3 Mechanics Reveal the Cars They’ve Seen With the Highest Mileage
Written by
Josephine Nesbit
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Jenna Klaverweiden
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Cars from brands known for their reliability should last about 200,000 miles with regular maintenance, according to Consumer Reports. But some can last far longer than that.
“There are plenty of vehicles that can get on up there, but there will be some speed bumps, like needing an engine or transmission replacement,” Chris Pyle, auto expert with JustAnswer, wrote in an email.
To get a clearer picture of which vehicles truly go the distance, these mechanics and car experts were asked to share the cars they’ve seen rack up the highest mileage.
Mercedes-Benz GLK350 SUV
“The Mercedes-Benz GLK350 SUV, which I have personally worked on, stands as one of the most remarkable high-mileage vehicles I have encountered,” explained Alan Gelfand, owner at German Car Depot in Hollywood, Florida.
According to Gelfand, this vehicle had 353,000 miles on the odometer. The owner of the SUV performed regular maintenance and addressed any problems quickly, and the car continued to run without any issues. Gelfand has been maintaining this car for over 10 years now.
Ford Trucks
“I mainly work on Ford vehicles. The highest mileage ones I see are the ones worked and driven hard,” Pyle wrote. That includes the Ford F-150 and the Ford Super Duty, which he has personally seen reach impressively highest mileage. “I own a 2000 Ford F350 with 220K on it and plan to tow a boat from TN to FL in 2 weeks,” he added.
According to Pyle, 100,000 used to be the mark for high mileage, but improvements in oil, filters and engines nearly doubled the expectations on some vehicles.
“Now, 175K is considered to be high mileage, but not the end. It just means you need to expect some repairs to be pricey. However, there are plenty still going strong beyond that,” Pyle wrote.
Toyota Tacoma
Pyle’s Ford wasn’t the highest mileage he’s ever seen. “The highest-mile vehicle I have ever driven, while doing some repairs on it, was a Toyota Tacoma,” he claimed. “It had 710K on the odometer and was still running decent.”
However, it had some work done to it, and Pyle didn’t know how much of the vehicle was original. It was a manual, and he noted that the transmission was likely from the original manufacturer, but with a few clutches replaced.
“Ironically, I was working on it for the customer’s complaint of the engine being weak,” he wrote. “It needed new spark plugs. A cheap fix.”
Honda Cars
Eugene Frost, mechanic at Tinker DIY, an app that provides one-on-one expert help for auto DIYers, has seen a 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid with 298,000 miles and a 2001 Honda Odyssey with 221,000 miles. He has also owned numerous vehicles with high mileage and worked on many high-mileage vehicles as well.
“As a vehicle ages and racks up miles, repairs naturally become more challenging. Parts wear out, bolts seize and access can get tougher,” Frost explained. “That doesn’t mean you can’t keep your vehicle reliable, it just means you need to plan ahead and be proactive.”
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