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

[Tiffany]

I have a 92 Toyota Camry with 240,000....and I'm going to drive it into the GROUND. I've never had any trouble...just standard maintenance. Oil changes and tune ups! The clear coat is starting to come off...but I still love it.

[paul]

I have a 2000 Ranger Supercab 4x4 246,000 still runs great change oil and filter every 4-5000 uses no oil. Great litte truck.

[Jay Repolle]

1998 toyota Corolla with 232,000 and still running very well.

[john]

I have a 1995 ford e 250 that ive put 205,000 on regular oil change 2 sets of ball joints (100,000) and one alt.

[Michael W. Cameron]

I own a 1995 Nissan Maxima with 170K on it, owned since 45K, bought from a friend who changed the oil every 3,000. I've been using Mobil 1 synthetic since then, my mechanic says the loudest noise from the engine is the clicking of the fuel injectors. The engine feels like new, tremendous throttle response and power. Rust is starting to be a factor. Only other problem (other than batteries, brakes, starter, and an alternator, was a tie rod end at 150K, not bad for 13 Western New York winters. Daughter has a 94 Camry with 202K, I bought it on ebay from the original who used Mobil 1 and changed it every 3,000 and had the receipts to prove it, too. It also sounds like a new car. My personal car is a 95 Camry wagon, like my daughter's, a 4 cylinder. This has about 110,000 on it. Lately having noises from the right front, sounds like a tie rod. Lately I've been changing oil every 9,000 miles, but slip on a new filter every 3,000. With synthetic you can do that. By the way, this generation Camry (92-96) were totally over-built, ask any Toyota mechanic. The next generation (97-01) were nowhere as durable. Prior to this, I had a 97 Subaru Legacy GT wagon, which got totalled in '07 with 144K on it. Subarus just don't break, and they are supposedly coming out with a diesel Outback next year that should give 50mpg. I've heard a lot of good things about the GM 3800 V-6, which has since been replaced, by what I don't know.

[Paul B]

I'm hoping to sell my 1992 Honda Accord wagon with 212,000 on it this weekend.($600) I am hoping to buy a 1996 Mitsubishi Galant with 190,000 miles on it.($400) The Honda has some rust issues and I decided not to spend money on it. I bought it with 168,000 on it in 2007 and only replaced the front brake pads, a windshield, valve cover gaskets and a crossover pipe aside from the usual maintenace stuff. I'm hoping that the Mitsubishi will run for at least 75,000 before I have to look for another car.
My wife has a 1993 Subaru Impreza with 133,000 on it and it is rock solid!

[Michael W. Cameron]

I just wanted to comment that in the old days the only cars that lasted long were Volvos. Those old cast iron pushrod engines and SU carbs were from the Bronze age, though. I think Volvo has slipped both in reliability and durability. I've heard a lot of stories about how unreliable they are and how expensive to get fixed. How about the old Chrysler slant 6 engines?

[David Parry]

I have a 1984 Chevrolet Caprice Classic used as a work vehicle. It has the original engine and transmission with 425,500 miles on it and still does not burn a drop of oil. The engine runs quiet with no mechanical noises and every spark plug burns clean. It gets an oil change every 5000 miles and a tuneup every 50,000.
Maintenance has been minimal and luck has been great with this 305 Chev engine.

[Roy]

i have a 1986 buick century limited, and it has 199,840. it still runs very good. it can only reach 100,000 miles, than the clock reset's its self back to 000,000miles and this is the second round. the buick gives me bout 27 mpg. everything still works on it but the a/c but i still love it and will keep using it till it cant take it any more.

[Jessica]

My 1991 Nissan Pathfinder is still chugging along with 345,000 miles. Transmission has been replaced but has the orginal motor. This is my vehicle I drive daily even though it is showing the physical signs of old age, I still love it.

[dusty]

i have a 1999 chevrolet truck with almost 500,000 miles on it. It still has the samew motor and transmission. other than regular maintance and a couple fuel pumps, starter, battery, fuel tank, water pumps, and a couple hoses it has given me no problem. My wifes car has had to have all of this and more and it hasnt even made it to 140,000. If it dies on me tomorrow, it has been the best truck i've owned.

[Gini Jones]

I drive a 1990 Toyota Camry LE which I bought new. I now have 335,000 miles on it and it runs great. I have not had any major problems with it. My kids bug me to get a new car, but it is still in excellent body/interior condition so why get rid of it? My husband changes the oil every 3K miles. We live in the Bay Area in California and for many years it was my commute car. I retired last April so now it is local <10 miles per trip car.

[C P]

93 F150 Best selling vehicle in the universe....EVER !!!! Lets see, hmmmm replaced radiator twice, brakes 29 times ,water pump twice, alternator 3 times, wheel bearings rear once, front twice,4th clutch, Still has org master brake cyl, clutch master cyl, rear end, power steering, a/c.....It has the 4.9 inline 6. the perfect motor. fuel pumps one time each, fuel pressure regulator. I do all my own mat. and the only time i had to bring it into ford was in 01 to diagnose the pressure reg, ( which was a recall). I drive it back and forth to alaska evey year ( 11 times )and still gets 18 mpg going 70 mph.

Oh the milelage???? 355,548

[Mark Lohr]

I have a '97 Ford Escort 4-Door Sport that now has over 250,000 miles on it. It still looks good as well, with very little rusting... The best thing, however, is that I'm still getting OVER 35 miles to the gallon (at least, during the summer months). Try to name any other car out there (that isn't some sort of Hybrid) that gets that kind of mileage (and also isn't a compact)...

[Phil Ziegler]

Taking care of your vehicle is the key. I have had many cars that have passed 100,000 without any major repairs or replacement parts. My list is, all with orgional motors, 1975 coupe de ville, 504,000 miles, 1972 International P/U 214,000 mi. ,1990 chevy caviler 112,000 with org. exh. on the east coast! 2004 chevy trailblazer, my current vehicle, 112,000 and still going! And my 1999 f250 work truck just passed 270,000! Just have to treat them well!

[TigerMann]

I have had 2 Toyotas go over 200,000 miles. The first was my 1990 Camry DX 5-speed which had 243,000 miles on it when I gave it to my son and it is still going strong and being driven daily. It required only oil changes, tires, regular belts and gas until 187,000 miles when it needed a new clutch, then another at 222,000 miles. Those original clutches must be much better than replacements even through the Toyota dealer.

The second one car of mine is my 1997 Avalon XLS. It currently has 234,000 miles on it and has only required oil, tires, regular belts, gas until 215,000 miles when it needed a new rack and pinion. Both cars have been everyday performers and continue to do so today. I will never be without a Toyota of some kind with this history of reliability.

[Walter Perry]

I currently have two cars with over 200,000 miles on them. The first is a 1997 Plymouth Grand Voyager thats has 202000 miles on it, I bought this off the 2nd owner, the only thing been replace except for normal maintence was a transmisson at 137000 by the 2nd owner, and the oil pump I replaced. The van runs great and drive better then most new ones. The 2nd car is a 1991 Jeep Cherokee which I bought 3 years back and currently has 250000 miles on it and is still running fine. My wife and I have done a lot of trips in it, we even took it on our honeymoon in Sept. 07, only thing I had to do to it was replace the rear end at 220,000 miles and this was because the guy I had to replace the rear bearing did not put the bearing in right, but other then that I've had no problem. I really enjoys this rides and hoping to get many more miles out of them.
From Walter and Alishia SC

[AJ]

2001 Ford Ranger 521,000 Original Engine and radiator used syntec oil since brand new run smooth no leak or burning oil

[Verdun]

I have a 1984 Toyota Supra 5 speed. The car has original everything on it. Current replacements include water pump, fan clutch, transmission clutch and alternator. I regularly drive this car to work and out of town (Supra eent in vegas. The body is in near showroom condition, and I alwasy get inquiries about selling it. The car has 230K on the engine trans and third member

[Verdun]

I have a 1999 Mitsubishi Diamante with 198K on engine and trans. Only replacements has been water pump, timing belt and front struts. The car still runs like new. I change oil in it every 3-4K miles using a 10 - 30 oil. The interior is in new condition, body and paint the same. Oh did I mention, these things are fast,, real fast.

[matt sturgill]

I have a 1997 light duty F250 with 365,000 miles. All orignal engine tranmsission transfer case everything. Runs like a top and gets 16 mpg on country roads, not bad for a 3/4 ton truck with a 5.4 liter V8.

[Leroy]

I drive a 1995 Nissan pickup with over 200,000 miles on it. Not really sure of the exact miles because when I bought it from my sister 6 years ago, the odometer and speedometer started to not work every once in a while. Sometimes while I'm driving the speedometer drops to zero and the odometer stops turning, but then after a few minutes, or longer, it comes back up. The current reading says 197,600. So I am guessing that over the past five years it has to be over 200,000 by now. I've replaced the clutch twice, alternator, and a couple of other minor repairs. The only trouble I have on a regular basis, seems to be the starter. I have replaced it four times in the last six years. Other than some body work and a paint job it needs, it runs great. After seeing so many other car owners talking about their "high miles" cars, I think I will continue to hold onto mine and do some cosmetic work and see how far I can go.

[Jose R. Rivera]

My 1983 Toyota SR-5 Pick up truck has been all over the estern ans southern USA, Three years in Europe (Fermany, France, Spain, Louxembough, Netherlands) And even a year in Korea. Has close to 300,000mi and no major engine work, no transmission engine at all. Still a daily driver, over 60 mi a day. Of all my 4 cars (two of them 2003 GM products under 60,000 mi each)This Toyota is the most reliable, the only one I can really count on to go when I need it to go.

[royalfuzziness]

One car you won't see with high milage is the Dodge Caravan, that's because they most of there time in the shop being repaired.

[Alan Preen]

We have a 91 Caprice with 370000 plus on the clock. It has been in the family from new and is on the original engine and transmission. It had a top end job at 190000 but apart from that just routine maintenance. No big ticket items. Just water pumps, rotors, tyres and assorted other small stuff. I change the oil at about 2500 miles. Trans fluid and serp. belt every year regardless of distance covered. The top end work was not vital but I deemed it a good idea. Most of this mileage has been highway covered. The car still does between 19/24 mpg.