High-mileage Club - Stories wanted

Despite that many car owners trade in their vehicles every few years, modern cars have the potential to drive over 100,000, 150,000, and even 200,000 miles with the right care and maintenance. In fact, as we analyze our recent Annual Questionnaire data, we have found thousands of Consumer Reports subscribers have entered the 200,000-mile club and we'd like to help others join the ranks.

While few vehicles see more than two million miles, like Irv Gordon's record-setting 1966 Volvo P1800 (shown here), many motorists have driven considerable distance. If you, or someone you know, has put more than 200,000 miles on a vehicle as the original owner, please visit the Consumer Reports Cars forums to share your experiences and tips in the 200,000-mile Club discussion. Be sure to include the car's year, make, model, and the state in which you live. We may want to contact those owners with the best stories and advice for a future report.

And for those who want to get the most from their car, new or old, click over to the forums to read the latest posts.

--Jeff Bartlett

Comments

[David]

I just sold my 1996 Subaru Outback Legacy Wagon with 228,000 miles on it. Sometimes the radio station would change when I hit a bump. I blew out the engine around 150,000 miles on the way back from a camping trip. My budies wife called and she was in labor so we had a 100 mile trip in a tow truck to the L&D. I think it takes patience not to Thelma and Louise your vehicle after a certain point. Then again, driving a car until 200,000 miles makes for some good stories.

[Jeff]

After 21 years I still have my first vehicle and I'm going to keep it for the rest of my life. It's a 1983 Ford Custom Van. I got it in 1986 with over 75,000 miles on it already. Now I have over 220,00 miles on it. Only had minor problems over the years. No engine or transmission problems, yet. I now drive it to NASCAR races and use it as a backup vehicle. My primary vehicle is a 1988 Ford Bronco II I bought in 1990. It has over 255,000 miles on it. Only minor problems on this also. I think Ford must have made them just right in the 80's.

[twell]

My 1995 Volvo 850 wagon passed 200K in March and then I gave it to my neice, as her first car, and she'll be using it to get to college in the fall. Never had any big problems with it. Always had regular maintenance. Before my neice picked it up, I had it detailed, and boy did it look great. The exterior and interior were in like new condition and the body style (which was modern and "rounded" in 1995!) looks stylishly angular these days. I find it a more handsome car today than 13 years ago (unlike me, who, at 30 years old then, was much more handsome when I bought it!). Always averaged 24 to 26 MPG, and it is a heavy, heavy car. Plus, I always felt safe in it, and that's why I am happy to pass it along to the kids.

[John S]

I am still driving my 1986 Honda Accord with 265,000 miles. Only replaced clutch once and radiator ( I did not flush as often as recommended), and ignition switch. Now getting 26-29 mpg in metro driving with this carburated model. The weak point was the electric window gearmotor drive. One passenger window must not be aligned as well as others.I am thinking about getting rid of this car soon because I need larger car but will hate to part with it. The fuel hose cracked a little where banded to carb. Just cut off bad portion, and reconnected fule line with new band and no more leaks. Very reliable car.

[Sloan]

I own a 1994 Toyota Camry (V6) I've currently logged 225,000 miles with minimal problems. I replaced the radiator last year and that has been my only major and minor repair which wasn't major after 13 years of driving. This car has no squeaks or leaks and is my daily commuter to work and is ready to drive for years to come. I must add this Toyota is better built than my 2005 dodge and 2006 Nissan.

[sandy dorey]

1996 toyota camry v6, 242000 miles, japan built. i am the original owner and have put all the miles on the car in the last 11 years. i still drive it to work(70-80 miles of driving each day). the dealership experience on purchase was bad. i was overcharged 50 dollars for the floor mats by toyota. i complained to toyota customer service.asking for a refund of the difference. they refused and were rude. in my shopping experience toyota sales were in general arrogant and unprofessional.i did not see a better alternative and bought the car. there was a recall on the car since a steering nut needed tightening, in '96.
the first expensive repair was in 2000, around 80k miles. the muffler struck something in the dark when i was backing in an apartment block.the engine was no longer quiet after that. paying 1500 to fix the bent muffler(quoted by the toyota dealer) was unreasonable and this repair was not done. the brake pads and tires wore out around 80k miles(the tires have all been replaced at least three times since 96). a front strut and wheel cylinder went bad and had to be replaced sometime around 2000. by 2003,the car had 160k miles. the engine gasket developed a leak, a bank 1 o2 sensor went bad(causing the check engine light to come on) and the ignition failed. the timing belt needed replacement. the repairs altogether costed 2000-2500.at around 190k miles a major oil leak developed, leaving big oil patches on my driveway. the rack and transmission gaskets were replaced at a cost of over 1000 dollars. the fuel pump hose(at the back or bottom of the pump) also has a minor leak. i decided not to obtain repairs since it would cost 300 dollars.

lately another front o2 sensor went bad. i got it replaced. the brake pads were also replaced in the last year(overall they have been replaced twice or thrice in the car's lifetime so far). the tail lights each blew out once and were replaced(also a front lamp).the fuel tank lid broke recently(why should that ever happen even after refuelling a few thousand times ?).this is not fixed.

in 2005, the car broke down on the freeway with around 190k miles because the front axle broke.fortunately i was driving at 20 miles per hour in heavy traffic and i was not hurt.

a child once got tangled and squeezed around the abdomen by the back car seat belt. i had to cut the belt with scissors to free the child and get the belts replaced(sometime around 2004)

i must be unreasonable if i am still using the car but they don't build mid size sedans in japan. i shopped for a car in 2006. the camry se v6 was a candidate but i was turned off by the 27k price tag(with navigation system) and toyota salesmen were more rude and arrogant than even in '96. i decided not to buy a car. i have put another 50k miles on the car since.

overall the reliability of the car has been very average. toyota quality is a myth given the high price tag. unfortunately there isn't a better option. with today's technology(the space shuttle has flown 150 missions) one should be able to buy a mid size car with a 500hp engine that gives 50 mpg and lasts 500k to a million miles, and 30 to 40 years, and needs little or no maintenance. anything less is unfriendly to the environment.the world has 10 billion people where the average person makes less than a dollar a day, and the motor car was invented over 100 years ago. american consumers deserve a lot better.

[Denis]

I have a 1993 Toyota 4x4 extended cab pick-up with over 444000 km with nothing but regular maintinance. Driven through harsh Canadian winters and hot prairie summers It has never failed to start even at -40 below. This little truck does not have have a rattle even after 14 years. Other than a little rust around the front fenders, she is solid as a rock 14 years later.

[Bill]

1988 Honda Accord LX-I (fuel injected) bought new 12/1987, kept until 12/2004

Put over 208,000 miles on it.

5-speed manual - 30 mpg city, 40 mpg highway.

Gave it away to charity after having some fuel issues driving on the highway (fine in the city)

I did replace the fuel pump, but wasn't going to repair/replace injectors, etc. given the low value of the car by that time.

[SRG]

I own 1994 Toyota V6, and at 205,000, it still runs great. Pickup is fine. Did the normal maintenance, such as replacing the CV boot, timing belt twice, fan belts, gaskets, seals, battery, fuel pump, tires, fix oil leaks. Nothing major. Found a honest mechanic who charges me far less than dealers. If one can limit maintenance on older cars at or below $150/ month, you come ahead of newer cars whose monthly lease is $350/month. Since 1994, the Camrys seem to have fallen in quality. Friends who own 1996 Camry, say that model year was a disaster. So were many Corollas. It seems Honda has picked up on quality, while Toyota may have slided down. Would appreciate feedback on newer cars.

[Peter Lines]

I had a 1996 Ford Crown Victoria with 233,000. Last summer I gave it to a friend and he is still driving around. The only problem I ever had was the intake manifold cracked (known Ford problem) and the Mass Air Flow sensor went. But, I never left me stuck on the side of the road even with those 2 problems.

[David Cabral]

1998 Toyota Camry with 215,000 miles. I too never used dealer's recommend maintain schedules from day one. I change oil every 3,000 to 3,500 miles.

I have replaced timing belt twice, and replaced fuel/air ratio sensor twice. Also, wiring from engine to sensors has been replaced. Replaced battery once, and sparkplugs multiple times. Other than that, no major service on car.

I want to sell it approximately 10 years after I bought it. But part of me wants to keep it until it finally kicks the bucket (never???).

[Sam]

I had a 1997 Toyota Camry CE V-6 purchased in Montreal Canada. The car had 344,000km(207,228 miles). No major problems beside regular maintenance such as; timing belt, belts, tune up, tires, fan belts, leaking seal in the truck, fuel filter, struts.

[Vannie]

Our family has had several in the 200,000 club. We drove a 1988 Chevy Astro van to 204,000 and the engine gave up so we decided it wasn't worth fixing. We got 1990 Chevy Astro van (we have 4 kids so need ROOM) and drove it to 197,000 and traded it in, still running. I am presently working on 260,000+ miles on my 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee, although we had the transmission rebuilt at 225,000. Other than that, no major problems on these vehicles. My daughter drives a 1988 Nissan Sentra with over 225,000 miles, although it's had its engine and transmission replaced at about 192,000. Change your oil regularly!

[Chuck K.]

I have a 1999 Toyota Tacoma SR5 4-cyl with 303,000 miles on it. It was purchased new and the only maintenance since then was tires (many sets), oil changes (about every 10k) and alignments. A/C still blows cool and clutch slips a tiny bit with very little oil burned between changes. The truck and its 2RZ 2.4 are bulletproof. As far as babying it and no "jack-rabbit starts", no way! I've driven it hard since day one and still got 32mpg on my last trip.

[Rick S]

I have a 1988 Honda CRX-HF original owner with 310,00 trouble free miles @ 52 mpg. Regular 5,000 mile oil changes, synthetic 5W30. Just 1 clutch and 2 timing belts. Great car, too bad Honda quit making it.

[Heather Maples]

I've got a Ford E-150 with over 700,000 miles on it. Really, I swear! My dad used it as a delivery truck for his business so, it's mostly highway miles. It's a 1999. It got a new engine at 300,000. The current engine has 400,000. Still runs, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it.

[Loretta P.]

I'm a big fan of Olds and Buicks. My last Buick went to 242,000 miles with no major repairs (AC conked at 190,000 and I didn't get it fixed). I drove it to the junk yard when the floor board rusted through.

My next car was an Olds LSS (88 type) and it's still running well at 262,000 with only one major repair- the intake manifold. Again, the AC is out- I don't seem to have much luck with AC.

For college I got my daughter a Dodge Sport(5 speed) pickup with 80,000 miles on it. She just graduated with 254,000 miles on it, we tuned it up and changed the tires and she drove it to South Carolina and back without a problem.

We change the oil at 3,000 miles religiously, and I encourage my family to drive as though I didn't want to spill my coffee. I truly believe that a smooth drive (fast is fine- just not rough) helps prevent problems.

[Joanne Trevino]

I have a 98 Toyota Camry (4 cylinder) that I bought in '01 with 48,000. It now has 358,000 miles on original engine and going strong. Only maintanence work done and keeping up with those oil changes!

[Tyson]

Just posted my story on the discussion board, with pictures. 1994 Acura Legend 6-speed LS coupe with 293,000 original miles and still runs like new. Best car I've ever owned.

[brian salmon]

1996 Crown Vic PI with 311,000 miles and still going. The 4.6L engine in these is bullet-proof.
They are very tuff cars

[B Gons]

Ive got a 97 Nissan frontier 4 cylinder manual with 260k no major work done to motor or tranny. Driven it hard since day 1 and oil changes 10k intervals. 80% highway miles.

My father has a 2002 Ford f-150 with the original 5.4 8cyl motor. It has over 430k miles. Tranny was rebuilt at 120k miles. The motor has been knockin since aobut 130k miles but still pulls. 90% highway miles.

[Bill Jasper]

I am driving a 1997 Toyota 4Runner limited. It currently has over 402,000 miles it. It still runs great and uses about 1 qt. oil (synthetic) between changes. It has required only regular maintenance, including timing belts, and water pump, spark plugs (now platinum) spark plug wires, 1 wheel bearing, starter motor, struts, and a few switches that failed. This is my second Toyota 4Runner. The previous one (1986) I sold with about 384,000 miles on it. Both were driven frequently on long trips on Interstate highways. I've been very pleased with the 1997 4Runner and expect to put another 100K-200K miles on it if nothing major fails. Our 2 Golden retrievers love traveling in it because it has a sun roof and power rear window for lots of fresh air.

[Nate]

In 1997, I purchased a 1994 Dodge Spirit with 80,000 miles. I drove the vehicle up to 234,000 before the transmission went out. The motor was untouched and smooth. No vibration or stalling. Some problems were the exhaust, starter, alternator, and brakes. I feel like I really got my money worth

[steve]

I have a stroy to share that I found quite amazing. I work in a cadillac dealership and we have an insurance adjuster that comes in here all the time for body shop claims.
He drives a 1994 toyota paseo and today he showed me the mileage on his car but he didn't show to me until after he started the engine and let me listen to it. It purred like a kitten which I thought okay big deal it runs great. Then he showed me the odometer, 500126 miles!!!!!
I was completely blown away! He has never replaced anything in the engine or trans including the clutch!!!!
Never did I think you could get a half million miles out of any car period and there was one right in front of me.

[J Petak]

I bought a 1999 chevy lumina car 3.1 engine. it had 71k on it. At 160k the altenator went out and i changed the battery. At 220k 1 fuel injector went out. At 357k the fuel pump went out. now im at 393k the original a/c still works and the motor still has the same power when i bought it and still runs smooth. nothing else has been done other than brakes and tune up. ive heard the the head gasket goes bad on all the 3.1 around the 100k point for the 99 year but mine still original. everything is factory other than stated. i remember when i bought this car my friends told me i should of bought a honda but now they are amazed this car is still running strong and thought twice about there honda choice. :)