When I was a kid in the '70s cars with 100,000 miles were considered pretty much used up. Back then when you bought them used with that many miles you could get them for next to nothing. But nowadays I see basic 10 year old trucks with 200k miles that people might ask $15,000 or $20,000 for. This seems like way too much money for the mileage. So, is there a standard any more for "too many miles"? Can I judge whether a vehicle is a good buy just by its mileage any more?
Judging by pure mileage and checking fluids alone isn't the way these days. Cars are too complex. Electronic scan tools are pretty much the only way to go. The dealership in town that I bought my 2017 Mustang from a few years ago was asking over $25,000 for a 2020 regular cab short-bed, EcoBoost F-150 with over 100k miles. People are trying to take advantage of the car shortage with these prices. I would never pay that much for said truck. "Too many miles" might be a person-to-person gauge and vary by price and/ or vehicle.
No. The landscape is entirely different now and far more complicated. High mileage for some vehicles is considered low for others. Mileage is still an important factor but it's not necessarily a deal breaker. Some modern fuel injected engines can go 100,000 miles before needing spark plugs and still have at least 2/3 of their life left. The bodies generally don't rust out as quickly, modern lubricants are better and so on. The average life expectancy of a vehicle now is way beyond what it was 50 years ago.
There is still a lot of junk out there though, that will be hard pressed to see 100,000 miles. You have to be a savvy consumer and do your research now more than ever. AND it's a seller's market these days.
Oils and engine controls are much better today than they were 50-60 years ago. Back then most engines had carbs which had no feedback mechanism and would flow excess gas under some conditions that washed lubricant off the cylinder walls. Until the mid 1970s, Kettering ignition was employed on the vast majority of cars which quickly deteriorated with mileage causing incomplete combustion even if the carb was metering fuel correctly, resulting in contamination and dilution of lubricant. There were no knock sensors to prevent destructive predetonation. Oils were not nearly as good at dealing with contaminants and controlling the formation of acids even with more frequent oil changes, and metallurgy was not as advanced as it is today. So not only would the engine wear out but in areas with salted winter roads the bodies would start rotting quickly. So by 100,000 miles under those conditions most cars were pretty much shot.
With modern oils and engine management systems we reached a "sweet spot" where a well-designed engine could be expected to reach 300K-400K miles or more with reasonable maintenance, and electronics were not insanely complex. (I've bought several vehicles over the years with over 200K miles on them and it's worked out well.) Unfortunately we seem to be returning to the days of 100K mile or less lifespans with lightly-constructed, small-displacement engines pushed to their limits not to mention the fragility of the overly complex and expensive technology in use. (Some of the latter is due to increasingly insane demanding government regulations, some is because it's cheaper to make that way, and some is just "because we can".)
I agree. We have past the peak for reasonably well made vehicles with good longevity and are headed back in the other direction now.
You definitely can't Judge just by mileage. Maintenance IMO is the biggest factor.
Mileage just tells you how far a vehicle has gone. It doesn't tell you anything about how much life is left in it.
It depends on the brand expectation, too. You can go 500,000+ on a Toyota or Honda with proper maintenance. My uncle still drives a Sienna that has added up 400,000+. I don't expect the same from other brands.
Simple answer? It depends. I just bought a 2007 Honda Pilot with 243,000 miles. I was skeptical of the high mileage but the old man produced a stack of receipts from the last 13 years. Highway miles, never missed a fluid change, timing belt ect...The seats and pedals had the wear of hightway miles. (Thanks Scotty.)
This answer was pure gold to me. I have just learned it through experience.
Hi, I would definitely follow the advice that has already been mentioned here, but I also remember Scotty K. mentioning on several YouTube videos that he would be extra cautious with purchasing any car over 200,000 miles these days. It can be done but only if you get it checked out by a mechanic who performs a complete pre-purchase inspection and if you don't pay a lot of money for it. It may run well, but often at that number you may also not be dealing with the original engine or transmission on some makes or models. Having receipts and documentation of any work done is also ideal but just getting an owner to allow for a pre-purchase inspection is a miracle in this seller's market. Good luck.
