The 5 highest mileage cars you were in

[Joe1]

We all read about some amazing high mileage cars on the internet and constantly hear phrases such as "all modern cars will last 300k with basic maintenance".

In my real life experience, I have been in very few high mileage cars. I usually check the odometers in every car that I ride in. I was wondering what the 5 highest mileage cars were that you physically were in as either a driver or passenger are.

Here are my 5:

1. A first generation Toyota 4-Runner in 2009 - 280k miles
2. A 2003 Mazda Protégé in the past month - 240k miles
3. A 2001 Saturn compact sedan last summer - 175k miles
4. A 2003 Accord this past month - 170k
5. A 2005 Forester (my daily driver) -163k

I'm amazed that my Forester is one of the 5 highest mileage cars that I've ever been in with 163k miles. I'm interested in seeing how my list compares with others on this board.

 

[tdpark]

1. 276K miles 1980 Mercedes Benz 300D (non-turbo)
2. 260k miles 2004 Honda Odyssey with original tranny
3. 176K 1996 Honda Accord LX 5 speed
4, 190k 1992 Acura Legend

 

[jacky]

1995 jeep grand cherokee 250k
1996 ford ranger 250k
1998 nissan sentra 211k


i have not not checked mileage of taxis i rode in

 

[OneEyeJack]

Honda in my sig.

 

[qdeezie]

I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but in 2013, I got rid of a '98 Chevy Cavalier with 359,833 miles on it that I owned since '98. It ran as good as new the day I got rid of it.

 

[spavel6]

My mechanic's 2000 Jetta TDI (520k+)
My own 1999 Jetta TDI (410k)
.
.
.
City busses that have 500-600k+

 

[bigt61]

1. 1982 Honda Prelude - 742,000 miles - at an auction in PA. Engine sounded good (I have no idea if it was original), 5 speed tranny, interior was extremely rough, exterior not great.

2. 90's Chevy Cargo Van - diesel engine, 727,000 miles - highest mile unit I'd ever seen until I ran into the Honda above - also at another PA auction.

3. BMW Sedan - diesel - old, probably 80's model - over 600k miles - decent shape. PA auction.

I've seen many Chevy & Ford trucks and vans at auction with over 300k miles and a few with over 400k - most were commercial vehicles.

 

[cashmoney]

My friends 1996 ES330 Lexus - 409k miles on it. Never had motor open for anything other than TB/WP replacements. He sold for a three or four hundred dollars a while a go at 410k mimes but still sees it around his neighborhood driven by local teen.

 

[Bud_One]

1. 2001 Chevy Silverado 1500 with the 4.3 V6 - original water pump - 319k miles - Belonged to a co-worker - totaled in a major fire a few years ago.
2. 1993 GMC Sierra - 350 TBI - 299k miles - belonged to a family friend - their son totaled it or it would have reached 400k

 

[Dyusik]

07 Ram. 430k
93 lumina 420K
04 f350 275k
96 cherokee 225k
99 Tahoe 220k

All run great except for the lumina, AT gave out due the operator error

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I've been in a few OTR trucks that had > 1,000,000 on them ...

There's a few Jeeps that were > 200K. Uncle of mine had a 91 K1500 with 350K on it.

 

[jhMalibu]

Don't have a list of 5.

My first "company" vehicle in my first real job out of high school. 3rd gen Caprice. Cheap boss purchased vehicles from taxi companies. Was told the odo was fourth time around (so 300K plus). Had to feed it a quart of oil every two days. Still fun to stomp on it. Car was taken from me when belts started showing through the outside edge of tire.

I then got a late 70s car with drum brakes all around and a penchant for overheating.

 

[Clevy]

I've got a Chevy work van with a 305 with 500k on the odo. Various sensors aren't working so it idles high and I'm not putting a penny into it so from here it'll go to the wrecker once something fails.
An 89 ram with a 318,pre-magnum days. Had 450kish when I finally quit putting money into it. Engine was great but was on its 3rd trans.
96 ram with a magnum 318. It also had 450k-ish prior to getting t-boned at an intersection.
None of the above had any engine work done and still had the original gaskets.
The dodge examples above had at least 2 trans replaced however the engines were never opened up.
I've seen first generation 5.9l cummins engines with in excess of 600k on the odo. I've seen 5.4l mod engines with in excess of 500k on them. The key to getting a mod motor to those miles is getting the timing chain guides replaced before the chain rubs away all the plastic and grinds the metal backing sending shrapnel through the engine. Somewhere between 200k and 300k miles they should be replaced.
Once replaced there no reason a mod motor will ever fail.
I've got another work van with a 4.9 straight 6 with 400k miles on it,cube van with a 7.3 with 420k last time I looked.

 

[tezzzas]

1. 2000 Honda Accord 205,000 miles. Blew honda a seal, got to fix it.
2. 2001 Lexus RX300 191,000 miles. My sisters, she didn't change oil enough, smokes like a log truck on start up.
3. 1999 Toyota camry 190,000 miles, buddies car, in okay shape.
4. Chrysler PT Cruiser Turbo 160,000 miles. Original turbo, from what I can tell. Rode hard and put up wet, runs great.
5. 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix 122,000 miles, my car, was in great shape, then had a car wreck. Going in the shop soon.

 

[zach1900]

The Sentra in my sig.

 

[daman]

1994 Grand Am 3100 v6 382,000 miles ran like a top when we took it to the scrap yard.

 

[01rangerxl]

87-91 F-150 5.0L V8, over 500K mi

01ish Venture, over 500K mi

1995 Astro, over 500K mi

1995 & 1996 Explorers, one over 450K mi, one over 650K mi

2001-2003 Explorer Sport Tracs, multiple over 350K mi

Plenty of others in the 300K range.

 

[Astro14]

Mercedes 300E taxi in Munich. 800,000 KM. It was flawless. Really impressive car.
My 4 Runner. 265,000*
My Mercedes 240D 250,000**
My wife's Volvo XC 187,000 (driven daily)
My Volvo 173,000 (also driven regularly)

* That's right now as it waits for me in the airport parking garage...ready for its next road trip and camping adventure this summer.

** running perfectly when it went to the scrap yard for rusted out/unsafe body.

To be very honest, cars don't rust in Virginia Beach, if you keep them free of salt water...so I plan to keep both Volvos on the road past 250,000. Given my wife's use pattern, her car will be at 300,000 in about 4 years. My miles are often in a rental car, or amortized over the S600, V70 and 4 Runner, but I'll keep you guys posted...

 

[440Magnum]

1) 1973 Plymouth Satellite 318/904- 436,000 miles on chassis, rear end, etc. Engine was refreshed at 190k, never touched after that except for a precautionary timing chain replacement at ~350,000.

2) 1966 Dodge Polara in my .sig- ~315,000 miles on chassis, 280,000 miles on the original 383 v8 and trans. Swapped in a 440 and had trans rebuilt at that point- the 383 is still sitting in my storage building and ran (albeit with a lot of oil consumption) when pulled.

3) 1993 Eagle Vision TSi (3.5L v6). 250,000 miles with no engine work other than timing belts. Transaxle (the notorious 42LE) was rebuilt at 120k.

4) 1983 Plymouth Gran Fury (318/A998)- >230,000 miles straight up with no engine or trans work at all. Rear end grenaded in there in the high 100k miles range, replaced with a junkyard unit.

5) gets vague- probably the '68 Ford Ranchero (302/C4/9") I had in high school- I know it had in the high 100k range, if not 200k.

 

[MCompact]

1. Friend's 2004 Mazda6: 324,000
2. Friend's 1989 535i: 280,000
3. My 1975 2002A: 204,000
4. Son's 2004 X3 2.5i 172,000
5. My 2007 Mazdaspeed 3: 150,000(DI turbo; so many issues. Not.)