Buying used vehicle's with over 200k miles

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Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
Imo a car with over 200K is a giveaway car.


Especially newer vehicles with so much extra crap that will go bad with age.
 
I got my first prius for $750 with 237k miles on it, just needing a battery module. Now it has 287k and, knock wood, is still an awesome car. No rust, minimal repairs.

My car buying philosophy is one where I buy something for less than I can get out of it, and something with an obvious immediate repair need the PO doesn't want to tackle so I know why it's being sold. And by the time they wind up in my hands the common trouble areas are well documented.

Go look at a new car with new tech, what's the first thing to go bad?

Someone already found and documented the one capacitor on my instrument cluster that goes bad. I bought a 5-pack on ebay for $0.99. Used two on two different prii. Still have three.
lol.gif
 
It depends on how the car was maintained, In 2012 I bought a 1983 Mercedes 240d with 225,701 miles on it. The guy I bought it from was somebody who OVERDID the oil changes along with everything else. I went to pay him for the car he kept showing me all of the maintenance receipts and all of the extra stuff he did to the car. It was 2,000 dollars. I drove from Tucson, Az. to Crescent City Ca. to get the car. I already knew about the 240d and how it worked and so forth. It was a 4-speed manual which I had looked for over 6 years ( to get the right one) I then went to redwood country to enjoy the area and the car. I just could not get the guy to stop talking about the car and what he did to it. I was trying to be polite and all but after about 45 minutes my patience had run out and my wife said we had to go so I was getting in the car to go and he put his hand on the car door so that I could not shut the door until he told what he had done "just last week" with the carrier bearing and the glow plugs along with his changing the oil every 2,000 miles. I still have the car and it has over 318,000 miles. I just remember how anal the guy was and any car purchase I ever made NOBODY was like that guy. Amazing transaction!!
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I bought my 2003 Suburban Z71 4wd with 250K miles for $2000. It cost $40K new.

A 2020 Suburban is $60000


I have no car payment.. nor high cost insurance and it does all that i ask of it.


My riding mower cost almost $2k.. so im happy with my purchase and repairs do not bother me.
 
I don't mind driving a car with 200K+ miles if I've been the one putting most of the miles on it but, buying one at that mileage where I don't know the previous owner and their driving/maintenance habits isn't happening. I had an '88 Ford Escort that I just retired a few years ago with 518K miles and was still running when I parked it. When I moved from NC to KY it had slightly over 500K miles and I drove it on the 500 mile trip without a problem. The reason I quit driving it was that it needed some work done to it and with me having chronic back pain I just didn't want to fool with it and wasn't going to pay a mechanic $75-100 an hour to work on a car with 1/2 a million miles on it. I currently have one car now with over 200K and another with 196K and would be comfortable driving either one on a longer trip. I bought a 2016 Nissan Versa about a year ago that was involved in a rear end collision at just over 10K miles. The insurance company totaled it and auctioned it off. Someone bought it and repaired it which branded it with a rebuilt title. I bought a practically new car for $5300. If I can buy cars like that for that kind of money I'm not buying a comparable clean title car with 100K miles on it for $6-8K. My wife is looking for a car now and we're watching rebuilt cars with low mileage at 50-60% of book value. We went yesterday and looked at another '16 Versa with 41K miles. Their asking price was $4800. but, they did a poor job on the repair. They painted the repaired section of a burgundy car with with red paint. She's not in a big hurry for another car so we'll watch and wait for the right one to come along. If it's next week fine, if it's a year from now that's OK too.
 
Originally Posted by krismoriah72
I bought my 2003 Suburban Z71 4wd with 250K miles for $2000. It cost $40K new.

A 2020 Suburban is $60000


I have no car payment.. nor high cost insurance and it does all that i ask of it.


My riding mower cost almost $2k.. so im happy with my purchase and repairs do not bother me.



This is kind of how it has worked out for me too. My Explorer would have stickered around $27K in 1994, a new one with less capable 4wd and not built like a truck would be $40K, and I don't even like the new ones. I have maybe $2500 in mine including repairs, and its got new tires, brakes and shocks all the way around, front wheel bearings and radius arm bushings, all new coolant hoses, new radiator, new fluids, belt, filters, etc. Ever since I fixed the initial problems which were mostly neglect, it has been super reliable.
 
What you'll also notice on this site and others, is that there are plenty of drivers who accumulate 20k+ miles/year.

A well-maintained 10-year-old vehicle isn't old at all - in many ways, I'd be more concerned with an ultra-low-mileage vehicle compared to a highway-driven vehicle.
 
I wouldn't purchase a car with 200k plus miles on it, but I would drive one if I was the original owner, or close to it. That way I know how it was cared for and what to expect. Usually at that point you have no car payment and you're just trying to recoup the money you spent when you purchased the thing...it's gravy at that point. It's like a game. Can I take it to 300k and save thousands? I've done that before with a Honda Accord I bought new...drove it for 17 years and 289,000 miles. Actually sold the thing to someone for $1,200 bucks. Honestly, I miss that car...kind of wish I kept it just to keep in the garage and look at once in a while.
 
Originally Posted by Mr Nice
Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
Imo a car with over 200K is a giveaway car.


Especially newer vehicles with so much extra crap that will go bad with age.


People been saying that in past about about fuel injection, multi valve cars , power windows, abs etc but never came to fruition. Cars were fine.
 
Bought this Jetta last year for $800,

[Linked Image from fototime.com]


Only repair was a $400 turbo rebuild. I wouldn't hesitate driving it to the other coast today. Wouldn't surprise me if somebody takes it to 500K and I expect to get around $3,000 for it, but with 55 mpg I'll keep driving it myself.
 
You expect to get $3000 for a Jetta with 324,000 miles? You're a great salesman!
 
Originally Posted by atikovi
A Jetta with 324,000 miles AND that is fully serviced and very clean.


Still a big nope!
 
Originally Posted by gathermewool
Originally Posted by atikovi
A Jetta with 324,000 miles AND that is fully serviced and very clean.


Still a big nope!


For someone that drives Subarus, I can understand your point.
 
OP-

For many buying a car with 200,000 miles and putting another 100,000 miles on it is the pinnacle of automotive excellence on BITGO!

Not for me......but for many.
 
My Mazda had no problem that cost me over $100 to correct until it was well beyond 300k. It went on to over twice that, with some repairs. My brother's Avalon is still going strong (except the paint!) at ~350k with no major repairs. Why panic at only 200k if a vehicle has been reasonably maintained?
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by CKN
OP-

For many buying a car with 200,000 miles and putting another 100,000 miles on it is the pinnacle of automotive excellence on BITGO!

Not for me......but for many.

What's BITGO? Bob is the guy oil?

It sounds like you have been buying low quality disposable cars? Those are not for me...
 
Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by gathermewool
Originally Posted by atikovi
A Jetta with 324,000 miles AND that is fully serviced and very clean.


Still a big nope!


For someone that drives Subarus, I can understand your point.


Because older VW's are so much more reliable???
 
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