I'm considering a petrol car with 133k on the clock, FSH and two owners ..

Car looks well cared for, but it's past the dreaded 100k ..

I'm pretty sure the car will just keep going, but I wanted to see how the opinions have changed here.

Thoughts ?

 

It would depend upon the motor, anything over about 80k on a small petrol engine I would be wary - especially as you see them rattle along the motorway at 90mph + so the stresses on the engine won't be good - but for a larger engine or a diesel I wouldn't be concerned until well after 150k as long as I knew it had been looked after. I was still tweaking my old V6 vauxhall well after 100k and it was sweet as a nut and smoke free

 

Over 950 k

 

this is a 2.2l Vauxhall

 

I wouldn't be worried until it started smoking or using oil

 

My worry is that happens a week after I buy it

 

I think a well serviced and cared for motor with FSH can roll on in to the +100K mileage with ease.SJ.

 

I suppose it all depends on what it is and how much it's going for. I'd be more worried about things like brakes and shocks and other consumables that would be going on a car that's covered that many miles. If all of this stuff has been done and the FSH shows it then I'd give it a punt for the right price.

It may smoke after a week, but I've had a car with 18k on the clock throw a cambelt 9-months after it was changed due to a failed guide

Sometimes you're lucky, other times you're not

 

Fair point ..

I guess it's a case of luck then .. cheers for the comments.

 

i have two diesels, a 2.5 Audi A4 and a 4.2 Landcruiser

the Audi has done 160k and the Landcruiser 199k

both use no oil and do not smoke either -- I do change the oil and filters twice a year regardless of mileage (the LC takes 10ltrs of oil)

I mostly drive the Audi, and i can't fault it, still feels taught and smooth

High mileage would not bother me if the car has been looked after

 

..........how much is it? is it like a Timex watch......if something goes wrong you will scrap it?

Shaun

 

It's not the 1970's any more. Any modern engine that has had reasonable servicing should be good for 250k with ease. Yes, there are always exceptions, and some types of motor have specific problems that become apparent at certain mileages, but a little reasearch and a check of previous work done will show if any known faults will have been dealt with.....K-series head gasket.....Vaux DTI injection pumps etc....but aftermarket parts are available to easily and cheaply fix these problems.

 

I'd be more worried if it had very low mileage.
If a car that looks good for its age had a high mileage, it would suggest to me that its been a reliable car.

Here's a scenario. Two identical cars of the same age. Which one would you rather buy;
A: A car owned by a pensioner that's only been used once a week to go a half mile down the road to collect the groceries. Low mileage, yes. However the engine would be far more worn as its not had a chance to get up to working temperature.

B: Or a car that's been used regularly every day.

 

about 2k, so ideally not .. not a great amount to spend, but enough to get a decent motorway car I hope.

2003 VAUXHALL SIGNUM ELITE DIRECT ESTATE

 

I have bought both over the years and have had problems with both, i currently run the former, a Rover 25 two owners, first one was mobility and did 8,000 in 3yrs second was bloke in his 60's and racked up the grand total of 32,000 in 7yrs, i have pushed that up to 89,000 and counting in 3yrs relatively trouble free, (touch wood) and it get's more than an occasional good spanish tune up out here on the camera free croation country roads.

I also have a T4 transporter thats about to hit 250,000km had to recon the starter and fit a new battery last week, £150 so not too bad after 3yrs ownership.

I'll not tell you about the £9k+ that i have thrown at my STI Type r.

Luck of the draw is my opinion, i buy on condition and price.

 

it could go bang the day after you buy it, but you will only know how good it actually is once you have it to drive.

New cars can go wrong with double digit numbers let alone 1000's so it is all about luck as you can never see what the sealed unit is doing.

A 2.2l petrol shoul dbe fine providing it hasn't been doing 100mph motorway runs through its life, if it sat at 70 or 80 then the engine stress will be well within its capabilities - if you had said 1 litre then I would have said run for the hills ;-)

Good luck!!

 

Was built for mile munching up and down the motorway...
My vivaro van is on about 258k and still looks new when clean

 

My Supra (that I had since new) had done 125K when I sold it. No problems and still very smooth and powerful. On the other hand, I didn't thrash it so it really does depend on the history and it is difficult to find that out.

 

Exactly, if its done 150k and been looked after I wouldnt be worried in the slightest. Probably wouldnt touch it if it had no history though.

 

It's very simple - I have a chart

The car is a Ford or Vauxhall - high mileage is about 150K
The car is Japanese (excluding Subaru) - high mileage is 200K
The car is German - high mileage is 150K
The car is Korean - high mileage is 120K and rising
The car is French - high mileage is 80K (the engine may still be running but everything else will have fallen off)
The car is Italian - high mileage is 60K
The car is a Subaru (excluding the hatch) - high mileage is 120K unless it has been modded in which case it's lucky dip time)
The car is a Subaru hatch STI - high mileage is about 5K

HTH

 

surely you gauge the 2.5 engine on head gaskets rather than mileage.
i.e my 2.5 has only had one hg this year.....due another soon then as its nearly march

 

Watch for the timing chains and tensioner on the 2.2 vauxhalls, common for letting go and being rather noisy.

 

My mondeo tdci is currently running 180000 miles bought it without any history, and done around 10k miles on my ownership. Oil service has been done once, since I own it.. will you call this a well look after car?

 

+1

worth Googling more about the timing chains on this engine

 

my mondeo 2.2 st is currently on just over 204k. ex cop car (motorway) so had a hard life but svs history shows 121 jobs. Recently changed the fuel pump and injectors year before (were originals). Doesn't use oil, starts first turn of the key etc and is relatively quiet (for a diesel )

To add I do at least 500 miles per week in it

 

I used to have a BMW 7 series a good many years ago. It had always been well looked after and when I had it there was 270K miles on the clock. It was driving as well as a new one and the engine performance was fully up to new specification. Did not use any oil either. Even the bodywork was pretty good if not absolutely perfect.

Les

 

I'd say it had an easy life!

 

I think its important to go through the service history- many people seem to think they can say there car has a full service history as they get kwik fit etc to change the oil once a year or less! Then you actually find that its not had fresh coolant, brake fluid, fuel filters etc for far too many years.

Ive also seen many BMW that havent had an oil change for over 2 years because the owners havent seen the lights flash up yet. I wouldnt touch a car that hadnt had fresh oil AT LEAST once a year as regardless if youve only done a coulple thousand miles, oil degrades and wont be lubricating/protecting the engine as well.

 

I think ts a combination of age AND mileage AND owner/driver(s). I think up to 5 to six years old 100K+ is fine...unless its French. The less owners helps too.

So a 10 year old car on 100K+ isn't going to be brilliant, unless it comes with a huge pile of reciepts for replacment parts, like ball joints, springs, bushing, bearings, clutch, < breaths > exhaust, timing belts, coolant changes, brake fluid changes, spark plugs, track rod ends etc.

Having said that: My cousin's mk4 Fiesta 1.25 has done 145,000 miles. It does however use a litre of oil every month though and has a huge pile of receipts for various bits that have broke along the way Still pretty good going IMHO. As I've driven many Fiestas (and Fords KAs) with barely 40K on the clock that are in a worse condition mainly becuase they are driven by women/poor drivers who aim at potholes, bounce them off curbs and can't use clutches or brakes properly.

So to sum up...it really depends on the driver: One of our longest serving customers bought a fleet of Fiat Scudos and Doblos (bad idea). Some of their drivers have managed barely 80,000 before they are scrapped due to being beyond economical repair, however a couple of the Scudos that are the same age are now over the 200,000 mile mark, which for a Fiat is astonishing. Don't get me wrong they are still falling to bits, but the only reason why they lasted alot longer is purely becuase of the way the driver treats it.

 

Sounds to me like the guys that were driving the 80,000 milers were the smart ones.