How long on average are commuter/family cars lasting these days?

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Rust belt poster here.

I'm sending two to the boneyard this month.
1st is a 2001 Mitsubishi Galant with 170k+ on it. Its finally given up the ghost to the rust demon. Typically these cars were considered to be steaming piles of garbage but for some reason I just couldn't kill mine.

The other is my near and dear 2003 Toyota Camry with 275k+. Struck by a hit and run driver when parked on the side of the road. Just written off as a total loss by the offender's insurance company on Friday. God I loved that car..... I'd have made is to 350k until this happened.

That is his bumper on the left side that he left at the scene.
Luckily my daughter was inside her friends house when this occurred.
[Linked Image]
 
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Originally Posted by Trav
With proper maintenance 200K+ and 20 years is easily in modern cars.



Agreed. Just do the recommended maintenance. You don't have to go crazy with over maintenance to get to 200k miles.
 
Originally Posted by Trav
With proper maintenance 200K+ and 20 years is easily in modern cars.

With no rust maybe longer. My old 1998 Regal is still clean and my buddy still has it at 270,000 ish.
 
Originally Posted by ls1mike
Originally Posted by Trav
With proper maintenance 200K+ and 20 years is easily in modern cars.

With no rust maybe longer. My old 1998 Regal is still clean and my buddy still has it at 270,000 ish.

But that is not a modern vehicle. A lot more electronics on modern vehicles. 1
 
Originally Posted by blupupher
But that is not a modern vehicle. A lot more electronics on modern vehicles.

Like display screens? It is OBD II 4 channel ABS, typical GM BCM, ECM. Because the Malibu is 2015 and it uses a lot of the same stuff. The big thing is the Display screen.
 
Is it cheaper to produce the user control system using a display/touch screen vs. dials & switches? I surely has to be more expensive to replace a display screen vs. a bad switch or dial down the road. I know one thing, I can adjust HVAC functions without taking eyes off the road with dials, not so with a touch screen.
 
Originally Posted by AZjeff
Is it cheaper to produce the user control system using a display/touch screen vs. dials & switches? I surely has to be more expensive to replace a display screen vs. a bad switch or dial down the road. I know one thing, I can adjust HVAC functions without taking eyes off the road with dials, not so with a touch screen.

To be honest I don't know, but the Malibu,. Caprice and the truck have the display controls for HVAC and the Radio but also all the functions for HVAC and radio on separate dials and switches as well. If the display dies you can still operate everything.
I never use the touch screen.
 
Originally Posted by Vern_in_IL
2014+ vehicles, how long should we expect them to last before replacement?

I'm talking family/commuter/weekend vehicle use. Basically a family hauler.


400k-600k km
 
Honestly, I think these things will last as long as cars/SUV's pre-2014, but maybe with a little more effort in the direct injection department. Maintenance is key - I think oil change intervals maybe should be lowered a bit compared to port injected engines - but direct injection seems to be improving (as you'd expect).
 
My wife has a 2018 Mazda 3 and I'd expect a minimum of 10 years on that car. Needless to say the onboard electronics is what most concerns me as certain items can't last forever much less have replacement parts forever. I, OTOH, have my 04 Focus at 173,000 miles and no repairs at all just basic maintenance. Even the front pads are original and still have meat on them being a stick car. The 91 Mazda is at 201,000 miles and the only major repair was a new clutch otherwise trouble free. Two weeks ago my favorite eBay seller had an NOS overhead light and sliding roof control panel for $35. Mine had one non-functioning light due to a broken contact. This Mazda has the potential to last forever.
 
Originally Posted by AZjeff
Is it cheaper to produce the user control system using a display/touch screen vs. dials & switches?


Significantly cheaper to use touch screens, when you consider that you can use approximately 2 of them across your entire line of vehicles, plus program (software is super-cheap compared with hardware) HVAC and trip computer functions, and often a bunch of gimmicky nonsense into them.

They're far more expensive for the owner to replace, because you have to replace everything even if just the function of one simple, cheap switch is all that failed. However, that's your problem. The manufacturer and the dealer both are happier to make extra money on the expensive, high-margin replacement that you can't get anywhere else.

Don't even get me started on the ultra-high attention and concentration they take vs buttons and knobs, or the offensive nighttime distraction.
 
Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by madRiver
150k without serious repairs. 150k+ repairs pile on .....


Maybe if you beat on it.


Mean design life is 150k according to three engineers and CEO at parts suppliers for OEM.
 
Beats me, the wife and I drive above average, so we get more miles.

Then I think you have to ask, at what cost/convenience? My 20 year old Camry needs something every few months it seems, and has various squeaks and rattles. I just throw parts at it as it's still cheaper on a per-monthly basis than a new car. But for those who pay for labor... they'd have gotten rid of much sooner.

Some would condemn a car if the alternator went out after 200k while others would shrug off a transmission every 100k. What is the definition of "lasting"? Miles and time before scrapyard?
 
10 yrs 150k easily.

After 10 years regardless of miles, internal issues can start to crop up on the electronics. Bad solder joints and electrolytic capacitors to name a few, but the good news is there will always be repair shops around. Take the ford powerstroke 6.0L FICM failures, instrumnet cluster failures, and chrysler TIPM failures, all can be repaired very reasonably thru third party repair channels long after the factory stops support.

What I find unacceptable is integrated mapping software. 7-10 years max is about all they will support. After which you're going to have to buy a garmin or use your phone. Why cars have onboard nav is beyond me.

Yet old 1990's avionics are still supported thru floppy disk updates even to this day.

For me none of this is an issue because in Erie, PA, the salt makes cars evaporate long before they are mechanically challenged.
 
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Might take me 50-60 years to get to that on my just under 104k mile 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis.

I think I got it at 15 years old with 62-63k miles, IIRC. So almost doubled the mileage in 6 years. Well, at least added 60% of what was on it in the past 6 years.

It will nickle and dime me until I get rid of it. In the past month I've swapped the plugs and coils as I had a misfire on one cylinder. Luckily, no coolant leaks on the plastic intake.

I swapped a broken passenger door handle and burnt out license plate bulb as well.

Just stay on top of it and it will run fine.

If I get so bored due to the topic which must not be mentioned, I might go ahead and change the oil on the fleet.

I do have brakes for the Rav4 as well as it's almost to 70k miles on the factory set, so probably time to change them soon.

Sorry, just rambling.

Originally Posted by Nick1994
Depends on how much it's driven. Will it take 30 years to get to 300k miles? A lot of electronics might give up by then. Or maybe not. But 10 years and 300k miles? Probably do-able.
 
Originally Posted by Vern_in_IL
2014+ vehicles, how long should we expect them to last before replacement?

I'm talking family/commuter/weekend vehicle use. Basically a family hauler.


You really need to define "to last before replacement".

Without that definition the answer is "As long as the owner is willing to spend the $$ maintaining it".
 
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