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We see foreign cars with 250K and more almost daily here at the shop and I get this type of question all the time. I have a flyer I give out to my customers that breaks down a maintenance plan.
Engine oil every 3 months or 3K, (5K for synthetic)
Transmission, diffs, transfer case fluids every 3 yrs or 30K.
Coolant Every 3 yrs or 30K
Brake fluid flush every 3 yrs.
Check brake pads every 5K
Maintain tire pressure every month in summer, twice a month in winter.
Accessory belt(s) every 5 yrs or 50K or when they make noise.
Timing belt at 8 yrs or 100K
Mass air and t-body cleaned once a year.
The list goes on and on..
We will also sit down with each of our customers and do a step by step maintenance plan for their particular vehicles based on condition, mileage, driving habits etc. When we say something needs to be fixed we pull the customer into the shop and show them exactly what we're replacing and why. We also point out future repairs and give them a list of recommendations based on what we showed them.
The highest mileage car we care for right now is a delivery truck. It's a 1998 Tacoma 4 cyl, auto 2WD p/u with 714K on the clock. I met the guy when I was working at a toyota dealer and he started coming to me once I opened my shop. I've worked on the truck since new and we've worked on it here in the shop since it had 200K. The motor, trans and rearend have never been out of the truck. He follows our maintenance schedule and truck runs like new.
Just sold my 1989 Suburban that has had the living crap driven out of it since new. 289,000+ miles when it pulled out of the driveway. Not too difficult now if you keep the maintenance up on a vehicle. Regular oil changes (this beast never saw a drop of synthetic) is about the only thing I had to do to it. I said I was going to drive it until it dies, but the damn thing just kept going and I was tired of driving the same thing. I figured it was never going to die because it drove and ran like a new truck (looked like hell because the body was in BAD shape) , so I got something else and sold the Beast in 2 days.
I don't know why everyone focuses only on engine life. A car is more then just an engine. In fact, there are several other problems that when combined, can be more costly then fixing an old engine.
I have a BMW 5 Series with 150k miles. It's like new. I put only the best quality oil in it (Castrol Edge 5W30), usually 1-2k miles before it is required. That's my way of keeping it in tip-top condition, because I plan on keeping it for at least another 5 years. Of course, the car will be worth almost nothing then and in reality, I'll probably keep it until something expensive brakes down.
Location: The Raider Nation._ Our band kicks brass
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98 Dodge Ram 250k. Looks great. Original stainless exhaust, replaced rear brakes at 120k, changed clutch at 150k. Changed universals once. Replaced front brakes, and rotors every 50k.
Changed oil every 15-20k. Opened engine at 240k thinking it was time for a new timing chain and gears. Turns out that they were still like new, and everything inside the engine was clean.
Everything was great until I stopped driving it 120 miles a day. Lack of use really takes a toll on vehicles.
Replaced it with a 2007 Cobalt. Showing 140k, and driving the crap out of it every day. Oil changes when the computer yells at me. Usually 11-12k miles. With today's modern oil, I do not believe in 3000 mile oil changes.
All good points except the leaving in a garage, If you live in a place that layeth down the salt during winter make sure the garage isnt heated
because if it is heated all that salt accumulation under the car will start to become very active on eating the metal as the car warms up in the garage and everything starts to thaw.
Regular waxing is also important as it protects the paint which protects the metal. Basically a car will last forever as new parts can always be installed,rust however will spell the deathnell for just about any car..
Jambo, thanks for that critical item. Here in COLO they don't use road salt; mostly they use gritty sand and magnesium chloride.
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You can basically drive a car forever if you want to just keep putting in new parts when needed, the real car killer is rust as the rust just eats the car up.
The eventual incursion of rust can be curtailed by giving the car an undercoating oil sprays like this = KROWN RUST CONTROL
Today my 1994 Toyota Corolla turned 300,000 miles on the odometer. I am the original owner and Ive never owned a better quality car. It was paid off 13 years ago. Besides regular maintenance, Ive changed the timing belt and shocks twice. Ive had 3 new sets of tires, and changed the battery 2 times. Everything still works and operates. I have to add two quarts of oil every month but that's normal for high mileage cars. I will continue to drive it until a major repair is needed that costs more than it's worth. I would like to have a new car but I don't want payments again. Now I want to see how many more miles I can run it. Will I hit 400,000? I hope so!!!
I have a 1995 Nissan truck with 258, xxx or so miles on it, and I've replaced very few parts over the years, that little beast starts and goes every time I need it to. I'd drive it across country tomorrow without much hesitation, if I had to. It's not my daily driver any more but I do drive it whenever I need a truck.
It's never gone over 4,000 miles between dino oil changes - usually closer to 3,000. I've also been really good about coolant changes, tune ups and general maintenance.
It's a stick shift, so no expensive transmission issues.
Just had the rear brakes checked last week - original brakes, still good. Next week it gets its fourth set of front brake pads and new rear shocks for winter.
It doesn't leak a drop of anything, tires wear evenly despite all front end parts being original, and ir runs quiet and smooth still. Unfortunately I'm in Michigan and as of last year when I bought a new house, don't have a garage now....I think my truck will rust through before the engine and major components wear out!
Kid who works for me has a Nissan Quest with about 280,000 miles on it and he drives it every day.
Today my 1994 Toyota Corolla turned 300,000 miles on the odometer. I am the original owner and Ive never owned a better quality car. It was paid off 13 years ago. Besides regular maintenance, Ive changed the timing belt and shocks twice. Ive had 3 new sets of tires, and changed the battery 2 times. Everything still works and operates. I have to add two quarts of oil every month but that's normal for high mileage cars. I will continue to drive it until a major repair is needed that costs more than it's worth. I would like to have a new car but I don't want payments again. Now I want to see how many more miles I can run it. Will I hit 400,000? I hope so!!!
I wish I saw this thread 2 years ago when I bought a newer car. Monthly payments stink!! Who cares how old your car looks on the outside. I made a big mistake!
Early to late 1990s Japanese cars are great.
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