how long is practical to keep a car?

[JHZR2]

I think you had a bad experience that scared you. Your father's logic is common, and isnt bad, just isnt always the best situation for everyone. You do indeed need to consider safety and the effects of having repairs to be made in terms of your schedule and duties.

But IME, school tends to leave a lot of hours of free time, and while homework, projects, etc. takes up a lot of it, you still have a lot of free time. So dont worry about dire situations of massive failure until they are pending. And so long as you keep your backup plan, then you can have comfort in it. The small stuff you will be able to do, and it seems that youre keen enough on small changes and things occurring in your vehicles that youll likely be aware of things going bad before they do.

Doesnt mean that your car wont leave you stranded someday, it might! But so may a newer car!

 

[Zako2]

It is my observation that good cars that were well maintained can give trouble free service for about 10-11 years. After that, it's cheaper and better to just buy a used, just out of warranty car or lease a lightly used car instead of fixing the old one. Even when car has low miles, too many issues will start popping up due to rust and deterioration. I have seen American and Japanese cars run fine for a decade and then the [censored] breaks lose. AC systems break requiring 1,500-2,000 bills, suspensions, steering and transaxles need to be rebuilt. Each individual component repair (ball joint, control arm, struts and springs, tie rods, etc), results in a +500 bill every time. Repairs are very expensive and aftermarket parts are for the most part junk. I have sunk about $7000 in a 10 year old car in two years of repairs thinking, every time I dole out $500 for the next fix, that this is the last one. Never again. You think you got your ball joints, steering gear, and struts fixed for good, and then two years later they need to be replaced again. Aftermarket parts are mostly junk and OEM parts are usually very expensive. By the time you're done rebuilding most of wearable parts, you have to do it again because the aftermarket parts fall apart much faster.

 

[Dakota1820]

Well here is my schedule school from 8-2 work from 5-10 or later five days a week. Saturday and Sunday im free. i just hate having that thought in the back of my head of what if.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Only if you use junk parts. Use good parts (Moog) and they will last forever.

 

[CBR.worm]

It's an interesting question, with no good answer.

With my first Tundra, I sold it at just over 220K miles because up to that point I had spent almost nothing in repairs. I towed heavy trailers regularly, had 12.5x33 AT tires and aftermarket suspension, spent a lot of time off road and generally drove it like I stole it - it spent more time in the air (not very high - it was too nose heavy) than any 'stock' vehicle should. I figured that at that point I had gotten my moneys worth out of it. It still looked and drove perfectly but I expected that within the next xxx miles either the transmission or A/C or something else expensive would break. After 200K miles, every time I was climbing a mountain pass with a trailer with the pedal to the floor I would think, "this could be the trip that something lets go."

So it was piece of mind, when I start worrying that something big will break soon, I part with it.

My current G35 has needed more repairs at 140K (minor) than the tundra, but I don't worry about it yet. But I am getting there. I expect in the not too distant future the OE clutch will wear out, the transmissions are not known for extremely long life and neither are the suspension parts. I don't expect to be driving this car at 200K - but I could be wrong. I suspect 180K will be about it, unless the engine lets go and I get to build one for it.

We had one car (an '04) that was so expensive to keep on the road that we sold it with only 65K miles on it. It's repairs were more than the payment on the BMW is.

So I would say each car is different. Some cars will nickel and dime you forever, others may run 250K miles before needing anything other than tires and brakes.

I had one car that was particularly unreliable. I had to get the transmission rebuilt at 86K miles, shortly after that the AC [censored] out and cost $2,600 to fix. I figured that at that point I should be good for many miles. I was wrong, I kept pouring money into it and realized by 120K miles that it was a money pit and was not going to get any better no matter how many parts I replaced.

One piece of the puzzle for me is that I am always on the road. I found out Tuesday afternoon at 4:00 that I had to be in Columbia, SC by midnight, which means I have to be able to jump in my car, loaded down with hundreds of pounds of equipment and travel 600 miles in less than 8 hours without any forethought (it took me a little while to pack). If my car breaks down, it could cost me a job. Then onto Highlands, NC and then to Cherokee, NC and back to S. Florida to make a 1:00 meeting today. So with no planning, at any time I need to be able to travel a few thousand miles with no fear of being stranded. If I think a car is going to strand me, it gets gone.

If I drove around town, I wouldn't be so worried about it.

 

[rslifkin]

It's practical to keep it as long as the body isn't rusted out and the other bits are still functioning / maintainable / worth the cost to maintain. Once it gets hard to keep it running, or is costing more than you feel it's worth to keep it running, then it's time for it to go.

 

[Artem]

Originally Posted By: chevyboy14
i mean if i had to put 2000 in the saturn i would rather take 2000 and put it as a down payment on a new or almost new car. but when i said 1500 i mean around. as long as its cheaper than a car payment its worth keeping if the car payment is less expensive i think its the better deal. i wouldn't just dump the saturn though. things just run through my head like head gasket clutch ect ect... i hate not knowing if those will last for awhile or break tomorrow.


This is when you have to look at the car as a whole and make a decision.

If she's perfect, minus the current expensive repair, fix it and keep the wheels turning.

If its all beat up and worn out and you can't sleep easy at night because you're wondering if its even going to start tomorrow and you're expecting for something else to break, get a newer car.

I maintain my cars extremely well and know that all systems are in perfect condition and function properly so I don't hesitate to take the car on long business road trips with 220,000 miles on the clock.

 

[Tdbo]

Depends on the car. I had a 1974 Chevrolet Impala I got rid of at 38K because I couldn't keep an alternator in it and it frequently would vent its back pressure by blowing the back out of the muffler. I had a 1982 Chevrolet Monte Carlo that snapped the crankshaft at 3K miles going 20MPH and the most dependable feature of the car was the check engine light, which never went off. Gone by 19K. Had a 1993 Chrysler 5th Avenue that made it to 66K before the transmission imploded and the dealer could not properly fix it. However, now have a 2000 Taurus w/263K, original transmission/engine and it is dependable as the day is long. May put $500-600 a year in repairs but I figure that it is two car payments a year (I take the other ten payments and stick in a bank account.) Kind of comes down to where it spends the majority of its time--on the road or in the shop.

 

[widman]

I should note I have a 98 Toyota T100 automatic that runs mostly heavily loaded and in sand and mud. Has 230,000 miles without touching the engine or transmission. I did change the brake rotors. I keep it because there are few pickups with that load rating available today. Oil consumption 8 oz low at 4000 mile changes

Also a 2002 Toyota HiLux Pickup with 200,000 miles with no repairs other than some bushings and a clutch. Also heavily loaded, split between city and steep mountain gravel roads. Oil consumption 4 oz low at 4000 mile changes.

 

[MONKEYMAN]

At 206,000 miles my 99 Saturn SL2 runs better than it did when I purchased close to 9 years ago. I use it at work, so it needs to be reliable. I have found doing some preventative maintenance gives me peace of mind. I did replace the tensioner with an OEM one since this is one part that can leave you stranded if it fails. In my experience head gaskets rarely go bad in the SL2, so I do not worry about it. It may be good for you to spend some time getting know your vehicle. There are certain repairs common to S-Series cars. There is a nice guide at Saturnfans for new or returning owners. Not sure you have read it:

S-Series Owner's Checklist

Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of my Saturn has helped in deciding to keep it.

I would think you could use school as a resource since you are studying auto mechanics. You may find someone that has wrenched on a Saturn that could guide you with repairs.

I am no mechanic by anyones use of imagination, but have done a lot of maintenance and repairs since there is a wealth of info for S-Series cars online. That has made it more practical to keep. Insurance is cheap. Parts are cheap.

I like the car for what it is. I have a friend with a 1991 Camry Wagon that likes her car better than newer ones. Simple is better for me.

 

[2002 Maxima SE]

My 2002 Maxima has been bullet proof (10.5 years of ownership and 93k miles) but has a known design flaw (LCA or Trailing Arm bushings) that are expensive to fix. Unless you have access to a full service bay.

No problem yet but it's coming.

I am not sure at this point whether to keep it or sell it (used market is fantastic for sales right now).

 

[Benzadmiral]

I've been piloting the big Buick (see my sig) for almost 5 years now, and I bought it at age 4 in 2007, so it's getting up there. Has 96,000 miles, is long since paid for, and runs great. Yeah, I look at other cars with a little, or sometimes a lot, of lust in my heart: "Gee, it'd be cool to drive that G37/Buick LaCrosse or Regal/Mercedes E320, and life's too short to drive one car for more than about 5-6 years."

Then I look at prices for even used models of the cars I mention, and I shudder.

Besides, last night I parked my car at Barnes and Noble. As I sat inside, I glanced out at it . . . and I was still proud of the way it looks and gleams.

Unless something really great comes along, a car that suits me as well as this one and at a decent price -- or unless this one is totaled -- I may be driving The Great Gray Beast for a while yet.

So there's practical -- and then there's "Do ya still like the car?"

 

[dparm]

Well if you're pouring $3000/yr into an old car, think about how you could use that money on something new or gently-used with a warranty and/or less miles.

That's why so many cars get dumped before 100k -- people seem to think everything will break at 100,000 miles. 30 years ago, yes. Nowadays I would say that 100k is nothing for a modern vehicle. How many early 1990s Camrys and Accords are still running around with 150, 200, or 250k on the clock?

I'm going through a similar exercise myself; I am considering moving back towards a Japanese car because they don't require ridiculously expensive service at strange intervals like my Audi has.

 

[otis24]

I get worried when a vehicle gets higher miles. But, the key is to bank your payments when you finish paying off your vehicle so that you can fix it, or replace it, should it bite the big one.

I have 151k on my Grand Caravan, purchased new. It has no major mechanical issues at this time and I plan to drive it till it falls apart.

 

[otis24]

"Dump at 100K mentality":

When I was in sales, you wouldn't believe how many customers with three and four year old cars with 60k came in to trade because their vehicles were getting "high mileage". In many cases, these vehicles were paid off.

I just had a former co-worker trade off his Ford Fusion Hybrid with 30k miles because it was "getting out of warranty". My thoughts were, "Why not just buy an Extended Service Plan?".

 

[fdcg27]

Depends upon the car and how it was maintained.
We bought the BMW in the spring of 2010.
I've put 26K total on it, 4500 miles this season alone.
It came with a boatload of service history, and I've spent zero dollars on repairs thus far.
The AC works great on 100F days, and the car has been totally reliable, but then it's only seventeen years old and only has a bit over 130K.
This is fairly typical of our experience with cars.
Fifteen years and 200K with nothing really major is a pretty reasonable expectation.
Also, the best way to get a reliable old beater is to buy it new, maintain it well and keep it.

 

[Cujet]

I give the average car+owner (not a BITOG member) a practical maximum of 175,000 or 15 years. After that, a poorly maintained car will cease to be worthwhile for the typical person.

The best one can reasonably expect is 250,000 miles from a well maintained typical vehicle. Certainly, frequent (fleet) use and quality, comprehensive maintenance can extend that significantly.

There is no question that some vehicles simply are more reliable and will last a long time, regardless of service history. The classic 22R Toyota 4 cylinder pickups were capable of running 300,000 miles without oil, sparkplugs or antifreeze (just a little joke).

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted By: Cujet
I give the average car+owner (not a BITOG member) a practical maximum of 175,000 or 15 years. After that, a poorly maintained car will cease to be worthwhile for the typical person.

The best one can reasonably expect is 250,000 miles from a well maintained typical vehicle. Certainly, frequent (fleet) use and quality, comprehensive maintenance can extend that significantly.


There is no question that some vehicles simply are more reliable and will last a long time, regardless of service history. The classic 22R Toyota 4 cylinder pickups were capable of running 300,000 miles without oil, sparkplugs or antifreeze (just a little joke).



I dunno.
The typical older Honda (not so sure about the later ones) would likely break 200K with no more than casual maintenace (many have), and a 3.0 Aerostar will do the same. A 3.0 Taurus might do this, except for the AT. If the transmission holds out, any 3.0 Taurus will do an easy 200K on much less than BITOG-level maintenance.
Cars now are far less trouble to own than they were thirty years ago. The average car of the past twenty years will do 150K with nothing more than routine maintenance, or at least ours have.
That was not the case back in the day.
Better designed vehicles, fuel injection and better oils have made all the difference.

 

[SS1970chrysler]

One of my family members, who recently passed at age 95, owned 3 cars, all bought new in their lifetime.
Began with a 1953 Pontiac Chieftain in early '53, and drove it until 1969, when it was hit broadside and wrecked. Next car was a 1969 Pontiac Lemans in Custom trim, bought new soon after. It was driven daily until 1991, when they bought a new 1991 Buick Regal. After their death in '10, we sold the Regal for $600 as it was damaged by a storm and my uncle still has the '69 Pontiac.
When my father passed in '07, he still had his first car, a 1941 Studebaker Commander. it was driven daily until 1982, then retired and later restored.

Miles aren't everything, time is.

 

[M1Accord]

Originally Posted By: chevyboy14
doesn't burn much oil anymore i fixed that it uses a very moderate amount now

i am going to Chicago because its a neat place and not to expensive and the bitog meeting is going on while im there so im going to go to that. im just a country boy but i went to Chicago a few years ago and really liked it . i was with family so i didn't experience it like i would have liked so im going back


May I ask what the name of that club is so I can put it on my list? No country boy wants to go to Chicago unless Jordan is playing a home game and they got free tickets and transportation there. Chicago is considered filthy by most southerners' standard. We went to Manhattan and while Time Square was nice, the walk from it to our hotel at Penn station was nasty with trash and homeless. And parking in city sucks and everyone wants a tip for helping you, if they even help you in the first place.