How Many Miles Can a Car Last? (2024)

FAQs

How Many Miles Can a Car Last? ›

A conventional car can last for 200,000 miles. Some well-maintained car models will reach 300,000 or more miles total. The average passenger car age is currently around 12 years in the United States. Choosing a well-built make and model can help extend your car's longevity.

What is considered high mileage on a car? Often, 100,000 miles is considered a cut-off point for used cars because older vehicles often start requiring more expensive and frequent maintenance when mileage exceeds 100,000.

In general, most modern cars can cross 200,000 miles without any major issues, provided the vehicle is being well-maintained. Considering that an average person drives 10,000-20,000 miles per year, this will account for roughly 15 years of service. Here are some factors to consider when assessing used car mileage.

How many miles can an engine last? – Generally speaking, most modern cars last more than 200, 000 miles without any important issues, in case of good maintenance. We know that, on average, a person drives 10,000-20,000 miles per year, which means the lifecycle of automobiles is approximately 15 years.

Read the owner's manual, stick to the servicing schedule, check your driving habits, and you can drive a modern used car or truck of a further 500,000 miles. Almost all modern vehicles have a similar cost of ownership for the first 100,000-200,000 miles. The expensive repairs kick in after that.

So, for an easy way to calculate how many miles on a used car is too much, just multiply its age by 10,000. For example, a five-year-old car would ideally have 50,000 miles or less on its odometer. If a car's mileage is far larger than the average, then you will have to take a deeper look at the car's history.

Depending on the car's value, repairing it might be worth the money to keep it going for a few more years. However, most modern gasoline-powered vehicles will start to struggle after the 200,000-mile mark. Electric cars can usually make it up to 300,000 miles before they're considered well used.

Buying a used car with over 150,000 miles can be a viable option, provided you take the right precautions and do your due diligence. While these vehicles come with a lower upfront cost and often have well-documented maintenance records, they also require more maintenance and may lack the latest technology.

Cars older than 8-10 years will be a riskier option, depending on the driving and maintenance history, while vehicles over 15-20 are usually nearing the end of their service lives.

What is the average life of a car? ›

In the past, the average lifespan of a car was significantly lower than it is today. Now, you can expect a standard car to last around 12 years or about 200,000 miles. More advanced vehicles like electric cars can go even longer, up to 300,000 miles.

A conventional car can last for 200,000 miles. Some well-maintained car models will reach 300,000 or more miles total. The average passenger car age is currently around 12 years in the United States. Choosing a well-built make and model can help extend your car's longevity.

Toyota's 22R engine is often hailed as one of the most robust and long-lasting engines ever produced. Introduced in the late 1970s, it powered various Toyota models for decades. Owners have reported these engines regularly exceeding 300,000 miles, and some even reaching half a million miles with proper maintenance.

And then there are the real mileage guzzlers with a million or more miles on the clock. These are usually cabs, mostly from Mercedes-Benz, which is the case in a report from Grand Canary Island. According to Tenerife News, a W123 Mercedes 240D in the rather rare long version reached the milestone.

Finding a four-year-old car with 50,000 miles on it can be a great deal, as it means that the driver used it a little less than average, and it could have more life left in it. However, you should be a bit wary of vehicles that are a decade old with only 50,000 miles to show for it.

Service History - If a car has made it to 100k miles, you can expect that it will have a lengthy service history. That is a LOT of data to ultimately help you decide if it's been a reliable car. A well-maintained car with 100k miles and no major issues is a great sign that it's reliable for another 100k.

If the car has 100,000 miles on it, that's still nearly four years of driving to get to the average. In some cases, you can be fine buying a used car with 150,000 or even 200,000 miles on it, because maintenance helps them last far beyond what many people have come to expect.

Can a car last 300,000 miles? It's possible for some properly maintained, well-built cars to reach 300,000 miles. Typically, a conventional vehicle lasts for 200,000 miles. The average automobile age in the United States has increased over the past several decades.

Is a 7-year-old car too old? - Quora. The last time a 7-yo car was too old, cars all had carburetors. These days, most 7-year-old cars are almost as good as new. The average 7-year-old car these days has under 90,000 miles on it, while having an expected lifetime of over 250,000 miles.

Many modern cars with 100K-150K miles are in great condition and will easily go another 100K. However, if a car has not been maintained properly and has been driven hard or previously wrecked, it can be junk with only 30K miles on the odometer.