How to Make Your Car Last 200,000 Miles (And Save Over $30,000!)

Consumer Reports has a new piece on how to make your car last (sorry, they only have a portion of it online.) Their tips basically boil down to the following:

• Buy a reliable, safe car
• Follow the car's maintenance schedule
• Use only parts and fluids meeting the manufacturer's specifications when doing maintenance or repairs
• Know how to diagnose problems before they get too bad
• Keep the vehicle clean
• Have a used car inspected before you buy it

So basically it boils down to buying a car that's proven to be reliable and taking car of it the way the maker says you should take care of it. Pretty common sense stuff, actually.

We ALWAYS buy our cars based on Consumer Reports reliability ratings and have had great luck doing so. The cars run well, last a long time, and have very few problems during their lifetimes. Of course, we don't keep our cars for 200,000 miles (we're more in the 100,000-mile club) so this probably impacts our viewpoint as well. In fact, our last two cars did very well up to 100,000 miles and then started costing us quite a bit here and there. That's when we decided to move on and buy new.

The magazine also compares the cost savings of driving a Honda Civic for 15 years versus buying a new one every five years. The difference? Keeping the car for 15 years saves you a staggering $30,800!!!!!

Comments

[Ryan]

How to make your car last 200,000 miles? Step 1: don't buy a chevy.

[Beastlike]

ha.... unless it's a gas guzzling 8 cylinder....

[Kevin]

Agree Ryan, I had a Cavalier that died a premature death (blown engine at about 8 years old) and I swore off Chevy for life. And after hearing all the horror stories about Fords, I swore those off too.

I've had my 1998 Cherokee for 5 1/2 years now and all I've done is oil changes, replace a couple belts and get new tires. It's going strong at just over 130k miles. 250k is my goal, even if it takes me 10 more years.

[BradM]

I gave my 1992 S-10 Blazer to my dad at 194,000 and is still going strong. And in great shape. It is working on 10 years for us.
My first car was a 1985 Blazer at 80,000 miles. My dad gave it to my brother when I went to college and my dad sold it when it hit 190,000 miles. We held it together for 9 years.
My dad bought both vehicles at $5000 and 80,000 miles.
The 85'Blazer is still running around Auburn and my dad is trying to talk himself into selling the 92' blazer.
He taught my brother and I how to fix the vehicles ourselves. There was very little that broke that we had to take into the shop for.
Looking back this has saved me so much money, not just on cars but AC units and other equipment.
My mom bought a 92' GMC 1500 (Silverado) and gave it to my brother when she wanted a new car and it has 215,000 miles on it.
We go back to the dealer and buy OEM parts.
We have a motto:
"Take care of your car and the car will take care of you."

[JJ in Balt]

Yesterday I celebrated 7 years with my WV Jetta. My Repairs: 2 motors for windows, oil changes, regular service and this car has been a dream.. She looks a bit tired in the bumpers since I live in a city and park on the street but I plan on keeping this car for 4 more years (That is when last daughter graduates from college). I bought it brand new, paid it off in 2 1/2 years and live without a car payment.. When I am ready to retire this beauty, I plan on buying new (don't want someone else's headaches) and keep that one for 10 years.

Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without!

JJ

[Cheap Like Me]

The tip I heard on Volkswagens (especially for those buying an older one) is to research and make sure your car's electrical systems were made in Germany, not in Mexico. We had always heard how wonderful and reliable VWs are. Then we bought a '96 Passat wagon that was a nightmare! We had a loan on it, and by the time we traded it in, we had calculated that we could afford a new-car payment for the combined price of our small loan payment and our monthly upkeep bill (which was averaging $200 a month for an 8-year-old vehicle). Now we drive a 2004 Subaru Forester -- 3.5 years and zero problems (except when a mechanic put aftermarket brakes on and we had to re-do them a month later while on vacation - but that wasn't the car's fault). Definitely do that research!

[JJ in Balt]

Hey Cheap!

My next car will be a Subaru (outback wagon) - that is if they make them in 4 years !

By the way, everyone I know who has a Jetta - Loves them, everyone I know who owns a Passat ( 3 people) hate them. makes one wonder!

JJ

[Anitra]

My husband had a Jetta when he was in college. It was definitely a love-hate relationship. They're generally reliable, but when things DO break, they can be very expensive very quickly - not a good combination for a poor college student who was an accident magnet. In his senior year, it began stalling out regularly and had to be jump-started. He eventually gave it to his younger brother to figure out, and bought a no-frills Ford Ranger from its former owner for cash. Four years later, the Ranger is still going strong at over 100,000 miles and minimal maintenance.

Our consensus opinion is that the lower-end American cars (specifically Fords, but probably the same for GM & Chrysler) are decent cheap cars, as long as you get a manual transmission. If you get an automatic, your position is more shaky, and if you get an OLD automatic (8 years or more), you're guaranteed to have trouble.

[LO]

What's the significance of 100K? I'd expect all my vehicles to last more than 250K at least.

My household has 3 cars: 1993 Nissan Sentra, 1994 Nissan Sentra, 1991 Mazda Protege. All went over 200K without any significant trouble or much fanfare. The paint is still shiny, no dent, no previous body work, engine bay is clean, smooth engine sound, no rattling inside inside the cabin. Sure, some parts have to be replaced either because they are worn or just defective. But that fell under maintenance.

The looks certainly are dated, but as someone previously mentioned in another FMF's article, who is going to look at your car unless you are in certain professions like a real estate agent.

They run. They get us from point A to point B. I don't take them for vacation; I rent a car instead and save myself the risk of messing up my work car during vacation.

[LO]

A tip on buying a second-hand car: go to your mechanic and ask for recommendation on resilient cars that are easy and cheap to maintain. They've seen and repair a lot of cars and know the quirknesses of many. They also know which ones are mechanic-friendly so they can do their jobs quicker.

They are a walking compendium of what to buy and not to buy. I tend to trust them more than reviews like Consumer Report because they do not have thorough coverage on the most expensive part of car ownership: its maintenance.

[David]

If your serious about buying a car and plan to keep it for 100,000 miles make sure to negotiate a comprehensive warranty as part of the purchase. You can always buy the extended warranty after the purchase but make sure to do so before the factory warranty expires.

I bought a 1999 Chevy Tahoe that came with a 3yr/36,000 mile warranty for $32,000 out the door. I went to 3 different dealerships to shop the extended warranty. Two were offering it a list price and the 3rd was willing to discount it. I bought the 6yr/100,000 mile $0 deductible warranty for $1900.

I'm currently at 138,000 miles and had plenty of large and small problems with the truck. Having the warranty saved me in thousands of dollars in repairs in the first 100,000 miles and just before the warranty expired I took it in and had them change a bunch of items that would normally go after 100,000 miles due to wear and tear (A/C, Serpentine Belt, Alternator, etc). But during the first 100,000 miles I had them replace tons if items that broke do to wear and tear: Door Handle, Radio, Speakers, Seat Belt, Dash Board gauges. I've owned two Honda Accords before the Tahoe and I've replaced the same if not more parts on those cars then on the Tahoe, at my own cost because I didn't have the extended warranty.

Since the warranty has expired, I've spent ~$1,500 in normal maintenance (Oil Changes, Breaks, Tires, etc). Not sure if this truck will go to 200,000 miles but spending only $1900 to get me to the first 100,000 was a major relief on my pocketbook.

Lets be honest, all vehicles are going to have problems. Some less than others. But having the freedom to drive the car/truck that fits your lifestyle and protecting yourself from major expenditures will make all the difference.

If you want to buy a $100,000 Mercedes or BMW, then getting the comprehensive 100,000 mile warranty with $0 deductible will make all the difference when you take it into the shop for a $5000 repair. You can sleep well at night when the check engine light goes on because you know its not going to cost you a penny.

[Meg]

I read an article recently about cars that lasted 1,000,000 miles--and I decided that I am going to drive my Volvo for 500,000 miles! It's a 2006, and it was one of the cars mentioned in the article, so it should be very possible.

My boyfriend thinks that's ridiculous and that it'll never happen. Which means of course that I have to do it now...the only problem is that I really didn't think it would take THAT many years when I announced my decision. I used to put 60,000+ miles a year on my car because I had a long commute and I drove on long trips a few times a year. Now I have a 10 minute commute and I fly when the trips are long...I might be giving this car to my future kids to drive before it reaches 500,000 miles! Actually I'll probably total it before then...

[Pam]

My 1999 Chevy Tracker just rolled over to 270,000 miles. So far no major repairs while I've had it (bought it used with 23,000 miles) and the engine is still running strong. And I just made the decision to keep it for another 6 months before buying something new/used -- which will add another 25,000 miles for me.

How'd I do it? 1)Most of the miles are highway. 2)Use synthetic oil. 3)Oil change every 7,500 miles and regular tune ups.

Also... for the past 150,000 miles or so I've only done the minimal amount of maintenance because I kept thinking it was going to die any day. So new tires were the lowest priced ones I could get, new battery was cheapest on the shelf, etc. Guess that proves you don't need to buy the most expensive or name-brand parts.

Pam

[Livingalmostlarge]

Don't buy a Ford. We have a 2000 Ford and 1999 Toyota. Guess which one has cost more to repair? And we'll be replacing it soon enough, it's doubtful the ford will make 100k miles without major repairs according to the mechanics. And what's been done on the Toyota? Nothing. You get what you pay for. If you want to keep a car a long time, buy a reliable brand.

[justin]

I had a 94 Civic that I bought in 97 last me 220,000+ miles before it was totalled in 2005.

The problem was with those high miles the insurance company only gave me 1400 for it, there's no way I could have replaced it for that amount.

I just sold a 138K Nissan Sentra, 1993 year model that we bought used in 96.

The civic needed a 1400 dollar repair at one point, the head gasket was leaking, but apart from that no major problems with either.

[clickbitch]

I had a 2002 Honda Civic and my automatic transmission went bad after 78,000 miles.

The engine went bad after 129,000. I bought the car because I heard good things... There is alot of hype about the Hondas, but I do not think it is justified. They have done a good job marketing these.

I just bought a Hyundai and i hope it turns out better.

[Cameron]

I own a ford F150 with over 250000 miles and it runs like it is brand new.

[2toys]

We have two toyotas with over 200k on each, I sold a corolla wagon with over 240k... great cars, just change the oil every 3.5k and they go go go... I just bought a Honda Civic, so far so good.

[AZNPRIDE]

My Ford Ranger just past 200,000 miles a week ago. Maintenance is still keeping up.

[Michelle]

I love my 1999 Nissan Sentra, it has 209,000 miles on it, still running strong and I intend to keep it till it can't run any longer. It does help that my husband is a mechanic and can keep up on maintenance and repairs as needed.

[Paul Schindler]

My wife and I, today, just passed 200,000 miles on our 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee. No major work except for AC twice (under extended warranty) and transmission failing--play the radio louder the Car Guys say. Very good advice.

[Pete]

I have a 1994 Nissan Sentra with a 1.6 liter 4 cylinder engine. The car has 193,500 miles on the odometer. I know that it will go over 200,000 miles on it. The car does not use oil and drives like a new car. The only things that went wrong was the usual alternator, starter, battery, the power windows motors. I keep the car on the severe maintenance schedule. I also have a 1997 Ford Crown Victoria Police interceptor with a 119,000 miles on it. I brought it used. This was an ex - Va state police car. I have own the car for almost three years and the car only require regular maintenance. These cars are known to go way over 200,000 miles. They are heavy duty with oil,transmission,and power steering coolers built on them and cops drive them all the time. The engine is tight and does not use any oil and the auto-trans shift smoothly.I would definitely keep these cars until something major go wrong with them. Not having a car payment is a big comfort to me in this bad economy and recession. You could actually save that $250.00 to $300.00 car payment for future repairs. The first 2 to 3 years on a car payment are just interest that you owe. I just can't see us keep making the banks rich.