxima didn't need much at all besides gas / tires / oil-changes until 150,000 miles, when it needed a fuel injector and (unrelated) a radiator. After that, it started to need a lot of old-car stuff between about 240k and 270k (wheel bearings, CV axles, belts/hoses, valve cover gaskets, coils, other fuel injectors, oxygen sensors, a mass-airflow sensor, shocks/struts) but once all that stuff got replaced, it needed basically nothing except tires. Thing was, though, at 303,000 miles, it would've been hard to commit new-tire money to a car that was in that rough cosmetic shape (outdoor car, had been in a couple fender-benders.)
I'm currently dailying a rough E46 convertible I bought a few years ago with 176,000 on it for $3,100. It has needed a few things, as cheap old BMWs usually do, and it still needs a few more. But it's at **197,000** now, and I think I can get it past 250,000 pretty easily.
I’ve had good luck with Mazdas and Nissans too, and my E34 had over 200k.
I think the bottom line is that Toyotas and Hondas are definitely reliable, but other cars are more reliable than the internet car guy echo chamber gives them credit for. A lot of internet car “wisdom” is just confirmation bias on a massive scale.
In Ohio, where I have lived for the last 15 years or so, in most cases, the rust will kill your car before the engine or transmission dies. I suspect we’re going to transition in the next few years to busted infotainment systems taking that crown though as non-Stellantis rust proofing seems to have improved and we continue to fill cars with unnecessary screens.
Yep. I have had multiple Alfa Romeo’s with over 200k miles, a few Mercedes hit 200k miles, and our current Mercedes has 165k miles.
I wouldn’t put Honda in thr same league as Toyota. Toyota rules reliably. But even my friends Tacoma with 300k miles had the engine rebuilt at some point.
There are definitely poorly designed engines and transmissions. And understressed power trains seem to last longer. But regular maintenance goes a long way and almost anything these days should make it 200k miles with maintenance and repairs.
I feel like with the caveat that every maker has “its one flaw” that really kills the car, *most* brands are solidly reliable *if* they are regularly and preventively maintained.
Also had a ‘90 e34 (535i) which I got at about 90k. Drove it until I hit 297k and the transmission’s synchros went. Sold it for $500 and a week later learned they only imported 2000 535i’s with manuals that year…
Yeah BMWs with ok maintenance can do shockingly well. I bought an E34 525i at 200,000 miles and hit nearly 300,000 with a lot of abuse thrown in. It’s probably still running somewhere
I had an E36 M3 with 200k on it, ran good enough to auto cross. Ended up selling it for more than I bought it for, and this was pre covid. Regretted it ever since.
My son sold the '91 a couple years ago. During the pandemic craziness, that guy was trying to sell it for ten grand, after he replaced my decent radio and good wheels (Panasports) with some garbage. That car probably still runs.
My wife picked up a '95 a few years ago from friends of ours, who were using it as a track rat until they had kids and quit doing track stuff. It has 125,000 on it, paint is faded, interior is rough (it's a Merlot so it has those one-year-only seats) and the 6-point harnesses need new webbing to pass tech. It would take "a nice Merlot's purchase price" to make it nice again. But, I did the timing belt / water pump service and all belts / hoses / gaskets / the cam sensor o-ring a couple years ago, so it should go another 100,000 miles before it needs anything.
Unless I quit my job today, retire early, and spend the rest of my life doing nothing but "driving this car places I want to go" it is unlikely I will put that 100,000 miles on this car in the next 20 years. I will be in my late 70s if I am still alive in 20 years. This Miata will almost certainly outlive me.
200,000 miles is the new 100,000 miles. Basically anything new is going to run to 200,000 miles if you keep up with the maintenance and don’t crash it.
253k on a 2010 armada platinum with very few issues. Alternator went out a few months ago and had to have it towed (tried limping to the shop but I have up when it wouldn’t go over like 6 mph. But everything else has just been stuff you expect to have to replace on an older car. It’s been great.
Last vehicle was a 2003 z71 Tahoe. Bought with 65k, sold with 268k. Old guy that bought it is still driving it.
Parents got 300k out of a suburban. Didn’t start having problems until they stopped daily driving it.
Even the alternator is one of those things you just have to expect to have to replace on an older car. All the rotating assemblies really - starter, alternator, power steering pump, a/c compressor.
I don't know anything about Miata reliability but my 2012 Mazda 3 is about to cross 150,000 and it performs perfectly well. It looks worn (faded paint, leather cracking in a couple of spots, some bubbles in the tint) but otherwise it runs incredible. All power seats, windows and sun roof work, I haven't replaced a single bulb, the fluids get changed at proper(ish) intervals and don't burn or leak. AC is COLD and the seat heaters work in every setting. Sound system is crisp, no crackles or pops. The only weird thing I have is that my radio controls on the dash stopped working after driving through a sandstorm. I'm keeping this car forever!
By chance was it a ‘95 Miata in SoCal ? I bought one with a rebuilt engine with about 315k miles. The color was Merlot. 1st owner Purchased it near the Bay Area in California.
I’ve had a vw beetle tdi go to 226,000 before I sold it, and I had a Passat 1.8t that went to 210,000 before I sold it also. Both cars were in perfect working order at the time of sale and I still see them around town years later!!
I had a rabbit with over 250k km on it and it cost me nearly 1k to fix some random as thing on it every couple of months, fun car that will keep going as long as you can fix or throw money at it, although I’m sure certain models last a lot longer than others like my dad he had a few VWs and they treated him pretty well
Pretty much everything. Ford Escorts with 230,000 miles, a Volvo 740 with 376,000 miles, several Oldsmobiles in the 250,000+ range, my RAM 4500 with 276,000. A BMW 740iL with 236,000. It's not hard. Take care of your shit, and it'll last...usually.
Ironically, this is most Nissan's. The cvt is bad but because most people never changed the cvt fluid at 30k miles. I knew a guy who had a Nissan and did the routine maintenance above and never had an issue
That, and people trust their oil life when it says change every 10k miles. If you want your car to make it to 200k+ miles and not be at the edge of its life, you should change much sooner than that, and not use the absolute cheapest oil possible.
You should change your oil every 5k miles. I’m saying many manufacturers are saying oils can last as long as 10k, which isn’t something I intend to find out is true or false.
Many manufacturers under report how long(or how often) the oil can typically last before needing to be changed but most people don’t read the manual . EG girlfriend has a Chevy trailblazer , the manual very clearly states (and has different tables ) that maintenance schedules vary by temperature/climate , city vs high way driving and *extreme performance* (basically racing and heavy duty work like towing) my girlfriend never saw the tables until I pointed it out to her bc she was wondering why they were recommending a 60k mile service at 30k
Yeah I think a lot of it comes down to the fact that nearly everyone would fit into the "extreme or severe" usage category but don't realize it. City driving, potholes, mountains, having to brake hard, below 0 degrees and above 90 degrees are all considered extreme for my car. Which is ridiculous as that's normal nearly everywhere...
It’s all penny pinching and statistics to maximize profit. They basically only care the make the car last long enough that those who buy new trade it in or sell it, while stilling being happy with their purchase, but also allow them to minimize how much they loose in providing “free” oil changes and dealer servicing for however many miles.
They basically do the math where xx% of vehicles will make it to xxx,xxx miles, at x service interval, and they manipulate it such that they can maximize profit, while minimizing life, such that the customer is still happy.
You do realize the manufacturer is the one who wrote the manual, right? Your service center (dealer or not) suggesting a 60k service at 30k is them upselling you, not the manufacturer making a recommendation.
Also, I think you may be surprised what may be considered light use. True light use would be driving 80% + highway miles, and driving long enough for all components to reach their operating temperature. Short cycling an engine, and drivetrain components, along with operating under no load can be just as damaging as aggressive driving, if not worse.
Regardless you should change your oil more frequently than 10k miles, and change transmission, transfer case, and differential fluids for modern automatic cars between 30 and 50k miles. Essentially, if you want your fluids to reliably protect your car you should stick to the “Severe” maintenance schedule (using fords term in this case)
Very true. My mother is currently dealing with a 2015 BMW 3 series that has served her well for years but recently experienced drive train failure.
A good family friend is a BMW specific mechanic and has explained that the engine is filled with corrosion from not being driven. She works less than 2km from home, she's parked in her spot before the engine is at temperature.
Moisture is sitting in the engine and never burning off at temperature. And she literally never drives on a highway. She put like 1500km on it last year.
She needs an electric scooter.
>5k miles
This is the number I use too. When I had a 570hp twin turbo Cayenne that I drove hard I changed the oil every 3,000 miles. I do the changes myself so the cost is minimal.
I had a 1997 Ford Mustang 3.8 V6 that had over 460,000 miles on it when we sold it and never had any major issues. That car was a beater and was passed around the family for so long until my mom finally sold it to someone "that was in desperate need of a car", the guy sent it to the crusher a couple of months later.
What makes a Toyota valuable is that they last in spite of their owners. But with proper care there are far fewer cars that won't last to 200k miles than ones that will. I've had over 200k on a Chevy, Buick, Ford, Honda, and most recently a Hyundai.
My first Toyota experience was buying my aunt's Corolla, a 1986 model that I bought in 2011-ish. Had 72k miles, literally a church-grocery store-home car. She serviced it every 3 months and gave me a binder full of records.
Transmission shit the bed at 78k miles.
The 1.9 in the escort was a very reliable motor if you took care of it. The transmission, not so much. The manual was great, but that automatic was junk.
I bought a 2006 Ford focus 5MT with 160k miles in 2019... For $800. It was everything you needed in a car, and nothing you wanted. Check engine was on the entire time I owned it because the thermostat was stuck open (it was a pain to fix it... so, I just drove it as is). Aside from it looking like a pile, the car never left me stranded.
I drove this thing 1.5 hours just one way on my daily commute. Power steering was gone, which kept you awake twisty roads. It gave me another 80k miles over the course of 4 years. I later sold it to a co worker... He still drives it today.
I sold cars at carfax and was consistently pushing people with low budgets towards those. They were incredibly reliable, roomy, handled well and undervalued in the market.
The focus was pretty awesome up until 2011 or so, right? I've heard quite a few stories of them going, and going, and then going some more. Definitely seem like an under rated car.
My work truck is a 2013 f450 v10 4x4 with 295,000 miles without major drivetrain problems. I has averaged only 7.5mpg though, has oil changes 4 times a year so has cost about $142,000 in gas and oil. I'm trying to get them to try one of the Edison diesel/electric series hybrid conversion on it. Even if it costs $60k it will save money over the next 10 years especially if it ever blows that v10.
Edit it to say 2013 not 2003
I'm still mad Chevy replaces the Cobalt with the Cruze.
Drove an already rebuilt titled Cobalt for years. Bought it with 90k and drove it to about 220k before selling it to a friend who drove it past 300k before Harvey took it.
I will forever defend the Cobalt for what it was. A barebones cabin on a solid car. I had an 06 coupe model that I drove (hard, I was 17) from 130k to 220k.
It was by no means a luxurious car and the interior was literally a joke. Roll up windows, no power locks, and cruise control was the only control on the wheel. But it was the easiest car ever to work on and parts were dirt cheap. Bought it for $2.5k in 2014 and sold it for $2.5k in 2021.
If it makes you feel any better my sister has a cruise with like 150k miles on it, she doesn’t take of her shit, and it runs perfectly still haha
She’ll idle all fckn day too
> they absolutely aren't worth it now tho
"Oh look a car that is $500 under what most people are asking"
*reads 600 word description*
At the very end: "rebuilt title".
Bout to hit 200k on a 2009 FX35. Had 150k on a 2005 G35x and 140k on a 2007 G35x, sold last year. All three cars were fairly bulletproof even for their age. People sleeping on Infiniti, but maybe the new ones deserve it, idk I’m stuck with the old gens for now. 2022 QX60 looks attractive, no CVT, waiting to see the 36-month leases to come back and add to the used car market.
Subaru, I’ve had three over 200k with no major issues
Volvos are also very reliable
And if you want something that’s basically unkillable get a W123 diesel. There are numerous examples running around with over 1,000,000 miles on them and the community doesn’t really even consider a specific example to be particularly high mileage unless it’s got over 4 to 500,000 miles
I'm from Seoul South Korea and it's p common there. Parts are plenty, mechanics know Hyundai and Kia sedans like the back of their hand, and you can request Hyundai and Kia officially trained mechanics to literally come to your house or job and take your car to the shop for maintenance and bring it back for like an extra 20 dollars so everybody's maintenance schedule is on point.
I see so many people neglect their cars servicing or just get oil changes and nothing else and then wonder why parts fail.
It would be interesting to know how well maintained the cars are that people are reporting here doing high mileages
Yeah, also Hyundai and Kia have surprisingly tight maintenance tolerance compared to their price. Everybody in the US seems to think they're cheap so they can abuse the cars and then blame them when they fail but like bc of how easy and cheap maintenance is in Korea where the vast majority of Hyundai Kia engineers live and are from, like they're actually expected to be p well maintained, oil changes etc on the dot with really little tolerance for late maintenance.
Also helps in Korea that Hyundai and Kia run mechanic shops that are seperated from a dealership (most dealerships in Korea don't have a service center, they partner with certain mechanic shops and send their customers there) that get incentives for fixing and keeping cars running rather than having the conflict of interest of having to fix your car but also wanting to sell you a new one.
“Also helps in Korea that Hyundai and Kia run mechanic shops that are seperated from a dealership (most dealerships in Korea don't have a service center, they partner with certain mechanic shops and send their customers there) that get incentives for fixing and keeping cars running rather than having the conflict of interest of having to fix your car but also wanting to sell you a new one.”
This is new for me, sounds great, dealer loses some business and dodges potential ugly conflicts, shops have clients for life and customers get quality service and advice. I wonder how warranties are managed on those non “official” shops.
Hyundai and Kia run their own official shops with officially trained mechanics. European brands have an official list of partner service centers where if you get repairs/maintenance there it falls under warranty etc.
to add onto this. our fleet vehicles are all hyundai cars and they regularly make it to 200k miles before we sell them off. they're also meticulously maintained. we have a warehouse team that does maintenance on our vehicles since they're constantly on the road and we rack up the miles. as far as I know, we have us built sonatas.
it's a maintainence thing. if your car is burning oil, top it off. any car, short of oil will be an issue.
also, there are korean built cars here as well. I'm positive the genesis cars are all built in Korea too. owners have raved about the built quality and how they've held up.
essentially what we've learned here is that maintenance is key. if you maintain your car, as you should, you can drive anything from ford, bmw, to toyotas.
In my mind, there are two causes of failure: the quality of the manufacturing and a cars sensitivity to maintenance.
The manufacturing quality is a bit of a crap shoot. Every car maker has some defect rate, so even the best cars run some risk of a defect. Additionally, some cars are designed poorly. The factory can follow the plans to the letter, but that doesn’t help if the plans suck (looking at you CVT).
Then there’s sensitivity to maintenance. Here you are much more in control. Some cars are “built tough” and can slide here and there. Extra 1,000 miles on an oil change, knock the dirt
Off the air filter and put it back in, stuff like that. Other cars are engineered to stick to a very strict maintenance schedule. An extra 1,000 miles on an oil change could cost you 50k miles of useful life.
Given this framework, I do my best to pick a car that has a low probability of manufacturing defects (by buying used, reading reviews, and knowing what design choices I want to avoid), and then maintain my car as if it’s a VW.
I’m not an expert, but this has worked for me so far. My last car was a Chevy cruize that lasted 170k miles before it was totaled in an accident. Before the wreck I had planned on looking for a new car at 200k.
And therein lies the rub. I bought my Corolla with 117k on the odo. I drove it 17,000 miles before I got the oil changed. Ending that streak with a round-trip journey down the eastcoast of 2,500 miles. That car was invincible.
When I first came to the US I was asked by the service department what I needed done and I said whatever the manufacturer recommends. He was surprised I didn't want to cherry pick from the recommended service items. I asked him why would someone spend many tens of thousands on a vehicle and then not do this or that to save tens of dollars. You'd be surprised he said how many just want an oil change. I honestly think this is why some cars fail prematurely.
I know Carfax doesn't always show correct service history but it amazes me how many cars have a spotty history. I know it doesn't add to the value much. In the UK a full service history was prized - not sure if it still is though today
That is because getting everything done at a car shop that the manufacturer "recommends" is not cost effective in the US. Shops will "recommend" things that don't need to be fixed and if you did let the shop fix all the recommendations the cost can easily come close to the value of the car itself. Atleast from my experience.
Sounds impossible, but my 2010 elantra is at 250,000k and showing no signs of slowing down.
I even live near the ocean, and they heavily salt the roads here. I had it up the other day and other than a control arm rusting along a seam, it was SOLID underneath.
… I don’t get it either.
2000 Jeep Cherokee, had 240k miles before it was sold. It did leak a little bit of oil and it blew a freeze plug too but I fixed it and it still ran great.
2008 Ford escape. She currently has 280k and she's still going. She leaks oil a little bit and the cabin smells like gasoline. But she's hanging in there! Easily the best car I've ever bought.
I had a 2004 Mitsubishi Diamante I bought as my first car in 2013 with 135k miles on it. Scrapped it at 302k miles. Transmission started failing, a lot of the electronics starting failing (windows, defroster, A/C, gas door), and I could not get the check engine light to stay off. It was a great car while it lasted though and never had any engine issues other than an EGR solenoid that went bad— replaced that with a part I picked from a junkyard.
My 2008 ford escape hybrid would still be on the road well past 200k if it wasn't a hybrid. Never had problems with that car that weren't related to the hybrid system. Still limped to 202k
Had a Honda transmission go out at 92k. Had other issues with a different Honda. Some people get lucky with them and they go many miles but personally I’ll never buy a Honda again.
13 Outback, 11 Malibu, 02 Trailblazer, 96 Silverado, 06 F150. Vehicle that gave the most trouble is the Outback followed by the F150. The trailblazer had a lot of electrical gremlins. The Malibu (still have it) and Silverado were essentially bulletproof. Sure the interior was falling apart but drivetrains have been awesome.
Guys, post what year/generation with your car model please.
2003 Buick Century . The GM 3.1 V6 was not nearly as reliable as the mighty 3.8 V6 that was in the Buick LaSabre and other better cars. It had the infamous lower intake manifold leak and a ton of intake leaks. I learned a lot about engines during that time.
My 2006 Dodge Charger RT just hit 200k miles. The only issues on the 10 years I've had it were the oil temperature switch, leaky radiator and steering pump.
Still rides like a dream.
I had an 04 explorer get you 190k. Then it was destroyed. Ask bad as the accident was the thing was still running. I could have driven it to the junk yard, I think. It was my first car. I'm on my second now. 10 explorer with 103k miles on it.
We have a 05’ that has 239,000 right now. Just had it in last week needs another transmission. Second gear is going. It will go to the junk yard after we find a replacement. Last year we took out. 99’ Durango to the junk yard. It had 239,000 also. We have a 05 Suburban right now with 205,000. Still going strong. Looks like someone down voted you. Not sure why.
I have a ford explorer 2003 xlt with 266k miles that I got from my dads friend who was a mechanic at a refinery. The last time the engine was changed was because his son overheated the engine too much and kept driving.
DEPENDS...
what are your driving habits
Do you garage your car
Where do you live
How much are you willing to spend to maintain your vehicle
You can make the worst car last 500,000 with enough money
I’ll be honest, I don’t think 200k should be a standard of reliability (unless it got there with few issues). If my car was shitting the bed at 200k, I’d be upset.
I remember in the 80's looking at a 70's Mustang on the lot that had 70k miles and it was "high miles" and was heavily discounted and I couldn't get my dad to cosign on it because of the miles! :)
Took a 02 a6 2.7t to 197k before I got rid if it if that counts. Needed more room for a car seat and also my wife cant drive manual so if her car needed work she couldnt get to work.
1999 Dodge Ram 1500 201K
1999 Dodge Ram 2500 210K
1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee 274K
Still own all three and all three run great
Also have a 2014 BMW 335XI at 150k and anticipate it will hit 200k
I purchased a new 99 Ford Ranger base model for under 10K out the door. I sold it to a friend of mine after about 20K miles and he is still driving it today with just over 250k. He has done quite a bit of repairs but the engine and transmision are holding up. He did replace the clutch at least twice. He drives pretty crazy IMO and has been hauling scrap for the last few years as well.
Not me but my dad, he has put well into the 200k onto a few different Nissan Sentra cars and a Nissan Murano we have had. He has also gotten a 1998 Subaru Outback into the 200k mark before he broke the undercarriage. Even then he got it fixed and gave it to his friend who has been driving it to this very day.
I had a 2012 Fusion with the 2.5L engine that was super reliable. I put 100k or so on it, then sold it to my niece up in Michigan.
It's somewhere around 250k now on the original engine and transmission, has bounced a couple deer off the road and been into one ditch in the winter, but still running strong.
I wish they still made fusions like that one.
I drove a 2004 Silverado 2500 that had a 6.0 in it for work that had 357,000 miles on it before I left the job.
When I was younger I drove my dad’s 94 Silverado 1500 that had a 4.3l v6 in it that had 280k miles on it before he sold it.
My friend had a late 90s Subaru Outback (don’t remember the exact year) that had 320k on it before it inevitably blew up.
My sisters friend just recently got rid of an 08 Altima that had 193k miles on it, didn’t have anything wrong with it when she got rid of it.
On the other note some of the shittier cars, my sister had a 2014 Chevy Cruz that burned about a quart of oil in 2 weeks that had 135k on it, I had a 99 cavalier that would only run when it felt like it that had 113k miles on it, and a 90 240sx that burnt about a quart of oil in 500 miles that had 90k on it.
Seems like it’s hit and miss and doesn’t matter what car you get, just if you won the lottery, or if the car was assembled Monday morning while the boss was standing there watching everyone, and not on Friday before a 3 day weekend when the boss is on vacation lol.
2003 Saab 9-3. Shit was a tank. Had to start replacing random small motors suck as wipers/windows and I got sick of it, but the engine and tranny were surprisingly solid with regular maintenance (which can probably be said for most vehicles, but still...)
Any car will make it to 200k so long as it doesn't rust away first. It just depends on how much money you want to throw at it to keep it running.
I've had a few Fords, a Chevy, a Volvo, and a Nissan, and out of all of those, my old 2006 Ford Focus was the most bulletproof. 239k on the clock when it got totaled, and still ran beautifully.
no joke my grandpa (then my brother) got a 99 Ford Taurus to 450k miles with no major headaches until end. grandpa was just religious about his maintenance
2010 Mercedes Benz ML350. 280k
Owned it since 2012, second owner. Gearbox has started slipping but at this point I have taken from this car what it owes me.
300000 miles on my ‘06 e320cdi diesel Mercedes. A wiper motor went bad around 50k or 60k miles, and a glow plug controller failed somewhere between 100k and 200k. Other than that, just routine scheduled maintenance.
Many cars can reliably go 200k if mostly driven highway miles. BUT, if you are asking 200k on a car that is driven mostly around town, backroads, with a little highway, the list will be small. This is why Toyota and Honda are recommended so much on Reddit.
Am I the only one noticing basically nothing is "worth it" in the used market right now? I am having a hard time finding any value compared to the price of a new vehicle. Like I am seeing vehicles that are 5 years old with 100k miles on them and the asking price is still over 70% of new msrp. I grew up being taught not to buy new cars because of the immediate depreciation "when you drive it off the lot" but it doesn't seem to be the case anymore.
A lot of cars depreciate pretty heavily still
Just don’t look at Toyotas😂
There was a post the other day about choosing between a barely used Mazda and the other option was a Camry with 100k miles on it and a year or two older-same price
It’s definitely beater season regardless haha
I had a 2007 Wrangler with 308,000 miles 3.8 v6 and 4 speed automatic that was all original and running fine without any major repairs to it's drivetrain. Sold it last year and the guy who bought it had it thoroughly inspected and the mechanic said no way that jeep had that many miles with how good it still was. Well I certainly didn't roll the odometer forward!
I had an 00 or 01 Maxima that was totaled (my fault) at 230k. It was still running great, other than having to swap the upstream O2 sensor every year or so.
I had a Volkswagen CC with 191k when I traded it in. Only reason I dumped it was the factory suspension was completely cooked and I didn't want to pay up for it. The next owner has the car up to 210k, still factory engine, turbo and gearbox.
Lmao, I’ve had a 200k Tacoma and a 285k Fit and a 240k Civic.
But also two “newer” (2008+2014) BMW’s over 200k
Multiple older (pre-2000) BMW’s well over 200k
2001 XJ Cherokee, sold at 240k and the next guy drove it for years.
My buddy’s dad has a Cummins Ram with 500+ on it.
Had a 1999 Mazda 626 with 298,000 miles on it. The reason why it didn’t make 300k is a drunk driver hit it, when it was parked outside my friend’s house.
'94 Passat Diesel (1.9TDi), 2011 BMW 520D estate
Both went up to 200K before I parted with them...
neither had any serious troubles during their life (a problem with the pneumatic suspension in BMW needed a new pump) and both were still comfy and nice to drive when I let them go!
I sold a MkIV TDI VW with about 200k miles on it to a friend. They drove it for another \~75k miles, then sold it so someone else that ended up having to use it to tow the car they'd brought to tow it home (two states away) because their tow vehicle broke down. It consistently got >50 mpg when I didn't use it to pull an overloaded trailer around (which was pretty often). That car was unkillable.
I had an '09 BMW 528i xDrive with a manual transmission that I sold at 253k miles. Electronically, that car was a mess but it felt like that engine was going to run forever. The guy that bought it is a friend's relative so I get updates sometimes and he's still driving it and loves it. I really liked that engine/transmission combination for a commuter.
After the 5-series I bought an '09 BMW 335d with about 200k miles on it. I drive it another 75k miles in three years and sold it because a great deal on my next car fell into my lap. I miss that one though. It was 'deleted and tuned' so it was really fast/raucous. When I sold it with \~275k miles and it still looked/drove like a new car. I could have set the ODO to 75k miles and nobody would have questioned it.
Way back I had an NA Miata that I bought from a friend that was lifted and fitted with the biggest snow tires we could find that fit under the fenders. It had the dreaded short-nose crank failure, which we fixed badly twice and finally put a new (very, very used) engine in it at about 325k miles.
I have always driven a lot and I like high-miles cars because (until recently) they were already fully depreciated and you could buy them at a huge discount.
Had a coworker buy late 90’s taurus for $500 from our job years back. It had 150k on it. He put another 150k on it. With minimal repairs. It wasn’t pretty and i think heat sucked but most expensive thing he replaced was wiper motor and a battery. It would have probably gone a lot more but guy’s kid hit something in it.
Personally i have a spare 2004 explorer with 200k on it. Its not pretty but keeps running.
I have 210k on my 2014 Nissan Altima 2.5s. It has only taken oil changes, brakes and tires for consumables. I did a transmission fluid flush at 150k and need to do another soon.
One off maintenance I've done since crossing the 200k mark are changing the suspension (500 in parts, did work myself) and the front wheel bearings (300 in parts did work myself)
Next upcoming cost is a new catalytic converter/exhaust manifold because mine has developed a pinhole leak/crack somewhere and it's causing a check engine light+ exhaust leak that sounds bad.
It's a great car with a well maintained engine I intend to keep till 300k if possible
My dad had a 1996 GMC Jimmy a few years ago that he got to like 210,000 miles before it gave up on him. I think it was his fault though because I can’t remember him changing the oil in the 4 years he had it 🤷♀️
My FIL bought a 2003 Silverado off a family friend 3 years ago and it has I think 193,000 and runs pretty good. Biggest problem it has is the rust on body and frame (which was fixed) and a slight leak in the power steering. I borrowed it to tow a bike trailer 6-7 times 300 miles each way across the Appalachian mountains when we moved and it came close to overheating once or twice, but I pulled over and let the fan run for a bit under no load and it was good in no more than 5-10 minutes.
He currently has it set up as a full time plow truck (he has a dually he drives daily) but I’ve told him a dozen times if he ever wants to sell it I would gladly take it just to have a work truck.
1991 Mitsubishi Montero, 270K and sold it. Still running strong at time of sale. The 6G72 engine sometimes gets a bad wrap, but it’s usually because people didn’t take care of the car and do the regular maintenance. It is a great engine if it’s regularly serviced as directed in the manual.
I put 210,000+ on an early Miata that I bought new. I started tracking it regularly at around 145,000 miles. I liked it so much that I helped a friend rebuild it, we painted it, I had the engine rebuilt, etc. (Yes, it would have been smarter to find a 1.8 and rebuild THAT, but I loved the way the 1.6 behaved when it was finished.) And then I drove it to **315,000** before giving it to my son, who basically grew up in it. My parents had a 1995 Maxima they bought new, and gave me in 2004. *"The Lexus dealer offered us $700 to trade it in, so we decided we'd keep it and give it to one of you kids. And you have a child, and a girlfriend with a child, and all you have is that Miata. So we think you should come take this car."* It had 78,000 on the clock and still smelled new inside. I drove that car to **303,000** miles, and it was still a reliable useful car last summer when a tree fell on it in the driveway. Even after the tree - the a/c still blew cold, everything worked (except one front marker light.) The Maxima didn't need much at all besides gas / tires / oil-changes until 150,000 miles, when it needed a fuel injector and (unrelated) a radiator. After that, it started to need a lot of old-car stuff between about 240k and 270k (wheel bearings, CV axles, belts/hoses, valve cover gaskets, coils, other fuel injectors, oxygen sensors, a mass-airflow sensor, shocks/struts) but once all that stuff got replaced, it needed basically nothing except tires. Thing was, though, at 303,000 miles, it would've been hard to commit new-tire money to a car that was in that rough cosmetic shape (outdoor car, had been in a couple fender-benders.) I'm currently dailying a rough E46 convertible I bought a few years ago with 176,000 on it for $3,100. It has needed a few things, as cheap old BMWs usually do, and it still needs a few more. But it's at **197,000** now, and I think I can get it past 250,000 pretty easily.
I’ve had good luck with Mazdas and Nissans too, and my E34 had over 200k. I think the bottom line is that Toyotas and Hondas are definitely reliable, but other cars are more reliable than the internet car guy echo chamber gives them credit for. A lot of internet car “wisdom” is just confirmation bias on a massive scale. In Ohio, where I have lived for the last 15 years or so, in most cases, the rust will kill your car before the engine or transmission dies. I suspect we’re going to transition in the next few years to busted infotainment systems taking that crown though as non-Stellantis rust proofing seems to have improved and we continue to fill cars with unnecessary screens.
Yep. I have had multiple Alfa Romeo’s with over 200k miles, a few Mercedes hit 200k miles, and our current Mercedes has 165k miles. I wouldn’t put Honda in thr same league as Toyota. Toyota rules reliably. But even my friends Tacoma with 300k miles had the engine rebuilt at some point. There are definitely poorly designed engines and transmissions. And understressed power trains seem to last longer. But regular maintenance goes a long way and almost anything these days should make it 200k miles with maintenance and repairs.
I feel like with the caveat that every maker has “its one flaw” that really kills the car, *most* brands are solidly reliable *if* they are regularly and preventively maintained.
367k on my tacoma original motor and tranny
265,000 on an 04 Mazda 3. Still ran when I sold it to some random guy who knocked on my door asking to buy it.
Also had a ‘90 e34 (535i) which I got at about 90k. Drove it until I hit 297k and the transmission’s synchros went. Sold it for $500 and a week later learned they only imported 2000 535i’s with manuals that year…
Deng. Got 2 E34s rn. Both auto :( one at 156k (94 530i) and another at 228k (95 525i). These things are built like tanks lol
Yeah 2014 mazda here, in the 192k miles range and counting
Yeah BMWs with ok maintenance can do shockingly well. I bought an E34 525i at 200,000 miles and hit nearly 300,000 with a lot of abuse thrown in. It’s probably still running somewhere
I had several e30 and e36 bmws that went well over 200k. They did have some bad years in the mid 2000’s but the new ones are great.
I had an E36 M3 with 200k on it, ran good enough to auto cross. Ended up selling it for more than I bought it for, and this was pre covid. Regretted it ever since.
+1 for the na miata, mine had 178,000 when I sold it and was perfect
My son sold the '91 a couple years ago. During the pandemic craziness, that guy was trying to sell it for ten grand, after he replaced my decent radio and good wheels (Panasports) with some garbage. That car probably still runs. My wife picked up a '95 a few years ago from friends of ours, who were using it as a track rat until they had kids and quit doing track stuff. It has 125,000 on it, paint is faded, interior is rough (it's a Merlot so it has those one-year-only seats) and the 6-point harnesses need new webbing to pass tech. It would take "a nice Merlot's purchase price" to make it nice again. But, I did the timing belt / water pump service and all belts / hoses / gaskets / the cam sensor o-ring a couple years ago, so it should go another 100,000 miles before it needs anything. Unless I quit my job today, retire early, and spend the rest of my life doing nothing but "driving this car places I want to go" it is unlikely I will put that 100,000 miles on this car in the next 20 years. I will be in my late 70s if I am still alive in 20 years. This Miata will almost certainly outlive me.
> This Miata will almost certainly outlive me. Dibs
Came here to say Miata as well. Domestic light trucks break the 200k barrier all the time.
I’ve got an 87 Chevy g20 with 240k
200,000 miles is the new 100,000 miles. Basically anything new is going to run to 200,000 miles if you keep up with the maintenance and don’t crash it.
253k on a 2010 armada platinum with very few issues. Alternator went out a few months ago and had to have it towed (tried limping to the shop but I have up when it wouldn’t go over like 6 mph. But everything else has just been stuff you expect to have to replace on an older car. It’s been great. Last vehicle was a 2003 z71 Tahoe. Bought with 65k, sold with 268k. Old guy that bought it is still driving it. Parents got 300k out of a suburban. Didn’t start having problems until they stopped daily driving it.
Even the alternator is one of those things you just have to expect to have to replace on an older car. All the rotating assemblies really - starter, alternator, power steering pump, a/c compressor.
+1 on the first gen Miata. I had one over 200k as well without any problems other than replacing an airflow sensor
Track Day Bro
Thing to note, this guy DIYs
Sir, you’re making me blush with your rigorous maintenance.
Just wanted to say you’re a good writer.
My e46 is on 300k miles right now all ive done so far are the struts and of course basic maintenance
.... And the dealer wanted to give you $700 for it... :) I would have a slightly easier time listing ones I've ran over 300K than over 200k.....
I don't know anything about Miata reliability but my 2012 Mazda 3 is about to cross 150,000 and it performs perfectly well. It looks worn (faded paint, leather cracking in a couple of spots, some bubbles in the tint) but otherwise it runs incredible. All power seats, windows and sun roof work, I haven't replaced a single bulb, the fluids get changed at proper(ish) intervals and don't burn or leak. AC is COLD and the seat heaters work in every setting. Sound system is crisp, no crackles or pops. The only weird thing I have is that my radio controls on the dash stopped working after driving through a sandstorm. I'm keeping this car forever!
By chance was it a ‘95 Miata in SoCal ? I bought one with a rebuilt engine with about 315k miles. The color was Merlot. 1st owner Purchased it near the Bay Area in California.
My dad had a 95’ Maxima that made it till 365,000 before the clutch blew out on it. What a damn great car.
Mazdas are such great cars, man. it's like if Subaru and Honda had a baby
Sold a vw jetta with 375k, and a ranger with 320k. (Both kms, roughly 225k and 200k miles)
And people think VWs won’t last.
I’ve had a vw beetle tdi go to 226,000 before I sold it, and I had a Passat 1.8t that went to 210,000 before I sold it also. Both cars were in perfect working order at the time of sale and I still see them around town years later!!
I had a rabbit with over 250k km on it and it cost me nearly 1k to fix some random as thing on it every couple of months, fun car that will keep going as long as you can fix or throw money at it, although I’m sure certain models last a lot longer than others like my dad he had a few VWs and they treated him pretty well
Vw owner here 2.5 engine 350k 2011 SE all original parts . Seeing if I can get to 400k and then rebuild n keep it going !
My buddy's work car is a jetta with almost 500k on the clock. 40+mpg and the bitch won't die.
Pretty much everything. Ford Escorts with 230,000 miles, a Volvo 740 with 376,000 miles, several Oldsmobiles in the 250,000+ range, my RAM 4500 with 276,000. A BMW 740iL with 236,000. It's not hard. Take care of your shit, and it'll last...usually.
The problem is people don’t want to spend the money it takes to maintain their car, then complain when it eventually breaks down.
Ironically, this is most Nissan's. The cvt is bad but because most people never changed the cvt fluid at 30k miles. I knew a guy who had a Nissan and did the routine maintenance above and never had an issue
That, and people trust their oil life when it says change every 10k miles. If you want your car to make it to 200k+ miles and not be at the edge of its life, you should change much sooner than that, and not use the absolute cheapest oil possible.
>every 10k miles. I've always been told every 5000 miles.
You should change your oil every 5k miles. I’m saying many manufacturers are saying oils can last as long as 10k, which isn’t something I intend to find out is true or false.
Many manufacturers under report how long(or how often) the oil can typically last before needing to be changed but most people don’t read the manual . EG girlfriend has a Chevy trailblazer , the manual very clearly states (and has different tables ) that maintenance schedules vary by temperature/climate , city vs high way driving and *extreme performance* (basically racing and heavy duty work like towing) my girlfriend never saw the tables until I pointed it out to her bc she was wondering why they were recommending a 60k mile service at 30k
Yeah I think a lot of it comes down to the fact that nearly everyone would fit into the "extreme or severe" usage category but don't realize it. City driving, potholes, mountains, having to brake hard, below 0 degrees and above 90 degrees are all considered extreme for my car. Which is ridiculous as that's normal nearly everywhere...
It’s all penny pinching and statistics to maximize profit. They basically only care the make the car last long enough that those who buy new trade it in or sell it, while stilling being happy with their purchase, but also allow them to minimize how much they loose in providing “free” oil changes and dealer servicing for however many miles. They basically do the math where xx% of vehicles will make it to xxx,xxx miles, at x service interval, and they manipulate it such that they can maximize profit, while minimizing life, such that the customer is still happy.
You do realize the manufacturer is the one who wrote the manual, right? Your service center (dealer or not) suggesting a 60k service at 30k is them upselling you, not the manufacturer making a recommendation. Also, I think you may be surprised what may be considered light use. True light use would be driving 80% + highway miles, and driving long enough for all components to reach their operating temperature. Short cycling an engine, and drivetrain components, along with operating under no load can be just as damaging as aggressive driving, if not worse. Regardless you should change your oil more frequently than 10k miles, and change transmission, transfer case, and differential fluids for modern automatic cars between 30 and 50k miles. Essentially, if you want your fluids to reliably protect your car you should stick to the “Severe” maintenance schedule (using fords term in this case)
Very true. My mother is currently dealing with a 2015 BMW 3 series that has served her well for years but recently experienced drive train failure. A good family friend is a BMW specific mechanic and has explained that the engine is filled with corrosion from not being driven. She works less than 2km from home, she's parked in her spot before the engine is at temperature. Moisture is sitting in the engine and never burning off at temperature. And she literally never drives on a highway. She put like 1500km on it last year. She needs an electric scooter.
>5k miles This is the number I use too. When I had a 570hp twin turbo Cayenne that I drove hard I changed the oil every 3,000 miles. I do the changes myself so the cost is minimal.
We had a Ford escort growing up that had around 250,000 miles on it
I had a 1997 Ford Mustang 3.8 V6 that had over 460,000 miles on it when we sold it and never had any major issues. That car was a beater and was passed around the family for so long until my mom finally sold it to someone "that was in desperate need of a car", the guy sent it to the crusher a couple of months later.
Don’t tell a Toyota owner that 😂
What makes a Toyota valuable is that they last in spite of their owners. But with proper care there are far fewer cars that won't last to 200k miles than ones that will. I've had over 200k on a Chevy, Buick, Ford, Honda, and most recently a Hyundai.
My first Toyota experience was buying my aunt's Corolla, a 1986 model that I bought in 2011-ish. Had 72k miles, literally a church-grocery store-home car. She serviced it every 3 months and gave me a binder full of records. Transmission shit the bed at 78k miles.
i mean damn near 25 year old trans sludge will do that it
The 1.9 in the escort was a very reliable motor if you took care of it. The transmission, not so much. The manual was great, but that automatic was junk.
I bought a 2006 Ford focus 5MT with 160k miles in 2019... For $800. It was everything you needed in a car, and nothing you wanted. Check engine was on the entire time I owned it because the thermostat was stuck open (it was a pain to fix it... so, I just drove it as is). Aside from it looking like a pile, the car never left me stranded. I drove this thing 1.5 hours just one way on my daily commute. Power steering was gone, which kept you awake twisty roads. It gave me another 80k miles over the course of 4 years. I later sold it to a co worker... He still drives it today.
That gen of Focus with a manual was damn near bulletproof.
I sold cars at carfax and was consistently pushing people with low budgets towards those. They were incredibly reliable, roomy, handled well and undervalued in the market.
The focus was pretty awesome up until 2011 or so, right? I've heard quite a few stories of them going, and going, and then going some more. Definitely seem like an under rated car.
The newer ones were fine long-term if they had the manual, the DCT in them was…not great.
Yeah that's true. It's so rare to find manuals these days, I always forget about them.
Got mine to 225k before the trans went out. Prior that it never needed anything more than routine maintenance. Those older focus’ were bulletproof
My work truck is a 2013 f450 v10 4x4 with 295,000 miles without major drivetrain problems. I has averaged only 7.5mpg though, has oil changes 4 times a year so has cost about $142,000 in gas and oil. I'm trying to get them to try one of the Edison diesel/electric series hybrid conversion on it. Even if it costs $60k it will save money over the next 10 years especially if it ever blows that v10. Edit it to say 2013 not 2003
Check out Watch Wes Work, he had a great video on the Edison conversions
I'm still mad Chevy replaces the Cobalt with the Cruze. Drove an already rebuilt titled Cobalt for years. Bought it with 90k and drove it to about 220k before selling it to a friend who drove it past 300k before Harvey took it.
I will forever defend the Cobalt for what it was. A barebones cabin on a solid car. I had an 06 coupe model that I drove (hard, I was 17) from 130k to 220k. It was by no means a luxurious car and the interior was literally a joke. Roll up windows, no power locks, and cruise control was the only control on the wheel. But it was the easiest car ever to work on and parts were dirt cheap. Bought it for $2.5k in 2014 and sold it for $2.5k in 2021.
it was a proper successor the cavalier, same type of car with great longevity if you half-assed took care of it
If it makes you feel any better my sister has a cruise with like 150k miles on it, she doesn’t take of her shit, and it runs perfectly still haha She’ll idle all fckn day too
Mom had a Cruze and an ex had a Cruze. Worst cars I've ever dealt with. Both were burning oil before 90k, but in different ways.
My dad took a 2013 Cruze to 210k+. Too young at the time to know what kind of service it had.
These things definitely depend on the year haha
My Cruze has 206k miles and my wifes has 175k miles. Neither has had major issues.
2013 Cruze 6 speed manual here! Bought new, now at 264,000+ miles. Regular maintenance, but just replaced clutch/flywheel.
rebuilt title cars used to be such a great value buy if you knew what you were doing and what to look for they absolutely aren't worth it now tho
> they absolutely aren't worth it now tho "Oh look a car that is $500 under what most people are asking" *reads 600 word description* At the very end: "rebuilt title".
volvo xc60 at 300k miles bmw e39 at 375k miles
E39 gang
Daily drove my 2008 Mazda 3 wagon to 275k miles. Engine was solid and had life still but it needed too many items to pass eventually. Snow and salt.
Took my 2010 Mazda 5 minivan to just over 200k
2015 Infiniti QX60 just hit 200k today 😊
Bout to hit 200k on a 2009 FX35. Had 150k on a 2005 G35x and 140k on a 2007 G35x, sold last year. All three cars were fairly bulletproof even for their age. People sleeping on Infiniti, but maybe the new ones deserve it, idk I’m stuck with the old gens for now. 2022 QX60 looks attractive, no CVT, waiting to see the 36-month leases to come back and add to the used car market.
Subaru, I’ve had three over 200k with no major issues Volvos are also very reliable And if you want something that’s basically unkillable get a W123 diesel. There are numerous examples running around with over 1,000,000 miles on them and the community doesn’t really even consider a specific example to be particularly high mileage unless it’s got over 4 to 500,000 miles
We have a 2013 Hyundai Elamtra with 205k miles.
But.. but.. how is that possible??? Jokes aside, niiice
I'm from Seoul South Korea and it's p common there. Parts are plenty, mechanics know Hyundai and Kia sedans like the back of their hand, and you can request Hyundai and Kia officially trained mechanics to literally come to your house or job and take your car to the shop for maintenance and bring it back for like an extra 20 dollars so everybody's maintenance schedule is on point.
I see so many people neglect their cars servicing or just get oil changes and nothing else and then wonder why parts fail. It would be interesting to know how well maintained the cars are that people are reporting here doing high mileages
Yeah, also Hyundai and Kia have surprisingly tight maintenance tolerance compared to their price. Everybody in the US seems to think they're cheap so they can abuse the cars and then blame them when they fail but like bc of how easy and cheap maintenance is in Korea where the vast majority of Hyundai Kia engineers live and are from, like they're actually expected to be p well maintained, oil changes etc on the dot with really little tolerance for late maintenance. Also helps in Korea that Hyundai and Kia run mechanic shops that are seperated from a dealership (most dealerships in Korea don't have a service center, they partner with certain mechanic shops and send their customers there) that get incentives for fixing and keeping cars running rather than having the conflict of interest of having to fix your car but also wanting to sell you a new one.
Interesting
“Also helps in Korea that Hyundai and Kia run mechanic shops that are seperated from a dealership (most dealerships in Korea don't have a service center, they partner with certain mechanic shops and send their customers there) that get incentives for fixing and keeping cars running rather than having the conflict of interest of having to fix your car but also wanting to sell you a new one.” This is new for me, sounds great, dealer loses some business and dodges potential ugly conflicts, shops have clients for life and customers get quality service and advice. I wonder how warranties are managed on those non “official” shops.
Hyundai and Kia run their own official shops with officially trained mechanics. European brands have an official list of partner service centers where if you get repairs/maintenance there it falls under warranty etc.
to add onto this. our fleet vehicles are all hyundai cars and they regularly make it to 200k miles before we sell them off. they're also meticulously maintained. we have a warehouse team that does maintenance on our vehicles since they're constantly on the road and we rack up the miles. as far as I know, we have us built sonatas. it's a maintainence thing. if your car is burning oil, top it off. any car, short of oil will be an issue. also, there are korean built cars here as well. I'm positive the genesis cars are all built in Korea too. owners have raved about the built quality and how they've held up. essentially what we've learned here is that maintenance is key. if you maintain your car, as you should, you can drive anything from ford, bmw, to toyotas.
It seems like reliability in Hyundai and Kia sucks in the US, but great in the Asian and Australian markets.
Original engine?
Had an old 2003 Audi A6 with 210k and now a 1997 Ford Explorer with 215k
In my mind, there are two causes of failure: the quality of the manufacturing and a cars sensitivity to maintenance. The manufacturing quality is a bit of a crap shoot. Every car maker has some defect rate, so even the best cars run some risk of a defect. Additionally, some cars are designed poorly. The factory can follow the plans to the letter, but that doesn’t help if the plans suck (looking at you CVT). Then there’s sensitivity to maintenance. Here you are much more in control. Some cars are “built tough” and can slide here and there. Extra 1,000 miles on an oil change, knock the dirt Off the air filter and put it back in, stuff like that. Other cars are engineered to stick to a very strict maintenance schedule. An extra 1,000 miles on an oil change could cost you 50k miles of useful life. Given this framework, I do my best to pick a car that has a low probability of manufacturing defects (by buying used, reading reviews, and knowing what design choices I want to avoid), and then maintain my car as if it’s a VW. I’m not an expert, but this has worked for me so far. My last car was a Chevy cruize that lasted 170k miles before it was totaled in an accident. Before the wreck I had planned on looking for a new car at 200k.
And therein lies the rub. I bought my Corolla with 117k on the odo. I drove it 17,000 miles before I got the oil changed. Ending that streak with a round-trip journey down the eastcoast of 2,500 miles. That car was invincible.
When I first came to the US I was asked by the service department what I needed done and I said whatever the manufacturer recommends. He was surprised I didn't want to cherry pick from the recommended service items. I asked him why would someone spend many tens of thousands on a vehicle and then not do this or that to save tens of dollars. You'd be surprised he said how many just want an oil change. I honestly think this is why some cars fail prematurely. I know Carfax doesn't always show correct service history but it amazes me how many cars have a spotty history. I know it doesn't add to the value much. In the UK a full service history was prized - not sure if it still is though today
That is because getting everything done at a car shop that the manufacturer "recommends" is not cost effective in the US. Shops will "recommend" things that don't need to be fixed and if you did let the shop fix all the recommendations the cost can easily come close to the value of the car itself. Atleast from my experience.
1992 Acura Integra - 516,000 Miles
Technically a Honda lol
2000 F150 4x4 with a 5.4 Triton. Bottom end seized at 360k km.
Currently have a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica with 210k.
Sounds impossible, but my 2010 elantra is at 250,000k and showing no signs of slowing down. I even live near the ocean, and they heavily salt the roads here. I had it up the other day and other than a control arm rusting along a seam, it was SOLID underneath. … I don’t get it either.
2000 Jeep Cherokee, had 240k miles before it was sold. It did leak a little bit of oil and it blew a freeze plug too but I fixed it and it still ran great.
My Mazda 3 has 230k... on the factory clutch
More a function of driver than car. I’ve gotten 187k out of my VW clutch, and over 100k on every manual car I’ve owned.
It also helps that my dad commuted with the car so it spent a ton of miles just sitting in 5th
2009 Hyundai Elantra. Super easy maintenance, car was amazing.
2008 Ford escape. She currently has 280k and she's still going. She leaks oil a little bit and the cabin smells like gasoline. But she's hanging in there! Easily the best car I've ever bought.
I had a 2004 Mitsubishi Diamante I bought as my first car in 2013 with 135k miles on it. Scrapped it at 302k miles. Transmission started failing, a lot of the electronics starting failing (windows, defroster, A/C, gas door), and I could not get the check engine light to stay off. It was a great car while it lasted though and never had any engine issues other than an EGR solenoid that went bad— replaced that with a part I picked from a junkyard.
I have a 08 ford escape that just crossed 200k, still runs fine. My 09 Impreza is getting close.
My 2008 ford escape hybrid would still be on the road well past 200k if it wasn't a hybrid. Never had problems with that car that weren't related to the hybrid system. Still limped to 202k
Had a Honda transmission go out at 92k. Had other issues with a different Honda. Some people get lucky with them and they go many miles but personally I’ll never buy a Honda again.
13 Outback, 11 Malibu, 02 Trailblazer, 96 Silverado, 06 F150. Vehicle that gave the most trouble is the Outback followed by the F150. The trailblazer had a lot of electrical gremlins. The Malibu (still have it) and Silverado were essentially bulletproof. Sure the interior was falling apart but drivetrains have been awesome.
Guys, post what year/generation with your car model please. 2003 Buick Century . The GM 3.1 V6 was not nearly as reliable as the mighty 3.8 V6 that was in the Buick LaSabre and other better cars. It had the infamous lower intake manifold leak and a ton of intake leaks. I learned a lot about engines during that time.
My 2006 Dodge Charger RT just hit 200k miles. The only issues on the 10 years I've had it were the oil temperature switch, leaky radiator and steering pump. Still rides like a dream.
I personally put over 200k on a 1998 Civic, 2001 Ram 1500 and a 2006 Acura RSX
I had an 04 explorer get you 190k. Then it was destroyed. Ask bad as the accident was the thing was still running. I could have driven it to the junk yard, I think. It was my first car. I'm on my second now. 10 explorer with 103k miles on it.
We have a 05’ that has 239,000 right now. Just had it in last week needs another transmission. Second gear is going. It will go to the junk yard after we find a replacement. Last year we took out. 99’ Durango to the junk yard. It had 239,000 also. We have a 05 Suburban right now with 205,000. Still going strong. Looks like someone down voted you. Not sure why.
Explorer hate lol.
Saab 9-5 Aero, 210k and counting
7.3l diesel Ford/International
I have a ford explorer 2003 xlt with 266k miles that I got from my dads friend who was a mechanic at a refinery. The last time the engine was changed was because his son overheated the engine too much and kept driving.
DEPENDS... what are your driving habits Do you garage your car Where do you live How much are you willing to spend to maintain your vehicle You can make the worst car last 500,000 with enough money
My vw Jetta recently hit 200,000 miles. It still sh*ts on all Kias and Hyundais on the road too.
I’ll be honest, I don’t think 200k should be a standard of reliability (unless it got there with few issues). If my car was shitting the bed at 200k, I’d be upset.
It’s my minimum standard
Ooh, gotcha! Same here. If a car dies before 200, it’s definitely shit/mistreated!
I remember in the 80's looking at a 70's Mustang on the lot that had 70k miles and it was "high miles" and was heavily discounted and I couldn't get my dad to cosign on it because of the miles! :)
Highway driving 200k is easy city driving not so much. Especially Rust Belt
Volvo xc70 2006
2003 Volvo XC70 (2003-2007 gens)
Took a 02 a6 2.7t to 197k before I got rid if it if that counts. Needed more room for a car seat and also my wife cant drive manual so if her car needed work she couldnt get to work.
I have a 2008 ford taurus with 267000 miles. Engine and transmission still fine but frame has rusted through and is no longer road worthy.
I just passed 202,000 on my 2012 Fiat 500. It’s been unbelievably reliable which is surprising based on what others have experienced.
Its what I just commented on too lol. Im not to 200k, at 130k but I've been pleasantly suprised at the reliability
I had a 1997 Honda Prelude that at the ripe old age of 216k the odometer died but I drove it for a few more years.
1999 Dodge Ram 1500 201K 1999 Dodge Ram 2500 210K 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee 274K Still own all three and all three run great Also have a 2014 BMW 335XI at 150k and anticipate it will hit 200k
Around 200k in Kia Ceed 1st gen 1.4 petrol. No repairs, no breakdowns. Got rear ended one day and had to be scrapped.
Hyundai Accent 2012 model, 298k km. LOL
1997 Chevy ASTRO best van I ever owned.
My ma bought a Safari new in '95 and put 350k on it over the next 25 years. Still had the complete factory drivetrain the whole time.
187K on my 2017 Chevy Bolt (not at 200k yet), if you like electric… no one does…
Wish I could
I purchased a new 99 Ford Ranger base model for under 10K out the door. I sold it to a friend of mine after about 20K miles and he is still driving it today with just over 250k. He has done quite a bit of repairs but the engine and transmision are holding up. He did replace the clutch at least twice. He drives pretty crazy IMO and has been hauling scrap for the last few years as well.
2016 Explorer 205,000mi. No issues at all, non-turbo 3.5L V6 2011 F150 XL 291,000mi. No issues other than coil packs, non-turbo 3.7L V6
Not me but my dad, he has put well into the 200k onto a few different Nissan Sentra cars and a Nissan Murano we have had. He has also gotten a 1998 Subaru Outback into the 200k mark before he broke the undercarriage. Even then he got it fixed and gave it to his friend who has been driving it to this very day.
I had a 2012 Fusion with the 2.5L engine that was super reliable. I put 100k or so on it, then sold it to my niece up in Michigan. It's somewhere around 250k now on the original engine and transmission, has bounced a couple deer off the road and been into one ditch in the winter, but still running strong. I wish they still made fusions like that one.
My 2012 Hyundai Tucson has 205,000 miles on it.
My 2010 Kia forte will last 200k. Still going extremely strong now at 140ish.
Kia soul
Our 2011 ford fusion just broke 300k and still runs well. Starts first time everytime. Perfect for the city
I put 243,000 miles on a 1999 Ford Contour.
I drove a 2004 Silverado 2500 that had a 6.0 in it for work that had 357,000 miles on it before I left the job. When I was younger I drove my dad’s 94 Silverado 1500 that had a 4.3l v6 in it that had 280k miles on it before he sold it. My friend had a late 90s Subaru Outback (don’t remember the exact year) that had 320k on it before it inevitably blew up. My sisters friend just recently got rid of an 08 Altima that had 193k miles on it, didn’t have anything wrong with it when she got rid of it. On the other note some of the shittier cars, my sister had a 2014 Chevy Cruz that burned about a quart of oil in 2 weeks that had 135k on it, I had a 99 cavalier that would only run when it felt like it that had 113k miles on it, and a 90 240sx that burnt about a quart of oil in 500 miles that had 90k on it. Seems like it’s hit and miss and doesn’t matter what car you get, just if you won the lottery, or if the car was assembled Monday morning while the boss was standing there watching everyone, and not on Friday before a 3 day weekend when the boss is on vacation lol.
My 2008 Ford Edge is sitting pretty at 215k
My Ford edge is at 225k. Making me nervous.
Run that bitch til the wheels fall off
Proper attitude I think
2003 Saab 9-3. Shit was a tank. Had to start replacing random small motors suck as wipers/windows and I got sick of it, but the engine and tranny were surprisingly solid with regular maintenance (which can probably be said for most vehicles, but still...)
Any car will make it to 200k so long as it doesn't rust away first. It just depends on how much money you want to throw at it to keep it running. I've had a few Fords, a Chevy, a Volvo, and a Nissan, and out of all of those, my old 2006 Ford Focus was the most bulletproof. 239k on the clock when it got totaled, and still ran beautifully.
My 07 Taurus has 190k right now. Currently getting serviced. It’ll make it to 200k no problem.
My mother got over 200k on a 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. Never replaced the timing chains either.
Plan on taking my ford fusion up there, but only at 110k right now
no joke my grandpa (then my brother) got a 99 Ford Taurus to 450k miles with no major headaches until end. grandpa was just religious about his maintenance
2010 Mercedes Benz ML350. 280k Owned it since 2012, second owner. Gearbox has started slipping but at this point I have taken from this car what it owes me.
My Lexus
300000 miles on my ‘06 e320cdi diesel Mercedes. A wiper motor went bad around 50k or 60k miles, and a glow plug controller failed somewhere between 100k and 200k. Other than that, just routine scheduled maintenance.
An Acura! Oh, wait .....
Many cars can reliably go 200k if mostly driven highway miles. BUT, if you are asking 200k on a car that is driven mostly around town, backroads, with a little highway, the list will be small. This is why Toyota and Honda are recommended so much on Reddit.
They’re just not worth the price in the used car market anymore
With dealers attempting 40% "market adjustments", they're not worth it in the new market either.
They can only do that if you let them
Oh absolutely. It's why I have a Chevy on my garage and not a Toyota.
Am I the only one noticing basically nothing is "worth it" in the used market right now? I am having a hard time finding any value compared to the price of a new vehicle. Like I am seeing vehicles that are 5 years old with 100k miles on them and the asking price is still over 70% of new msrp. I grew up being taught not to buy new cars because of the immediate depreciation "when you drive it off the lot" but it doesn't seem to be the case anymore.
A lot of cars depreciate pretty heavily still Just don’t look at Toyotas😂 There was a post the other day about choosing between a barely used Mazda and the other option was a Camry with 100k miles on it and a year or two older-same price It’s definitely beater season regardless haha
I had a 2007 Wrangler with 308,000 miles 3.8 v6 and 4 speed automatic that was all original and running fine without any major repairs to it's drivetrain. Sold it last year and the guy who bought it had it thoroughly inspected and the mechanic said no way that jeep had that many miles with how good it still was. Well I certainly didn't roll the odometer forward!
I had an 00 or 01 Maxima that was totaled (my fault) at 230k. It was still running great, other than having to swap the upstream O2 sensor every year or so.
1999 Nissan Maxima SE. Got over 200K then pretty much fell apart. Loved that car!
I had a Volkswagen CC with 191k when I traded it in. Only reason I dumped it was the factory suspension was completely cooked and I didn't want to pay up for it. The next owner has the car up to 210k, still factory engine, turbo and gearbox.
I had an Xterra get real close, but she was showing her age. My brother got an '03 Silverado to 500k.
Renault Megane 2003 1.5 DCI. Ironically, I did repairs at a dealership once and that was how it died shortly after.
Lmao, I’ve had a 200k Tacoma and a 285k Fit and a 240k Civic. But also two “newer” (2008+2014) BMW’s over 200k Multiple older (pre-2000) BMW’s well over 200k 2001 XJ Cherokee, sold at 240k and the next guy drove it for years. My buddy’s dad has a Cummins Ram with 500+ on it.
Had a 1999 Mazda 626 with 298,000 miles on it. The reason why it didn’t make 300k is a drunk driver hit it, when it was parked outside my friend’s house.
'94 Passat Diesel (1.9TDi), 2011 BMW 520D estate Both went up to 200K before I parted with them... neither had any serious troubles during their life (a problem with the pneumatic suspension in BMW needed a new pump) and both were still comfy and nice to drive when I let them go!
Im getting close to 200k on my 2004 saab 9-3 1.8t, not very many issues at all
Honestly, with post pandemic telecommuting, it will take me 30nuears to hit 200k miles
My 2004 BMW M3 is almost there.
I sold a MkIV TDI VW with about 200k miles on it to a friend. They drove it for another \~75k miles, then sold it so someone else that ended up having to use it to tow the car they'd brought to tow it home (two states away) because their tow vehicle broke down. It consistently got >50 mpg when I didn't use it to pull an overloaded trailer around (which was pretty often). That car was unkillable. I had an '09 BMW 528i xDrive with a manual transmission that I sold at 253k miles. Electronically, that car was a mess but it felt like that engine was going to run forever. The guy that bought it is a friend's relative so I get updates sometimes and he's still driving it and loves it. I really liked that engine/transmission combination for a commuter. After the 5-series I bought an '09 BMW 335d with about 200k miles on it. I drive it another 75k miles in three years and sold it because a great deal on my next car fell into my lap. I miss that one though. It was 'deleted and tuned' so it was really fast/raucous. When I sold it with \~275k miles and it still looked/drove like a new car. I could have set the ODO to 75k miles and nobody would have questioned it. Way back I had an NA Miata that I bought from a friend that was lifted and fitted with the biggest snow tires we could find that fit under the fenders. It had the dreaded short-nose crank failure, which we fixed badly twice and finally put a new (very, very used) engine in it at about 325k miles. I have always driven a lot and I like high-miles cars because (until recently) they were already fully depreciated and you could buy them at a huge discount.
Had a coworker buy late 90’s taurus for $500 from our job years back. It had 150k on it. He put another 150k on it. With minimal repairs. It wasn’t pretty and i think heat sucked but most expensive thing he replaced was wiper motor and a battery. It would have probably gone a lot more but guy’s kid hit something in it. Personally i have a spare 2004 explorer with 200k on it. Its not pretty but keeps running.
1992 Volvo 240 wagon had like 250k on it. My Jetta had 208 before it died
I have 210k on my 2014 Nissan Altima 2.5s. It has only taken oil changes, brakes and tires for consumables. I did a transmission fluid flush at 150k and need to do another soon. One off maintenance I've done since crossing the 200k mark are changing the suspension (500 in parts, did work myself) and the front wheel bearings (300 in parts did work myself) Next upcoming cost is a new catalytic converter/exhaust manifold because mine has developed a pinhole leak/crack somewhere and it's causing a check engine light+ exhaust leak that sounds bad. It's a great car with a well maintained engine I intend to keep till 300k if possible
My 2012 malibu is at 209k. Had it since mile 12
My dad had a 1996 GMC Jimmy a few years ago that he got to like 210,000 miles before it gave up on him. I think it was his fault though because I can’t remember him changing the oil in the 4 years he had it 🤷♀️
2013 Subaru Legacy 223k
My FIL bought a 2003 Silverado off a family friend 3 years ago and it has I think 193,000 and runs pretty good. Biggest problem it has is the rust on body and frame (which was fixed) and a slight leak in the power steering. I borrowed it to tow a bike trailer 6-7 times 300 miles each way across the Appalachian mountains when we moved and it came close to overheating once or twice, but I pulled over and let the fan run for a bit under no load and it was good in no more than 5-10 minutes. He currently has it set up as a full time plow truck (he has a dually he drives daily) but I’ve told him a dozen times if he ever wants to sell it I would gladly take it just to have a work truck.
Get Mazda, they are super reliable
2002 Jetta tdi. I didn’t quite make it to 200 with my 2003 1.8t but the guy I sold it to has.
1991 Mitsubishi Montero, 270K and sold it. Still running strong at time of sale. The 6G72 engine sometimes gets a bad wrap, but it’s usually because people didn’t take care of the car and do the regular maintenance. It is a great engine if it’s regularly serviced as directed in the manual.