Will Your Car Last 200,000 Miles?

Not all that long ago, people targeted 100,000 miles as their goal to drive their car because that is about the mileage you could expect before having a major failure.  However, cars have gotten much better, technology has improved, and people are doing more maintenance these days.  This is the reason the average age of cars on the road in the United States has reached an all-time high.  Simply put, cars are just better these days.  Can you get 200,000 miles out of your car with no major issues?  Some will, some won’t, but your behavior and maintenance practices can have a major effect on this.

Get familiar with the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule. 

Normally, these are included in owner’s manual in the glove box.  Automakers base these recommendations on a lot of testing and should be heeded.  Often service departments recommend more frequent maintenance than the

So, can I make it to 200,000 miles? 

There are many variables, so some people will and some people will not.  Following my tips above will give you the best chance, but people in severe weather areas have a lessor chance.  Someone who drives highway miles has a much better chance than someone who drives in stop and go traffic every day.  Finally, some cars are just better than others when it comes to long-term reliability.

In closing, doing maintenance on a car is not fun, and it will cost you money to do it properly.  However, major repairs or having to replace your car is way more expensive.  Also, if you are a parent of a young driver, take the time to teach him or her the importance of good maintenance practices, it will save them a ton of money in the future.

Reprinted from Car Pro.