Ever turned 100,000 miles over on a Car

Have you ever turned over 100,000 miles on a car

  • Yes, and I put all 100,000 miles on myself

    Votes: 321 71.2%
  • Yes, but it was purchased used and already had miles on it

    Votes: 177 39.2%
  • No, never turned a car over 100,000

    Votes: 7 1.6%
  • No, always sell or trade prior to 100,000

    Votes: 8 1.8%

  • Total voters
    451
My 1972 toyota turned the clock recently. First time since I've owned it, and probably the first time ever.
These trucks tend to turn the odometer multiple times. They just go and go...
Buy nice or buy twice.
 

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In my experience, Japanese cars are good for 225k relatively trouble-free miles. My wife and I each drive over 30k-50k miles a year, so we go through cars pretty quickly. We've had mostly Hondas, but also a couple Toyotas and now a Mazda. We've bought some new, some low mile lease turn-ins, and some already north of 100k when we got them.

I had an 03 Mini that didn't even make it to 150k miles. It had 45k miles when I bought it. The 100k miles I put on it cost me over $10,000 in repairs along the way.

I have the most experience with Hondas and consider them low miles if they have less than 125k on them. At that point, they're still good for another 100k without issues.

For example, I bought a then two year old Odyssey with 12k miles on it, traded it in when it hit 225k. In those 212,000 miles I owned it, it only needed two repairs: the driver's window actuator (~$300 repair) and a sensor in the motor that failed, putting it into limp mode but did not leave me stranded ($125 repair). Other than that, it was just brakes a couple times, tires, routine timing belt every 100k and rear struts. No other wear parts; no ball joints, no tie rod ends no CV joints, no front struts, no sway bar bushings...Pretty amazing, and all dealer serviced. They never tried to sell me anything it didn't need. And they still have me $6k for a trade in when I bought a 2018 in late 2017.

The 2012 CR-V I drive now just turned 200k. Nothing has failed on it in the three years I've had it.
 
My last six cars all had 225,000+ , road sales for 38 years. Prior to those six, I traded them in at about 100,000. I realized it was cost effective to keep them longer.
 
As of late, been thinking bout parting, or maybe parting our my ole gal; an 2005 NISSAN X-trail. But she still waits for me to always start on the first "yank", and away we go.

Never thirsty (oil), with a minor "leak"...really no more than a couple of spoonfuls. This SUV looks more military in appearance, and just glad she ain't any shade of green. Being bright red, there really needs a "Search & Rescue" decal on her sides.

Toppin' out now at 270k, she still purrs like a kitten! Even has the orig muffler. Mind you had to weld up a couple of pipe connections along the way. No big deal!
CD player likes to eat discs, but the aging cassette player still can hold a tune. Down to just one side speakers working on tape...must be a dirty tape head, eh? But the radio still lights up, giving me stereo, and the phone hook-up works well, so no limit to great tunes.:music:

She's not partic with what cargo she's carried. Got a steel-like floor, so have carried rock/dirt/appliances/metal/lumber in its interior, which holds a lot...more than most other contenders out there. Never complains!

However, she's getting a bit arthritic in her joints. Could use new struts, but the cost factor is pretty high, and she is pretty long-in-the-tooth. And, I figure she only has maybe, another 100,00k left in her. Call her "Her", as never have given her a name...like some do theirs, after a long time together, eh? Must not be the emotional-type.

Only flaw with this here vehicle is the rear wheel wells. They's got a bit of cancer, and the rust is just starting to "bubble" through. SO says to forget it, when it comes to prettying her up. Must be some truth in that... "lipstick and lips" thingy, least my wife thinks that way. :bigok:

Funny how some of us just have this connection over a piece of machinery. Guess I fall under this mechanical category. Should give her a name, eh?

She's done me well. So far.

Q
 
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Getting close to 100 k on my 2010 GMC Savana 99,897 miles on it . Still has its original mufflers on it . Was offered 11,000 on a trade in at the dealership. Except a little rust on the passenger side rear quarter and the little bubbling on the 2 side doors it’s in awesome shape .
 
I had a Toyota Camry that got to 226K before we sold it. The auto trans started slipping badly, it had a hard time getting up the Grapevine (I-5) -- was getting passed by semis. :confused: I think if it wasn't the V6 version, it would've gone longer.
 
Dont have it anymore, nor pictures, but for my first car i bought a 2001 Kia Sephia that had about 140k on it in 2009.

When the flatbed came and gave me $150 for it, the odometer read 309k. I also ran it for about 3 months without a working speedometer or odometer until i could replace a sensor wire that melted on an, at the time, Wendy's income on tennessee minimum wage (7.25) budget and it was a 40 min drive to work on interstae, prob had a few k beyond 309. It ran fine the master cylinder just went belly up, and i already had a TL my grandmother left me to replace it at the time. It was a tin can with no airbags anyway. Engine and transmission were totally fine still though. Ive seen several of those 2001-2004 era kia automatic trans 4 bangers that weren't ever run dry on oil or wrecked, hit near 300k now too. My buddy todd has an 04 Spectra getting close as well. The ford and mazda variants of those cars, even though practically identical mechanically (Escort, Protégé)... not so much. Haven't seen a single one over 225k. (only one over 200k and it damn sure wasnt a ford escort) :dunno: They were all more or less the same car marketed to different demographics.
 
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Every ride I've ever owned has turned 100,000. All of 'em.

1975 Chevy Vega (the shagging) wagon - 134,000 miles. and the next owner dirt tracked raced it. No oil smoke!
1974 Pontiac 455 SD Trans Am - 127,00 miles. A beast. The body rotted around a great drivetrain.
1969 Pontiac Firebird 350 - 160,000 miles. Wish I still had this one.
1979 Pontiac Trans Am WS6 - a car on rails. Horsepower starved, but handled like it was on rails.
1985 Toyota 4X4 pickup truck - 172,000 miles and then the spedo broke. Likely the best vehicle I've ever owned.
2010 Subaru Forester - 125,000. Great when it ran. Constantly needed breaks. Unstoppable in snow with the right tires.
2013 Kia Sorento - 147,000 but it's nearing the end. Great car, but suffering from all of the maladies that come with GDI.
 
'99 Accord V6 Coupe.
Bought in '02 with 42k.
Currently at 297k.
Great car but I've spent as much keeping it running as I originally paid for it, $18k.
 
Had a couple that I can't be positive on. My first car had a broken speedometer for years. I'm pretty sure the engine threw a rod with right about 100K on it. Then had another one that the speedo broke on and I had to drive it that way for about a year. Sold it with 98K on the clock so I'm sure it was over 100K.
 
What's obvious to me, after reading that linked article, is that driving 60,000 miles or so each year is bound to improve the longevity. That means, don't start and stop and never let your engine get cold. They mentioned seven engines on the VW and at least one on a Honda. The rest are likely lying or didn't say how many times the original engine was overhauled, the pistons replaced, the block bored, etc. If you're driving that much you hardly have time to stop for an oil-change, or you're doing it once or twice each month. Expecting a 356 Porsche to have covered 1,000,000 miles without major repairs is simply naive.
In the case of Irv Gordon, he had the engine in his Volvo 1800S rebuilt at 675,000 miles. Was getting somewhat noisy, so he figured it was time. That apparently has been the only time that engine was torn down. It has outlived the owner. He passed away a few years back.
 
I read an article about a Volvo owner. He bought the car new in the 1960s. He and his car were featured because the Volvo had hit 1,000,000 miles. His “secret?” he was asked. He said he never ever let anyone else drive his car. I think he also did all of the maintenance on it himself.
 
I read an article about a Volvo owner. He bought the car new in the 1960s. He and his car were featured because the Volvo had hit 1,000,000 miles. His “secret?” he was asked. He said he never ever let anyone else drive his car. I think he also did all of the maintenance on it himself.
For the most part, yes, he did his own maintenance. He's the guy I was referencing above in my response. Current caretaker of his car is his daughter who drives it from time to time, to keep it somewhat active.


-J
 
In the case of Irv Gordon, he had the engine in his Volvo 1800S rebuilt at 675,000 miles. Was getting somewhat noisy, so he figured it was time. That apparently has been the only time that engine was torn down. It has outlived the owner. He passed away a few years back.
LIke most fables, there is some bit of truth but few can agree on the facts. One article says:
"Over the years, he rebuilt the engine twice. The first time was at 680,000 miles—the dealer said the car didn't need it, but Gordon insisted. "Like they said, there was nothing wrong," Gordon told Wired. "I learned my lesson." The second rebuild, in 2009, came after Gordon had some trouble getting the car up the steep grades of the Rocky Mountains."

Anyone who's ever worked on a car knows how implausible these claims are. "Never a single repair" in 3,000,000 miles over 40-something years is hard to believe. But it does make for a cute story. Repeating it often seems to make it more palatable to the public each time. But in this political climate we're used to it.
:dunno:
 
I guess it gets into the weeds regarding what’s maintenance and what’s a repair. Is replacing an exhaust system, starter, rotor, oil pump same as replacing batteries, belts, and tires? Is a complete engine rebuild (new gears, etc.) same as an oil change?

IDK. I’m still impressed. Just had to retire (cube-crunch) my 2009 Subaru Outback at 183,000 in October. Friends’ Outbacks have far surpassed that. My mechanic (when it started leaking oil) said that it could be a minor problem or a major problem, but that it was definitely going to be an expensive problem.
 
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I guess it gets into weeds regarding what’s maintenance and what’s a repair. Is replacing an exhaust system, starter, rotor, oil pump same as replacing batteries, belts, and tires? Is a complete engine rebuild (new gears, etc.) same as an oil change?

IDK. I’m still impressed. Just had to retire (cube-crunch) my 2009 Subaru Outback at 183,000 in October. Friends’ Outbacks have far surpassed that. My mechanic (when it started leaking oil) said that it could be a minor problem or a major problem, but that it was definitely going to be an expensive problem.
The power plant and the drive unit are the two measures of long life and durability. The rest, alternator, starter, water pump, plugs, belts, tires are accessories, maintenance and while they matter aren't like taking the engine or transmission apart. Those two should go at least a hundred thousand miles with no issues, its expected.
 
Of course I suppose any car built in the '60s was more than likely to have only a five-digit odometer which we are now trusting out to 7-digits?

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Bought a 1996 F250 7.3 powerstroke with 115k for cheap, not running. Got it running by replacing the bad injectors. Drove it until it until 387,000 miles, and sold it on still running like a top. Only sold it because it was a Midwest and former lawn care truck so it was rusty and didn't have a dent free panel on it, and I really wanted a quad cab instead of the extended cab the 96 had. Replaced with a 2003 F350 that I plan on keeping until it can't be fixed anymore. The 2003 had 103k at purchase and just over 153k now, so it should be around a long time hopefully.
 
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