300K miles, the new 100K miles?

[float_6969]

So it seems to me that when I was young, a vehicle turning over 100K miles with normal maintenance (fluid changes) was impressive. Granted, my family didn't own any foreign vehicles, so this may have been impressive in the late 80's/early 90's. Since then I have personally owned/driven 3 vehicles that easily exceeded 300K miles, and at the time that I stopped driving them, didn't seem to be even thinking about giving up yet. I'm not really even impressed when I get in a good running car (regardless of the make) that has over 200K miles on it. So I thought I'd share my vehicles and see what everyone else had that broke the 300K mile mark.

1991 Mazda 626 - it had about 320K miles on it when I bought it. I drove it for a couple of years before I sold it with about 350K miles on it to buy my 2nd S13. I changed fluids and replaced the brake pads once and replaced a valve cover gasket. Still wasn't burning any oil when I sold it.

1999 Chevy Box Van - this was my faithful work truck for about 5 years. I still miss it even now. I think when I started driving it around 2005 it had about 150K miles on it. When I quit my job to own my own company 3 years ago it had over 300K miles on it. Maintenance was regular fluid and filter changes. It had the brakes replaced twice in that time (I drive like an idiot, even in a big box van), a fuel pump and a water pump. It was using about a half a quart of oil in 3K miles.

1999 Chevy 2500 6.7L turbo diesel - this is my current work truck. I'm at 298K miles right now. I don't like this truck as much as my box van (I don't like working out of a truck), but the diesel gets good gas mileage and if it's anything like the other trucks my dad bought of this era, the body will rust off before the engine quits running. The highest mileage vehicle of the "fleet" was just under 400K before the cab completely rusted away from the frame. The thing wasn't safe to drive AT ALL, but you could go out and start it right up!

So what about everyone else? Any 300K miles plus vehicles in your history?

[WDRacing]

If you're going to keep up with maintenance, having your vehicle reach 300,000 miles is totally feasible. The problem is, the vast majority of people don't keep up with things. They drive until something fails.

[Bubba1]

The vehicles that you achieved the great mileage seem more simple than most new vehicles now, more so with the passenger cars than trucks. I have a feeling that the 300K milestone will not be so easily achievable with the technological terror-like hybrid vehicles being made now. I also don't see CVT's lasting that long without catastrophic repairs along the way.

[WDRacing]

CVT's probably won't last. But most manual transmissions will require at least a clutch change before they hit anywhere close to 300,000 as well. It all comes down to how they're driven and how they're taken care of.

The CVT does not seem like it's designed for length of service in mind. But a standard automatic will last a very long time assuming the fluid is changed out every 15,000 miles or so.

One of the things causing drive train failures is the manufacturer using terms like "lifetime fluid". There is no F'N thing as a lifetime fluid. I don't ever go more than 30,000 miles on transmission fluid and recommend it being done at 15,000. No reason you can't change your fluid once a year imho.

[gwoods]

Im torn on the "lifetime fluids" Our 2007 Sequoia went 100,000 miles before the transmission fluid was changed and then it went another 18,000 before the front suspension was wornout and I decided to trade it in rather then do about 4k in maintance and repairs and drive it another year. 90% of that decision was based on the fantastic deal I swung on a 2012 Sequoia.

My G35 had a religious transmission service every year or every 30k.

The Jag calls for it at 100k and the transmission is a ZF 6spd. But still I am fighting the urge at 30k miles to have the fluid changed.

[WDRacing]

My BMW is a ZF 5 spd with lifetime fluid. When I got it, it had 78,000 on the transmission and the fluid was black. Yes it will work for a very long time, but changing it will insure the internals stay functional for that much longer.

Change the fluid on the Jag dude. Too many people don't and just trade them in. This only insures that the vehicle will one day die much sooner than it would otherwise have had to.

[Bubba1]

A very common mistake among American buyers is to assume lifetime fluids means forever. For many car manufacturers, like VW, their definition of lifetime is the length of the warranty. That is why so many of their auto transmissions seem to develop problems at 150K miles. The lesson to be learned is to review the manufacturer's maintenance schedule carefully. So many folks ignore it altogether.

[gwoods]

Your probably right, at about 60k I took the Sequoia to a Toyota dealer and asked them to change the fluid and they flat out refused!~(

I don't have any dipsticks under the hood on the jag, you check the oil from the dashboard via sensors. No way of knowing what the transmission fluid looks like.

[WDRacing]

Same with my BMW. Its serviced through the port on the side. Its full when it spills out.

[IBCoupe]

It doesn't help that the dealers I go to always told me that my CVT was a sealed unit and that it would tell us when the fluid needed changing, and that I should stop asking them to check it.

[Bubba1]

It doesn't help that the dealers I go to always told me that my CVT was a sealed unit and that it would tell us when the fluid needed changing, and that I should stop asking them to check it.

And the time you' be told it needs to be changed is when it fails post warranty, which enables them to charge you a whole lot more. This is why I never trust new car dealers to perform regular maintenance, and one of the many reasons I don't own a CVT equipped car.

[IBCoupe]

While I enjoy my CVT, I definitely agree that if your goal is to avoid dealer service, you should avoid CVTs, 'cause nobody else will touch them.

[PEZi]

300k you say? My dad's '00 Frontier is about to hit that mark. Truck has had very limited issues.... minus its giant run-in with a bear recently... we'll see if it's totaled or not :/

[PapaSmurf2k3]

The general human public doesn't see things this way though. Anything with over 120k still has people freaked out. And I'm ok with that, it means I can score awesome cars that still have over 180k left in them for big discounts.

The flip side is that when you go to sell that vehicle, you tend to get raped unless its to a friend. Possibly why I just don't sell any of my cars. Anyone want a mint 5th gen Prelude with 271k?

[frapjap]

300k you say? My dad's '00 Frontier is about to hit that mark. Truck has had very limited issues.... minus its giant run-in with a bear recently... we'll see if it's totaled or not :/

PICTURES!!

[gwoods]

The general human public doesn't see things this way though. Anything with over 120k still has people freaked out. And I'm ok with that, it means I can score awesome cars that still have over 180k left in them for big discounts.

The flip side is that when you go to sell that vehicle, you tend to get raped unless its to a friend. Possibly why I just don't sell any of my cars. Anyone want a mint 5th gen Prelude with 271k?

Papa, how do you feel about older women?

Sure a Prelude with 271k miles performs the same basic functions but everything is a little loosey goosey and worn when you test drive a new model.

[Kompresshun]

I have no issues with high mileage as long as it's been well maintained. I've driven vehicles with 200k+ miles on them that drive better than a similar model with less than 100k. Most everyone I work with, company vehicle or not, usually runs vehicles to between 250k-300k miles.

Sure, new vehicles are great. I have one and I love the way a new vehicles drives, smells, sounds, looks, ect. You know what I like better? No car payment. If I get the urge to feel that feeling, I drive someone elses car or go for a test drive at a dealership.

There are plenty of days i'd rather just go and trade in my 141k mile Ford Five Hundred on something nicer, but it's paid for and it gets me to work and back home every day. It does what I ask it to and asks for minimal maintenance in return.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Papa, how do you feel about older women?

It depends entirely on their maintenance history.

[gwoods]

Papa, how do you feel about older women?

It depends entirely on their maintenance history.

No problem with bolt on go fast parts

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Not at all, but they have to be upgrades. None of that ricer s***.

[Bubba1]

No problem with bolt on go fast parts

Wait, do you mean "Snap On" Tools?

[PapaSmurf2k3]

That's some Freddy Mercury s*** right there.