Realistic Life Expectancy of a car?

[insomnia]

Yesterday, my CEL went on in the middle of the high way. I immediately got off and went to the closest auto part store (AAP). Lucky it was just a simple gas cap problem, but that got me thinking: What is a realistic life expectancy of my car?

I do every maintenance as recommended on the manual, but realistic I know I can't drive it forever. Eventually, something will fail that'll cost too much for me to repair. So what do you guys think?

 

[Quattro Pete]

Well, I think you kind of answered your own question: the car will live for as long as you're willing to pay for its repairs. And you'll always need to compare the price of the repair vs. what it'd cost you to just get another comparable vehicle.

 

[Trav]

Given the right care and maintenance your guess is as good as mine.
I would have to say as long as you want given enough care and money.

 

[CATERHAM]

Since you don't live in the rust belt a car can last forever.
You may have to rebuild the mechanicals every million miles or so but that's just maintenance.
Just take a look at all the circa 1950 cars still on the road in Cuba.

 

[Nick R]

I'd say the life expectancy of the average car, with average maintenance (ie hardly any), in the average joes hands is going to be 15-20 years.

 

[Cristobal]

Maintenance on The Beast averages about $200.00 per month, including the timing belt, tires, brakes, oil changes, everything. It even includes adding to my stash when I am so inclined, and it is a 16 year old car.

That still beats buying or leasing a new car by a mile.

 

[SteveSRT8]

I like to buy a new car occasionally and drive it for at least ten years or more if it's good.

Almost any modern car will run well for 200k miles with proper maintenance. Many can go much farther than that!

 

[eljefino]

Critic is looking at a 24 year old beemer that was maintained by Midas with the wrong weight oil and it's still going.

Someone will get rid of a car when it's annoying or unsafe and the money for repairs or the frequency if they're cheap but recurring will weigh against the cost of something newer. So a car typically dies in the same curve it did fifty years ago, just at a higher mileage, and with different issues. Used to be you'd lose an engine or have severe rust, now it could be obnoxious smog issues or security systems going berzerk.

They weren't stupid when they invented coded radios: who would really steal a stock radio from a dumpy econobox?

A coworker was joking with another, when his license plate light burnt out, that it was time to trade in, and he then actually did it.

 

[ryansride2017]

The answer varies too much from person to person based upon mileage/time. I put on 40K/year, mostly for work purposes, and I run an economy car up to 240K miles before repair bills and the increased chance of me missing appointments requires me to get another vehicle. After 6 years, a new car is basically used up with the way I drive it.

For someone else, who drives 12K miles a year, time would be the determining factor. Maybe 12-15 years.

Lately I have been buying cars off Craigslist (or similar) instead of buying new cars.

 

[4x4chevydude]

As stated above it all depends on what your willing to do....small reapirs will be along the way no matter what, but major repairs SHOULD be good until 300k if maintained well, however there are exceptions to the rule you never do know if you got a trans that no matter how good you mainatain it will just fail or crazy issues especially electric that can just plague a car. Normally it isnt worth a car payment unless there are tons of tiny issues and the car is in the shop more than it is driveable...even if a motor goes out you can pay 2,000 to fix it and you have a great running car for another 300k...there are so many different scenarios.

 

[NHGUY]

Car makers wish they didnt last as long as they did/do....

 

[vintageant]

My Great Uncle drove this new out of the Alvis factory on Easter Saturday, 1925, and it was his daily driver until 1952, and exercised regularly thereafter. Don't suppose he ever imagined it would still be running perfectly 86 years later.

 

[Bluestream]

Originally Posted By: CATERHAM
Just take a look at all the circa 1950 cars still on the road in Cuba.


True, but most of those cars from the 50's have Russian Lada engines installed long ago. I guess it depends on your definition of what is a car. I agree they will last forever if you get repairing them..

 

[itguy08]

I've heard the design goal for the auto manufacturers is 150k. At least that's what they design the engines and transmissions for. Most will get more out of them than that but that's the design goal.

Like most things you can keep repairing and rebuilding them along the way and they should last "indefinitely". However throwing $2k on an engine, $1k on a transmission for an old worn out 20 year car is usually not worth it.

 

[Cutehumor]

a daily driver? I would say around 15 years.

 

[artificialist]

It depends on what you start with.
Think of all the brick shaped Volvo models still out there.

Also, it is what you are willing to accept in repairs. A great car will get 250,000 miles from the engine and transmission, but nobody gets that from their power windows, A/C, CV joints, plastic parts in the cooling system, any piece of the interior, and so on.

 

[Propflux01]

I think Manufactures design cars to last about 7 years, and 150K miles. Of course, personal maintenance will make this figure vary, but on average, it will keep the manufacturer in business.

 

[Knox]

Originally Posted By: Tim H.
I think Manufactures design cars to last about 7 years, and 150K miles. Of course, personal maintenance will make this figure vary, but on average, it will keep the manufacturer in business.


+1

After that mileage/years the interior of the vehicle starts to fall apart on most cars. Most people don't do timing belts, so they will brake somewhere over 120k. I've done heater cores in the 100k to 150k area as well. If you get two of these types of problems at once most owners either sell the car or trade it in.

For myself i've always had cars with over 100k on them. My father doesn't usually sell a vehicle until there over 200k and he usually fixes most of the problems with them before selling them. Usually cleans the interior, replaces the drivers seat, front suspension components and sorts out any safety issues.

 

[hattaresguy]

It depends, I plan on keeping my truck until the rust gets to it. I don't really care about mileage.

I expect about 15-20 years.

 

[ls1mike]

My Buick is a 98 with 81,200 miles on it. I intend to drive it until I don't fell like fixing it. It will be taking me to San Diego this weekend. Washington states climate is easy on cars.