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There are quite a few cars out there with low miles that really don't have issues. My mother has a 2003 Accord that she bought new and it has 11K miles. It really only goes to church, the grocery store, and the library. I insist she gets the oil changed once a year and occasionaly one of the kids takes it on a longish ride to make sure it gets fully hot and is checked out.
Many yrs ago went to a county auction. The newspaper had the ad about the auction being held to sell estate items and this Pinto was listed.
Anyway the car showed 21,000 mikes on the spedo...super clean...nipples still on the spare tire that was never on the ground. Interior show clean...engine bay spotless. Did have a slight sun burn showing on the back of the rear seat from the car sitting in the sun. People around me looking at the car were saying loud enough that the spedo had gone over the circuit...over 100,000 and back to 21,000.
Long story...I bought it cheap with no one bidding on it. Took the car back to my shop...jacked it up to check undercarriage etc...everything was as original and clean as could be off the assembly line. Did not have to do a tune up or oil change. Later found out it had belonged to a 82 yr old women from new purchase.
My Mom's last two cars were brand new purchased Ford Taurus', top of the line. In her last decade, she drove only rarely and was driven by others to her medical appointments and limited shopping.
The first one had 6,000 miles on it when she traded it back to the dealer after four years. Other family members drove it more than she did to take her around, otherwise the car sat in her heated garage during her ownership.
The last one had 1,200 miles put on it over 4 years when she moved out of her house to a rest home, and then to hospital and then hospice. The only driving on the car in the last year of her ownership was when I flew out to visit her, and I put 200 miles on the car. She'd paid $21K for the car + her trade in ... and my BIL got $12K for the car selling it to a Ford dealer. The car was almost showroom perfect ... not a scratch, ding, never smoked in, never out in the weather ... absolutely pristine.
There are cars that do come along like this. Why my Mom decided she "needed" to have a new car when the prior one was only a few years old with only no real mileage on it is an unknown to us ... but she had the cash and she wanted it and she bought it. There was no family input on her purchase, she just did it.
I've got a neighbor here in Wyoming with his MIL's car in his garage. A 1959 Desoto, IIRC ... with about 2,000 miles on it. Obviously, she hasn't driven it in many years, but it's been well stored, covered, and had the battery kept maintained or replaced just in case it was going to be driven, and the car is run in the garage now and then to keep the engine lubed. I know it's had the oil changed every couple of years. Apparently, she had a stroke many years ago and didn't drive anymore ... but she will not sell the car, which I understand was a wedding present from her now deceased husband. The family will own the car someday soon. Will it be a good deal for somebody? maybe
I know of another car, a 1978 450SL MB with about 20,000 miles on it, which was purchased in 1982 by a client of mine for his girlfriend to have as a Colorado driver at his Aspen cabin. Unfortunately, his wife found out about the cabin, car, and girlfriend shortly after the purchase .... and the car is still at the cabin. Neither the car or cabin has been used since late 1982 when the owner left with girlfriend to South America while his wife acquired ownership to their other homes and business property in their divorce. I know there's a property management company that keeps the place clean, linens changed, and general upkeep with the idea that someday he'll be back to enjoy the place .... but it's been a long time since anybody looked into the garage to see how the car is faring. By now, I imagine it's got a lot of mice damage, plus rust issues in the motor just from sitting all these years. Could it be a good deal for somebody? maybe
A few years ago I bought a one owner 1989 Buick Century with only 56k miles on it. The old lady drove it only to church and the grocery store, both just a few miles from her house. I kept that car about 6 months and drove it everywhere while I had it with no problems. The only thing that was wrong with it was it needed new paint. I still see the people I sold it to driving it around, but they never painted it like they told me they were going to, I should have kept it.
My younger brother bought a 1987 chevy celebrity with 49,000 miles on it, in December. We bought it off a 90 year old lady who bought it new 20 years ago and she never went anywhere. Since my primary vehicle is out of comission, I have been using it to drive back and forth to school, and we put around 1500 miles on it so far, havent had any problems with it at all. He only paid 500 bucks for it, too. It has minimal rust, which is common in my area
Totally depends on how the miles were accumulated. IMHO a perfectly preserved car goes out for a 10 to 20 mile drive once a week "weather permitting".
At the same time if low mileage was accumulated in a bunch of 2 to 5 mile short trips, could possibly have engine issues although if you are willing to "refresh" the motor with a set of rings and bearings you could not bring a high mile car into this conditon for what that would cost.
Totally depends on conditions of service!
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