For the past couple decades, it seems as though a rule of thumb has been to avoid cars with over 100,000 miles. Article after article has promoted this as something that will "likely have mechanical issues sooner than expected."
Something that's consistently left out in many of these articles is what will actually start to fail. It's most definitely an uphill battle with some cars, but we'll categorize those vehicles as Lemons. These are the cars that were problematic to begin with, and the current owner is looking to sell it to either 1) someone who really wants the car badly enough and is aware of what they're in for, or 2) someone who doesn't know, that will likely find out the hard way.
The big problem with buying used cars is that there are those two distinct groups of people. If more people knew more about cars, it would be easier to say that these Lemons would be dealt with sooner rather than later, and by dealt with, they should be bought back, and fixed by the automaker.
I bought a used car. It had a grand total of 142,960 miles on when I got it home that day. To many many people out there, that is some serious mileage. To anyone who is misguided about higher mileage cars, that's straight up the danger zone for mileage. But why is that?
I bought a HEMI Wagon on Friday, and drove it to Connecticut on Sunday
Lets not get too far into specifics, but let's look at many common reasons to avoid a high mileage car.
1) Timing belts. In the vast majority of cars sits an Interference Engine. These are the things of nightmares for people who simply operate cars. While you can read the finer details about the Interference engine somewhere else, the long story short is that 99.3% of the time when your timing belt snaps for whatever reason, the repairs are typically cost prohibitive. The sheer amount of time alone to replace damaged parts is what makes bills ridiculously high.
2) Rust. No one needs any sort of introduction to tinworm disease in cars. Cars rust for two reasons. They weren't properly rust proofed from the factory, or they were typically owned and driven in "The Rust Belt." This simply means that these cars were subject to more water and more salt than other parts of the county. It snowed where these cars were driven most, and it's unavoidable, no matter how often the car got washed off.
3) Consumables have not been properly checked up on a regular basis. This is a tough one. Cars are not a turn-key solution to getting around. Humans require interaction, nourishment and rest. Cars require a careful eye. That innocent love-tap into the curb, the really tiny scratch that you aren't sure how you got, or the tire that never really held air quite right. Oil doesn't last forever, filters are not akin to perpetual motion toys, and rubber bushings or mounts will dry out and rot. That lucky pair of underwear you wont get rid of, but they don't fit right anymore? Just like that, but not one bit lucky.
So lets think back to why these things aren't really a high mileage problem really quickly. New cars have oil, and that needs to get changed, but many of those will tell you when service is due. The bean counters of the auto industry decided that in order to preserve the resale value of a car, they needed to make sure it was at least somewhat well kept. So many, if not all new cars today will start throwing a fit if they haven't gotten an oil change on time. With TPMS, it can protect your tires which are, after all, the only contact your car has with the road.
Oil and filters need to be changed on a regular basis. This isn't something special for old cars, they simply have a different service interval than a new car. Rubber bushings and mounts need to be checked regularly. Also, nothing unique to any car, new or old. Motor mounts can tear if not properly aligned, and bushings and dust boots can degrade over time. The car's suspension will have plenty of rubber that needs to be watched carefully. Strut mounts, ball joint boots, CV boots, all of these things need to be checked up on. Luckily for most of them, they even have fittings to be greased. Any mindful mechanic will look to make sure these things have proper lubrication in order to both last a long time, as well as function as intended. In plenty of cars, changing something as simple as the spark plugs and plug wires can help them continue running at their best. Many bearings will wear out over time, but if your wheels are aligned properly, the wheel bearings should last you well into the 100k range, and replacing them should last you about the same mileage again. A well maintained engine with clean, fresh filters and clean fresh lubricants should have no problem at all. While it may seem overwhelming to someone who's most intense work with a car involves turning keys, it's a lot easier than it really sounds. Technical terms for many things are very intimidating to the uninitiated.
Cars have all sorts of sensors and computer systems to detect problems or prevent things for becoming damaged. Knock sensors will pull timing, the check engine light will have trouble codes associated, and even a simpleton can effectively take care of a car without any excitement. If you can take a long weekend to go to the beach, you can take an hour or so to at least one mechanic and ask them to check things for you. For many who pride themselves on their reputation, they will tell you what you need to think about doing soon, and sometimes for no charge initially. They pay their bills and feed their families based on a good reputation that keeps business going. If you don't like their attitude or something seems off, you can go to another place for a second opinion. Even more importantly, catching problems early saves you lots of troubles and headaches. No one wants to be stuck on the side of the road because their car broke. Cars are fun, they're built to be enjoyed by being driven.
There are some fantastic examples of modern cars which have what some people would call completely insane mileage. The Million Mile Van comes to mind. Going by some of the numbers he has listed, the service life of many of these parts are incredibly high. Would I trust some older cars to do this? Maybe not, but by older cars, we're talking about cars 40-50 years old, and they were built very differently. The standards weren't low at the time the cars were built, but by sheer volume and the era, a high mileage car was approaching 100,000 miles. Some parts were exposed, many were never tested for such prolonged use. Most importantly, they were about as long lasting as the technology back then could manage. There are plenty of survivor class cars going all the way back to the 30's, but very few of them were daily driven through all the elements mother nature had to throw down at them.
Both Mercedes Benz and Volvo offer badges for your grill for different milestones over 100,000 miles. Even Dodge will offer a license plate bracket to the first and second owners of a vehicle for every 100,000 miles (sorry third owner, no love for you). Companies exist to make a profit, yes, no one is going to try and fool you into thinking otherwise, but a really interesting take on this is that no one is going to really want to own a vehicle that is known for crapping out. They're going to want to go for a vehicle that goes for a long time and requires little maintenance. What's a better marketing tool than showcasing every car that's gone over 100,000 miles. Even continuing to congratulate the next 100,000 miles.
There have been major flops that have been released. The Dodge 2.7L V6 has a reputation for catastrophic failure, but they learned from it, and changed things. Technology has made some massive improvements on engine and vehicle design. Many engine bays today have expansive belly pans which protect vital components that in the past would have rusted away in very short periods of time. Materials were easier to get, parts warehouses were full, and labor was pretty cheap. Many of the mechanics really cared more as well. Reputations mattered.
Along with the flops, there have been a vast number of engines that have been able to successfully remain running over extended periods of time with no trouble. There are countless "best engine" awards and lists that have been published over the years, and they've been chosen for many different reasons.
The 10 Best Engines Of The Last 20 Years
Most importantly however, there are engines that just last. The "New HEMI" 5.7L 345CI monster has certainly proven it's reliability. The bigger, beefier HEMIs, like the 6.1L and 6.4L have been equally successful for normal street users, and for heavy modifiers. With these engines reaching high mileage, it forces you to think about what high mileage even is.
Over time with the introduction of CAD and other computer technologies, the design of cars became more protective of vital components. Engines are not exposed to the elements like they once were in many cars. Oils have gotten better, not breaking down in the same time frame as conventional dino juice based oils. Gasoline seems to have gone against this trend, but with cleaner burning engines, and longer lasting parts, we can try to safely say that it's not a major detriment to the running components.
So what does it really take to sell a higher mileage car these days, what would change someone's mind? For a huge amount of the population, higher mileage will continue to be a red flag. For the rest of us car enthusiasts, or those with experience buying used cars, there are things to look for. When buying from an individual, service records, dated with mileage, or at least some form of record keeping about the maintenance. To be able to go back and see how long parts lasted, or what parts a hopefully reputable mechanic determined needing replacements is a very good start. Having even a basic knowledge of this information can give you clues about problems that may arise, or potential parts that may need replacing in the future.
Can you define high mileage by the odometer? Unfortunately, probably not. With so many older cars with five digit odometers, they can roll over 100,000 miles and a buyer may never really know the difference. Six digit odometers started rolling out, yes, you have people who roll them back, even still.
Dealer Involved In California's Biggest Odometer Tampering Case
Sure, a dashboard can stop working and you may just throw in a junkyard cluster without adjusting the mileage to the car, but there are still ways to find out. Unless the PCM was modified, it will have the original mileage that can be read. There are a handful of cars today that even sport 7 digit odometers. Can that help re-define what high mileage is?
For car enthusiasts however, sometimes it's just the model, the color, the overall basic sight of the car to make us buy. Does the car have a dented fender? Is that going to sway my opinion on it? For many of us, we have a very acute awareness of what we're getting into, or we at the very least have the know how (or a friend with the know how) to prevent these cars from being moneypits.
The Longest Night Of Our Lives: Another Porsche 944 Horror Story
The fear of higher mileage cars needs a very serious re-evaluation. It will take time, and lots of it. It's not really any different from Mini's branding, and then releasing bigger and bigger cars. People don't take change well, and it takes a long time to settle in. The real issue at hand is not how many miles a car has on it, it's how well the car has been taken care of. A well kept car will get better with age.
This Man Has Travelled Nearly 3 Million Miles In His Vintage Volvo
I took the time to ask some members of forums about their experience witih running higher mileage cars, to which I was told that there was simply no equal. One man located in Maine, a place not known for it's mild weather winters has a Magnum not unlike my own, but with 290,000 miles on it. It has been not only one of the most reliable cars he owns, but is regularly raced in 1/8 mile events, where even at 290,000 miles, is putting down a respectable 330 horsepower with only minor modifications. For the 1/8 mile, he said it will run 80mph, and in his words "couldn't hook up." He also owns a Dodge RAM which "only has a measly 203,000 extremely hard miles." Every one has been trouble free.
James, you asked. #23 was what the guy in the grey GM car saw, you can just see him in the corner of the pic. My Ram on nitrous racing Rich Millers 10.58 sec Magnum. Check out his Magnum on youtube= 10.58 second Magnum. Other pic of the Magnum earning her keep delivering 25' boat. Use the Ram for the big stuff, haha. BTW, the only thing that I've had to replace under the hood, beside fluids and spark plugs, 1 fan belt and EGR valve. Everything else still original, yup. Change power steering fluid ever 50,000 miles, the pump will be fine. Coolant every 100k, water pump will be ok. At 200K I did timing chain tensioners, but the originals were still mint! I'm putting on the second set of brakes on at 290,000 and will replace brake fluid.
The other person I wasn't able to talk to specifically is running another 2005 Dodge Magnum RT, the same model I have. The bean counter so far? 325,000 miles, as he seems to regularly update his forum signature with the current mileage.
So for all of the naysayers out there who are scared of high mileage cars, I say, fine, continue your antiquated viewpoints while I go enjoy the most of my vehicle. There are bad cars out there, but a careful, knowledgeable buyer will be able to spot it, and avoid it. I will continue to make the HEMI Wagon a part of my life, and continue taking it on grand adventures as often as I can. If my car could talk, it would now have 147,300 (and counting!) miles of things to say and stories to tell. I have every intention of doubling the mileage, and giving the car amazing stories to tell, if for nothing more than being able to tell the stories for it.