“I am going to keep this car forever!”
So many say it. So few mean it.
The truth is, even if us hardcore old car lovers are talking about driving a car for the long haul, it usually takes a special car and a unique keeper mindset to make it happen.
Just recently I viewed the mileage results of 14,372 vehicles that were traded in to over the past two weeks. In a sign of our times, plenty of cars now hit that once magical 200,000 mile mark. Nearly 1 in 14 trade-ins reach this coveted honor, with nearly all of them in good drivable condition.
Guess how many of those 14,000+ cars and trucks actually hit 400,000 miles?
Five. Pictures are in short supply this week since a lot of folks at the auctions are taking their vacation time. However, The winners of this purely anecdotal honor are….
A 2002 GMC Envoy SLE with 400,634 miles
A 2002 VW Jetta GLS TDI with 418,946 miles.
A 1990 Chevy S-10 Blazer with 437,327 miles
A 1992 Honda Accord EX with 412,917 miles.
A 1991 Honda Accord EX with 456,193 miles.
Ever since a slew of volunteers started tracking the trade-in history of dozens of vehicles that wind up at auction throughout the country, we have seen ever increasing numbers of the same result. In fact, feel free to click below to get a pulse on the current state of things.
http://members.wolfram.com/nickl/
Most of the vehicles we see registering the highest overall mileage will usually (but not always) fit in one of four categories.
1) Chevy truck
2) Ford truck (and Panther platform)
3) Honda car
4) Toyota everything.
These four categories represent about 30% of the overall trade-in inventory at the dealer auctions, and well over two-thirds of the top 30 finishers, week after week.
Name isn’t everything though, and a hearty, “Amen!” to that. Nearly every brand out there can lay some claim to an amazing longevity feat somewhere in this fair land.
The 500,000 model Fiat. In this case a meticulous 1980 Fiat Brava.
The 576,000 mile Mercury Comet owned for 48 years by Rachel Veitch, a wonderful lady from San Diego, California.
Heck, there is an even a million mile SAAB, a 1989 SAAB 900 SPG , that managed to stay together through 17 Wisconsin winters thanks to the care of long-time SAAB enthusiast Peter Gilbert.
Just like a baseball team is highly reliant on the efforts of their pitcher, a car’s longevity is overwhelmingly based on the behavior of the owner. A loser of a baseball team can still wind up with a pitcher that makes them win like a World Series champion. Likewise, even the lowest rung of cars can cling onto the highest rungs of durability and longevity with the right owner.
Have you any of you known a long-distance runner owned by a friend that, say, wasn’t among the elite of popularity? An early Plymouth? An Eagle that actually flew instead of blew? A Nash worthy of the cash?
Feel free to discuss the the greatest improbabilities of your automotive realities.
And I thought my 1995 Triumph Trident motorcycle that’s about to pass 113,000 miles was impressive . . . . . . . . .
For a motorcycle that is, I usually see 10-15 year old bikes with 4 digits on the odo.
2002 Ford F150 extended cab with 396,000 miles is my daily driver. Bought it from a Landpride equipment salesman. I’m gonna need to spend money on it soon but it does what I need it to right now.
That Envoy must have had at least 4 4L60-E transmissions over its lifespan. The Accords are no suprise, in fact my neighbour has a 1992 white EX with 375,000 kilometers [~235,000miles] and it purrs. This is in [excessively] salty NW Ontario, where Mazda 3’s start to rust after 3-5 years.
I can’t believe an S-10 Blazer made it over 200,000 miles. I have never seen one in good condition past that point.
Are the Hondas automatic or manual?
One auto. One stick. The autos usually have a weakness with a couple of sensors that can be easily remedied. The sticks were among the best in the business during that time. I still see plenty of 1990-93 Accords on the road although the Georgia heat does no favors to the interior condition.
My 93 Century wagon (3300/4OD) will break 400K if I keep it that long. Aside from avoiding driving it like you stole it, most of it has to do with simple maintenance. Keeping on top of the needs and you can make a lot of things last a long time. Some cars are more reliable for the first 3-5 years, other cars are much better (and cheaper) to keep for the long haul. I rode in a cab in NYC this weekend, it was a 2004 Crown Vic that showed 287K on the clock. Just from my 15 minute experience in the backseat and conversation with the driver, it was well-kept (as NYC cabs usually are) and rode and handled well from my perspective.
I’m not a big fan of the Panthers but I have to admit they do last. I work part-time for a company in NYC that uses a livery service with a fleet of Town Cars and it’s not unusual to see odometer readings of over 300K. I rode in one to JFK yesterday that was in this category and it still seemed pretty tight. The hotel we frequently use also has its own small fleet of TCs and I rode in one recently that appeared nearly new with 387K on it. Impressive.
If my 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt can make it past 60K that will be a great achivement than any of these!
If you put enough money into most cars, you can make them run forever. But what amazes me are the ones that seem to do it with routine maintenence.
I haven’t read about Veitch’s Mercury Comet. Has it survived without a transmission rebuild or engine work all this time? I feel that if you can reach that stage, you not only maintained it well but are just plain lucky.
It is those repairs that usually stop an otherwise solid car from continuing. Most would be willing to keep up brakes and change the oil and plugs and tires, an alternator every once in a while. It’s the transmission rebuild or valve job that makes people throw up their hands and finally scrap it. To make it past that stage you either have to be lucky or have lots of cash lying around.
I had a 1991 Accord, when I sold it in 2005 it had approximately 253k miles on the clock. At the rate I was going, if I had kept it, it would be just about ready to roll over 400k right now.
My “Anything Toyota” Corolla just rolled over 250,000 as I pulled into the driveway last night-I though I was doing well till I read this. Maybe I should set my goals a little higher.
Being that my 36 year old Olds 98 just passed 175k, I’m going to need another few decades to reach 400K.
Daily driver #1
1996 Toyota Tercel 308,000 plus miles. Original engine, automatic transmission replaced with junkyard one after 200,000 plus miles.
Daily driver #2
2003 Mazda Tribute Duratec V6 268,000 plus miles, original engine and transmission. Transmission is beginning to show signs of needing service, but still goes everywhere without problems.
Both cars have needed their radiators to be replaced, coil packs, alternators, timing belts in the Tercel, lots of oil changes, brake pads, but having a mechanic father in law and brother in law helps. Most of the time, I only pay for the parts. Simple things like brake jobs, I do myself.
I work as a computer technician at a local college and my daily conmute is about a 100 miles.
So I suppose my ’02 Tribute V6 is “just getting broken in” at 125K miles with a 60-mile commute?
Cars I’ve personally seen/driven with highest miles
400K on a 90 Chevrolet 1500 4×4-ugly and weathered, but drove very well
385K on a 93 Lumina 3.1 V6-orig engine, 1 transmission rebuild.
375K on a 87 Bonneville LE 3.8 V6- owner claimed all orig.
360K on a 90 Chevrolet 2500 4×4-pretty tired and getting rusty
275K on a 92 Dodge Stealth-I know, weird right? But yeah, it died right in front of me too, she liberated a connecting rod through the block, the original owner was on the verge of tears…..
225K on a 88 Regal 2.8 V6-orginal engine-really tired transmission
The only guys I know with “high mileage odometers” (say more than 250,000 miles) are on the road all the time for their profession. In the past those guys drove the usual suspects: Mercedes W123, W124 and W201 models, all diesels.
More recently it’s often done with “basic” Japanese SUVs like Nissan Patrol, Toyota Land Cruiser and Mitsubishi Pajero. All of them with 4 cylinder diesel engines with a displacement from 3.0 to 3.2 ltr.
Never cars with a gasoline engine. If you drive more than say 25,000 miles a year here you just don’t do that with a gasoline car, regardless its displacement.
Jus read a story in a car magazine about a first owner’s 1997 Volvo V70 TDI with
1,000,000 km (625,000 miles) on the odometer. Back then Volvo used Audi’s 2.5 ltr. 5 cylinder TDI engine in that model.
In the UK, the list is a bit different:
1. Anything that was a private taxi- mainly Skoda Octavias.
2. Land Rovers with TDI engines
3 Peugeot Diesels
4. Mercedes pre-1994 models, petrol and diesel.
5. Audis and BMW’s, mainly due to massive highway miles early in life. (we also get the ‘simpler’ and thus more reliable models than the top-spec stuff that is sold in the US).
Strangely, Japanese cars don’t really register here- except perhaps for Carinas and Primeras. Most small Asian cars are purchased by private buyers rather than business drivers, and in this country, we just don’t cover the mileage that one does in the states.
There are a few things that do make a long-life mega-high miler. First, (unless you do 70K a year) is parts availability. This is the reason many cars are scrapped at 10-12 years old. A sensor, computer, bushing or some other thing is NLA, and the repair is thus impossible.
Second, is desirability. Keeping a Saab going isn’t difficult, because the car has great enough rewards when working to make it worth the often absurd repair procedures. Can we say b-block water pump? A car that inspires love will encourage the type of care that rewards with longevity. This is also why 4×4’s like Land Rovers (in the UK at least) can cover 300K or more, simply because they are well loved. Citroen XM’s also fell into this category, as they were discontinued and die-hard LHMheads would spend any amount to keep them going rather than drive something suspended by something as archaic as steel. Bulletproof Peugeot diesels didn’t hurt either.
Third, I would say is trim quality. This is what makes a car look good enough to keep spending money on after much wear.
Fourth, and perhaps most importantly, is a degree of rust resistance or a kind climate.
On this topic, I also believe that there is also a key year for durability and build quality, and I would say that year is 1991, give or take a few years. Never again will we build cars as well as (some makers) did in the late 80s and early 90s. A Mercedes, Honda, Saab, Volvo, Toyota, or especially a Lexus of this vintage will last a lifetime if waxoyled and taken care of. Even American cars of this vintage could be quite good- look at the number of mega mile F-series or Le Sabres of this era that are still on the road and doing their duty. The most surprising car that you can still find in very good shape is the Peugeot 205, of which I have never seen a rusty one. The late 80s and early 90s was the brief window after galvanized bodies were improved and before the crappy enviro-paint systems came along that made cars rust again. It was also the brief window when fuel injection was improved, yet before the blinker fluid sensor was wired to the computer and could disable the main systems. In 1990, if you opened a parts box for a door handle or something, you could see the Mercedes one was far better constructed than the one from a Chrysler, almost jewel-like in its construction. Today, the Merc item is just as cost-engineered as the Mopar bit.
While it may soon be possible to get a half a million miles out of a new car if you do 50K a year, there will be far fewer 2013 cars on the road in 2033 regardless of miles. The era of the simple yet over-engineered cars is truly over.
Yeah Peugeot/Ford diesels are the best the germans try but fail in that department only VW/Skoda are any good now.
Better warn Toyota not to use those doomed BMW diesels next year.
Brian, post like yours is why I enjoy writing here.
A lot of great comments. But this one is definitely deserving of the Curbside Classic Comment Of The Week.
If you ever find yourself in a small town between civilization and Deliverance, call me. I will buy you a beer.
This thread don’t go anywhere near Aintry!
I went to a buddy’s house last month and his 1991 Toyota Corolla had 405k on it with original automatic transmission and engine. What’s amazing is that the interior has held up really well, no rips or tears. I rode in it when it had 330k and it drove great, ac blow cold, etc. We popped open the hood and the casting of the engine block seemed pretty high quality for an economy car.
My dad drove a 1998 Dodge Intrepid ES that he bought new and traded in with 295,000 miles. He hardly did any work to the car and the only reason he got rid of it was he really wanted a new Dart. The dealer did not believe my dad when he told him how many miles were on his Intrepid, and this was coming from a long time Dodge dealer.
There was a Citroen Xsara Piccaso for sale on trademe with 856,000kms on it still running fine diesel of course, it had been driving Auckland to Tauranga return since new every day several trips a day thats only 500,000 of your old fashionede miles but still pretty impressive for a passenger car.
I check a lot of odometers at junkyards. On average, Full size vans and old Mercedes vehicles seem to always be the highest. Usually always in the low 300Ks.
I only remember seeing over 400K twice. Once in a ’90 Bonneville
(which I took a picture of) and once in a 5.0 Explorer.
Anytime I see a Northstar Cadillac with over 150K I’m a little surprised.
I’ve seen a few livery Northstar Cadillacs that have crossed the 200K mark.
Go up and down ebay a few times, you’ll see more than a few Northstar Cadillacs with more than 150K.
Here’s a nice 2005 DeVille with 182K on the clock.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NO-RESERVE-Leather-CD-changer-all-books-and-records-runs-and-drives-110-/221253793428?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item3383c0f694
Keep in mind that this is a junkyard sample size, so most of the Northstar Cadillacs I encounter are in the ’93-’01 age range. Those seem to suffer a much higher mortality rate than the ’04 and newer ones.
A lot of the Cadillacs of that vintage sold down here in central FL were also bought by the very elderly that tend not to rack up the miles in the first place.
How do you read the odometer in the junkyard, usually all the Northstars were digital odometers?
The pre 01 cars you usually see with high millage are ones that had good owners for a long time, usually though the story with ALL expensive cars is that they require expensive maintenance, when a luxury car is no longer the “newest thing”, thye proceed down a line of 2nd, 3rd and 4th owners that just compound the neglect in most cases, Northstar Cadillacs are not exclusive to this, or are there are $3000 7-series on ebay because they are so good and cheap to maintain?
Every car at the yard has a sticker on it that tells model year, name, VIN, and mileage. It’s all quite organized.
As far as the Northstar goes, I’m fairly content with my 4.5L so I think I’ll just stick with that for now.
I was browsing the Ford aisle at the local pick-a-part and I came across a Panther “P71” painted in the distinct green of Portland’s worst cab company. The grease pencil writing on the back window simply said “Auction, Runs, Tired”. Odometer read 501K. That much pursuit and livery service, it deserves to be tired after a half-million.
Not uncommon for an ex police car turned taxi to drive into the wrecking yard with over 400K still with it’s original engine that is getting tired or with the original trans that has lost OD.
In October 2011 a gentleman from Maine had a 1990 Accord LX hit a million miles. Honda gave him a brand new 2012 Accord for this accomplishment. If you google million mile Honda it has a whole bunch of articles and cool reading regarding this.
i always loved that Mercedes spot
With synthetic oils you can pretty much forget about major engine failures, but valve seals, water pumps and alternators are another story. Priced the replacement cost of a water pump on even a low level Audi recently? About $2500. The part costs about $20 but you have to tear down the whole front of the car to get to the damn thing.
My sister bought a 2003 BMW 745 a year or two ago, $19,000. Pristine with only 49,000 miles on the clock. In May of this year it decided it needed a new battery and alternator. Cost from the BMW dealer-$2700.
Since I have long since left the dating world, I really don’t give a rat’s ass what the person sitting in the passenger seat thinks about my choice of mobility, especially since it’s my wife, nor the opinions of those that may see me on the road.
If my car starts to act unhappy with its transmission, or other vital component, it’s gone. Let someone else deal with the problem.
You know, its not that you really cant drive a car that long, is that most people dont really want to, inspite of what they say, people get bored, faster and faster these days, with everything, phones, tv’s and cars too.
In total agreement with that statement. My Trident is the only vehicle I’ve owned that has inspired me to keep it for the rest of my life and on the road all that time. A lot has to do with what I’ve been thru with that bike. Three motorcycle clubs, it got me out of town when the first club went down in a fight with the Pagans, it also got me my late wife.
That’s the kind of stuff that inspires you to keep a vehicle forever. Mere penny pinching isn’t enough.
My ’06 Pontiac Vibe, purchased slightly used in ’07, has 265,000 miles on nothing more than routine maintenance (synth oil only and trans fluid changes every 50K). The main credit for this stellar service record, though, goes to the fact that this mileage is 95% highway, thanks to my 100-mile round trip daily commute. When I registered it at True Delta, I got an email from Michael because he wanted to make sure I didn’t fat-finger the mileage entry.
I was beginning to catch new car fever this past year to the point that I had begun some relatively earnest research. Suddenly that has had to change, with the near-simultaneous failure of our garage door, water heater, and (gulp) heat pump. (Yes, I guess these things do happen in threes.) So I’ll keep on driving it, keep on maintaining it, and hope I can squeeze 400K+ out of it. Considering that under the skin it’s a “Toyota anything” I just might pull it off.
Aside from the many many 250K+ mile 80’s GM FWD A-bodies I’ve owned over the years, here’s a 4-cylinder 5-speed Fiero with a little over 320K on the clock. When I shut the car off for the last time, the clutch was bad. The engine appears to have been the original. Maybe if I can work out some sort of deal with the land owner, I’ll be able to get it back. If no deal can me made, this is the car’s final resting place.
I spotted a 400K + Astro Van in an Alabama scrapyard before. It didn’t look to be in bad shape and I hated to see it wind up there with all that (perceived) faithful service behind it.
When I was doing the fleet maintence thing the company had an Astro that had over 375K on it when they finally sold it. It still had the original engine and trans. It had had a couple of starters, alternators, water pumps, 1 intake manifold gasket replacement and a lot of fluids, brakes and tires. I think it still sold for like $1400.
My ’01 Toyota Corolla 5-speed was at 280K when I sold it a few years ago. Still running strong at the time, though with lots of annoying minor problems, like a driver’s side window that wouldn’t stay closed and such. The buyers took it to Mexico, where it is probably still alive and well.
I had an 87 Nissan single cab pickup, 5 speed manual. It had about 325k on the clock when I lost a radiator hose on the freeway and blew a head gasket. I put it in the auto shop at the high school. About 30 months later I got it back. Drove it 1300 miles and it froze up. Disgusted. Parked it. Maybe I’ll resurrect it some day. Liked it much better than my current truck.
Now have a 91 S10 single cab 4.3/700r4. Mileage? because the speedo is out. I like it pretty well but now I need a back seat. Seems pretty bulletproof
A pickup truck, I can see, but who wants to drive a Chevy Lumina 400K miles?
We sold our 1992 Accord with 245k miles on it, with its original engine and clutch. Only maintenance items all its life. The 1999 Accord was given to the daughter and son-in-law with somewhere around 200k, and they’re still driving it – it must have 250k on it by now.
The 2009 Accord V6, now that’s a different story. It’s at the dealer for a leak-down test to find out where the oil is coming from that’s fouling the plugs – #3 at 38k miles, #1, 2, and 3 at 53k – this on spark plugs that are supposed to have a 100k-mile service life. Whatever the outcome, I don’t see it becoming a long-term car here.
My 2008 Accord has logged 95k trouble free miles so far, although it’s a 4-cylinder. The only non-routine maintenance item I’ve had to address were the rear brakes at 27k.
A ’78 Buick Skylark 231 V-6, 212K on the clock when I sold it. Didn’t burn oil, but sure did leak it. Rebuilt (under my ownership) THM200. Crapped out at 180K. Transmission guy back in 1995 said it “was a miracle that one of these lasted THAT long, much less to 85K!”
Remember riding once to the airport in Honolulu in an ’85 Buick Regal sedan turned into a taxicab. It felt a little tired but it should’ve . . . privately owned. I read ‘375 something’ on the odometer. Guy said mileage was correct; 231 V-6 was original but was on it’s second THM tranny . . . .
For our overseas friends . . . . these were both gasoline (petrol) cars.
My dad had a ’77 Skylark that made it all the way to 216k miles. He drove it to the junkyard under its own power.
Billy the comment from the Europeans (inc Brits) was not in relation to the reliability of gasoline engines but the cost of driving them – if you do hundreds of thousands of miles you’d be crazy not to use diesel, the cost saving could be in the order of $14k in 400k miles. (based on 35mpg vs 50mpg or 29/41 in USgal and the same fuel cost)
Several years ago, I saw a line of Panther cabs in the salvage yard (aged out of service); they ranged from 395k to 442k.
I used to frequent a forum for the first generation Honda Odyssey, and there were quite a few well north of 200K. Allpar has a 200K club and there are a handful of really high mile cars featured, including a guy with a 1 million mile 72 Dodge van.
My old ’88 Volvo 240 wagon had 331k on the odo before we parted ways. For all I know it’s still running out there somewhere with its 10th or 11th owner. I also have a buddy who bought a ’98 S10 Blazer new and still drives it every day with over 260k on the clock and still going strong.
@volvoguy – Were you the original owner of your 240 wagon?
I currently have a 1991 740 I purchased from the original owners last year for the mere sum of $950. They took immaculate care of the car, which is the main reason I bought it. It currently has 157k miles on it and I really, really hope it makes it over 300k.
I also have a 1996 850 that I use only in the summers. It has 94k on it but I don’t find it to be as durable as the 740. Lots of little electronic stuff goes wrong with it.
Any old Volvos (740s included) with the “red block” engine were IMO some of the best cars built in terms of reliability. Not cheap, but they were designed to be fixed and are pretty easy to work on. Bonus: there are plenty in the junkyards so parts are cheap and available. I also have a ’97 850 with 94k on the clock. I bought it last year with only 68k miles on it. I suspect it was used as a condo car (we live in FLA) and only driven during the winter “snow bird” season. I use it to commute 70 miles each day for work. So far, I’ve been lucky with repairs. The auto blog posts I’ve read about them all seem to mention that they can be reliable, but like yours, can have some pesky electrical gremlins. I plan to drive the 850 for 2 or 3 years until my wife’s car is paid off and then replace hers with a bigger family car and take her old one. Lets cross our fingers.
My respect for the red-block Volvos increased when the shop I swept floors at got a Volvo 240 pushed through its front door with a broken timing belt. The owner literally drove the sucker out of there a couple hours later, no worse for wear. That’s how to build a car!
How can people drive so much? I bought my first car about 40 years ago, and even with my wife adding about half our miles for the past 20+ years, I think we have only put about 600K miles on all our cars, plus maybe another 150K on my motorcycles (just me).
Dman,
At least in my case is simple. I met my wife by the magic of the Internet in 1999. Being literally from opposite parts of Puerto Rico, when we got married we purchased our home in a town that was in the middle point of our jobs. That meant a 100 miles daily conmute for me and for her. Luckily, a few years ago she got a job near our home but I still have the same job so that means that I still have my 100 miles round trip from Monday to Saturday. I have being like this since 2002 so there you go.
We are planning to purchase a new or newish car, keep the Toyota and the Mazda, and sell a Nissan Pathfinder that we also have but are not using.
For their job or profession, that is, in a small country. I knew a cattle dealer who drove 40,000 miles a year in his Mercedes W124 diesel. The man never crossed the German or Belgium border, so basically he drove circles around the town’s church all day long while towing a tandem axle cattle trailer.
Dman,
Back about 1998-2000, I drove 100 miles to work and 100 miles back; in excess of 1,000 miles per week. At the time gas was slightly under a buck a gallon to slightly over a buck a gallon. My manual transmission car got me 30-40 mpg; don’t recall the exact mpg. The only disadvantage of the job was the only real free time I had was my days off.
I’ve never kept anything much past 275K myself. (Unless you count the ’85 Regal I had when I was young… grandma bought it new and drove it from MN to FL many times; my dad bought it upon its retirement, and I bought it from him. It was on its third motor, second tranny, and loose as a goose when I finally sold it due to frame rust in ’08. Its 5-digit odometer had to have been well into its third trip ’round.)
But when you’re talking GM vehicles from fifteenish years ago, there’s one combo you just can’t beat: 350/4L80E. Just freaking bulletproof (unlike the 4L60E, which accounts for most of the tranny swaps I’ve done in my lifetime).
Case in point: A few years back, I grabbed a ’98 Express 1-ton van with 245K on said drivetrain. It was an extended window van with dark tint and chocolate brown paint… a little rusty, but solid where it needed to be, and it did clean up nice. I used it as a tow rig for one year and 15K more miles before selling it to a neighbor for a tidy profit. Though clearly not subject to enthusiast-grade loving, it’s still rolling today.
But that’s not even the point of the story. When coming by for his test-drive, the guy rolled up in a very similar van with the same motor/tranny (which is also still on the road). I asked him how many miles were on it. When he said 430K, I had to see its dash with my own eyes to believe it!
How’d he do it? “Well, just oil changes, and a new pair of tires every so often.” Farmers. I tell ya. 🙂
In 2001 my ’88 Nissan pickup SEV6 hit 225k when I sold it off to parts unknown in South America. Ran strong still.
It’s replacement, my Trooper, just completed it’s retirement trek to the Northeast where it will serve as our vacation car. 220k and two transmissions and starters later, it’s been highly reliable and I will miss it dearly as my daily driver. Perfect driving position, huge cargo and sunroof,
Although I have a ways to go to retirement, I’m expecting the new car (Outback) to last me to the end of days.
Steve I just saw an ad on Velocity for an upcoming new series called Dallas Car Sharks. Sounds like what you do and maybe you know some of the people involved.
I saw a Peugeot 604 turbo diesel at the junk yard with 650,000 miles on it. Automatic too. the brown velour interior was perfect. must have been some slow miles,but someone must have loved that car.
here is a 79 Peugeot diesel with 500k miles!
In 2007 my ’93 Aerostar made it to about 310K before I gave up.
This week, my ’74 Dart hit either 150K or 250K. Not sure how many times it’s been around.
My previously-mentioned-on-CC 1994 Toyota Hiace had done 674,000km when it finally went to the great breaker’s yard in the sky in 2008. It was the company-supplied van for my night-time delivery run. It had done about 100,000km when I took it over in 1995, and was up to 540,000 in July 2001 when I left that job. It was retired from the night-time open road run at the same time, and spent the next 7 years and 134,000km doing urban runs. Excessive rust got it in the end.
One of my previous Nissan Laurels, a 1992 C33 diesel, had done an alleged 160,000km when I bought it in 2002. It used a stunning amount of oil (but was very economical on the diesel!), and the local diesel mechanic researched its history for me. It was imported into New Zealand in 1996 with 38,000km on the odometer. Turned out when it sold at auction in Japan it actually had 400,000km on the odometer (it had been a driving school car and had run practically 24 hours a day). So 362,000km were ‘wound back’, meaning it had actually done around 520,000km when I bought it… Certainly explained the enormous oil consumption! The engine finally blew two owners down the track from me, with 209,000km on the odometer, or around 570,000km in reality.
My current 1997 C35 Nissan Laurel has now done 312,000km, turning over 300,000km last November:
here in Greece we have got quiet afew Peugeot 504s&505s with over 700 k km on meter&still running on stock motors.psa dry sleeve engines are the king.many early 70s Plymouth valiants with slant six(all manual here)can manage to last over 600 k km without any major repaires.chrysler should bring that back.also ford festiva(kia pride here)can go past 800 k km with proper maintenance.
This guy’s blog centers around his Acura Legend with over 522,000 miles to date. Lots of stories about other high mileage cars here as well:
http://drivetofive.wordpress.com/
I got 267,000 out of a early production (1994) first generation Dodge Neon 4dr 2.0 SOHC 5spd but it nearly killed me in self performed major repairs of stuff that would have gotten a Honda or Toyota to 400,000 miles easily…
I did sell it in 2011 still running, though. Sold to a car flipper who was going to repaint and flip it (possibly with an odometer ~adjustment~ since that state did not require odometer statement on cars that old) so maybe someone else is still driving it…
There’s always Albert Klein and his million mile ’63 Beetle.or the numerous Volvo P1800s that have done the same thing…
The most miles I’ve ever put on a car is the 200K plus I’ve put on my 2.0L, 5-speed, 1999 Dodge Stratus sedan. It’s at 210K and I bought it at only 7K miles. The best part is it’s been relatively trouble-free. Have continued the routine and preventative maintenance in order to take it to 300K. As per fuelly.com, the average MPG of the mileage I’ve put on the car is at 36!
You asked about Plymouth
http://www.allpar.com/old/high-miles/vaillancourt.php
I also read an article back in th 80’s about a WWII vet who bought a 1950 Plymouth and drove it to 500,000 miles on the original engine and trans (with some head work) but the story mentioned he was a bit anal about maintenance Taking the wheels off to hose off salt from the chassis every week was one of the things mentioned.
For a long time, the record holder for an original engine/transmission vehicle was Don Champion’s 1979 Cadillac Sedan DeVille with nearly 600k at last check. I believe Champion died in the late 90s and the car’s whereabouts were lost.
When you start looking at these cars with like a million miles but everything has been replaced a couple 2-3 times it becomes more of a perseverance thing than durability. Unless a car is wrecked, rusts to the point of being unsafe, or replacement parts become unavailable, virtually anyncar can be driven forever if everything is continually fixed.
Well there is the million mile Econoline that did that with it’s original modular engine and transmission. The original trans died at a little over 1.2 Million and the engine died just under 1.3 million. There is also one that did ~1.4 million on it’s original 7.3 diesel.
WOW. That’s impressive.
Craig has a good point.. southern vehicles will last indefinitely unless they are wrecked or torched. It actually kind of irks me in a way…not that I’m a green-type of fellow or anything..I hate to see super straight cars in the crusher…even if part or all of their replaceable drivetrain is worn out. It seem kind of wasteful. (not to mention nearly everything built today is butt-ugly in my eyes)
I live outside Chicago, commute 100 miles a day and have a 2005 Malibu Maxx with 167k on it. I will be replacing it in May because, quite simply, it is no longer comfortable. It would last forever if I drove 10-15 minutes to work. The seats were bad new, now they are terrible. It doesn’t even burn oil yet.
I bought my ’89 iroc-z with 80,000 miles on it in 1997. I sold it having turned the odometer over three times in 2004. I should have kept it…guy down the road still has it with original tranny and motor, but it did eat starters and water pumps like candy. I always changed oil and filter at 3-4,000 miles with mobile one. In fact, I have only experienced cars burning oil if I used cheap oil. I did use Quaker State conventional oil in my ’99 Sonoma highrider, but it didn’t burn oil until 220,000 or so miles, but then it DRANK it!
My 03 subaru has 370 k miles and I have seen quite a few on fb groups of 400+
My Toyota 2003 Sequoia has 422,000 miles and still runs great. Even the harsh New England weather has not slowed it down. Great vehicle for a big family and lots of memories. I don’t think I will ever sell it.
Patrick (Sandwich, MA)
307k miles on ’86 gas 5 speed Jetta GL. Original engine and trans, always down 1/2 quart when it gets it’s 3000 mile oil change. Owned it since ’91. Still runs and looks good with original paint and interior holding up well, except for headliner.
I have a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu, I got it at 167k km. I am now at 275k. In Southwestern Ontario Canada. Worst thing replaced was the coil pack, caused the engine light to flash car lost 90% of its power, this year that coil pack failed again, minus the flashing engine light. It has some chunks of rusted metal in the rear end of each rocker panel, as to be expected with driving in the winter here. Still haven’t used winter tires, and this car is not equipped with ABS. Only one close call with slipping trying to stop down a hill ending up doing a 180 into the intersection at the red light.
My current daily driver is a 2008 Jeep Commander, current mileage over 423,000 miles and it’s still a solid dependable ride.
It has all the available options except backseat television and they all still work.
5.7 litre multi displacement hemi engine and full time all wheel drive.
I’m a recently retired volunteer firefighter and this Jeep has made numerous emergency responses. I frequently pull trailers with it as well.
I live on a farm and it occasionally goes off road.
And it always sits outside exposed to the weather.
The original paint still looks good, no rust and the interior is all original except for the front seat covers.
I attribute it’s long life to my following the recommended maintenance schedule and good luck that it hasn’t sustained a significant mishap do far.
Most serious incident was minor damage from a collision with a deer.
And if you’re wondering, it’s not for sale. I’m gonna keep driving it until it’s worn out.
My 1989 Honda Civic LX hit over 400,000 miles on the odometer and runs great! It is standard(stick) and I enjoy driving a standard car! It is extremely economical on gas and has the best turning radius of every vehicle I had ever driven when I was a professional driver! I Love my Honda named Justin!
My husband is a auto mechanic, my father was an auto mechanic and I was a helicopter mechanic. However my hobby was restoration of old vehicles. My husband maintains the Honda, but before he came along I used to do it by myself. I used to take it to MCAS Miramar to the hobby shop there to work on it!