What is high mileage for a petrol + diesel when buying a car

What is high mileage for a petrol + diesel when buying a car

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Discussion

Gixer

4,463 posts

247 months

Sunday 16th June 2013
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sixty said:
I've had many people tell me not touch Petrol engines over 100k.

Where as diesels can have an urban myth like industrial solidness "oh it will easily get to 300k if serviced well" LOL

In your experience what is high mileage for a petrol and a diesel car when buying second hand? - Particularly from a risk/increased change of problems point of view.
My daily is a 2l petrol and clocked past 318k miles on Friday with no issues whatsoever - just regular servicing as per the manufacturer guidlines. Really don't see what the big deal is and why the 100k mile limit people put on engines. It's now 8 and a half years old and I'm pretty sure the mechanical side of it will be out lasting the rest of it.

Edited by Gixer on Sunday 16th June 10:21

Hasbeen

2,073 posts

220 months

Monday 17th June 2013
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We have quite a lot of Ford Falcon taxis in Oz, that have started their second million Kilometers, still on the original untouched motor.

excel monkey

4,544 posts

226 months

Monday 17th June 2013
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Hasbeen said:
We have quite a lot of Ford Falcon taxis in Oz, that have started their second million Kilometers, still on the original untouched motor.
Large N/A petrol engine + low Aussie speed limits + no winter road salt = unstressed engines and no rust.

Otispunkmeyer

12,558 posts

154 months

Monday 17th June 2013
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jbi said:
lets take the volvo 2.5 and jeep 4.0 I am currently driving. (both petrol)

At the moment both are around 100k miles and "just run in" IMO

I fully expect them to last well beyond 200k with regular oil changes.

As for modern diesels... wouldn't touch them with a barge pole. Too much emissions related crap, expensive injectors and fuel pumps and very costly when they do go wrong.
the jeep 4.0 would be joining the cockroaches as the only things to survive nuclear apocalypse.

A.J.M

7,894 posts

185 months

Monday 17th June 2013
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I would personally say any car is capable of running high miles if it has been looked after properly.

Proper servicing, using correct spec oils and good quality filter's will help the engines life, but just taking care of the car will see it last. Don't let small niggly problems grow into large expensive problems. Neglect will see a good car go bad very quickly.

Miles mean nothing on a car, it's just a figure on the dash, low doesn't mean better.

Many higher mileage car's may be a better buy as the chances are, many of the common issues like worn suspension bushes etc will have been changed so the bills could be lower.

Another point that i think helps, is good regular use. Car's don't like being sat about doing nothing, a car in constant use may be more reliable than one that sits dormant.

I'm only making these points as my mum's 10 year old clio which she's had from new, has covered 39k, and is frankly shagged. With numerous suspension parts replaced and a failed head gasket as well.

My car has covered an average of 1k a month since it was made 8 1/2 years ago and runs superbly with no smoke or oil issues. It's sitting at 108k, will be getting the autobox and diff oils changed soon, it's due new ARB bushes and new brakes all round but those are wear and tear.

As my late granpa said, "oil is cheaper than metal, look after your car and it will look after you"

fr 150 boy

176 posts

151 months

Monday 7th October 2013
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My 2005 seat leon "FR" 150 TDi has only done 101,275 miles & the only creeks it makes is after i had the windscreen replaced by a major windscreen retailer.
Other than that very happy with the ole girl.

kingsgraphic

8 posts

184 months

Sunday 2nd November 2014
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For what it's worth, I worked with a guy who was in the research dept. at Shell Oil. He said that research showed that oil 'never wears out' but what happens is it gets contaminated causing wear, especially with water if you do a lot of short stop-start trips.
Data shows that oil starts to loose it's performance after only about 3,000 miles. I always change oil, and sometimes filter, every 3,000 and I've never had a problem. The oil costs c.£20. A small price considering what the fuel cost that I burnt in 3k, and the engine stays sweet.

Ryan naden

1 posts

107 months

Friday 17th April 2015
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Just bought a Range Rover p38 manual with the bmw 2.5 diesel for 550, spent another 500 within a month, it's done 170,000, flew through the last mot and it's only done 6,000 miles since 2006, still pulls like a train and drives spot on

Weevleby

1 posts

92 months

Tuesday 19th July 2016
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My first car, a Vauhall Cavalier, was an ex-fleet car. Never had any trouble with it until the camshaft went presumably because I was too stingy to get it serviced. Next had a Ford Granada Automatic. The gearbox went because I was too stingy to get it serviced regularly.

Finally the penny dropped. Next I got a Fiat Punto Active 2003 (55,000 miles, city driven). This time I got it serviced once a year minimum, without fail. Apart from the wipers corroding, and a flat battery, I never had a squeak out of the old girl. 10 years later it still runs like a charm. The way it is now I could see it lasting another 10.

Unfortunately though, a couple of scrapes with oncoming stationary objects (my mates garden wall, & a car park tree guard) means the bodywork has fared less well.

Turkey

380 posts

183 months

Tuesday 19th July 2016
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My 2005 330Ci on 140,000 miles is running sweetly. It's not a low maintenance car overall though the E46 3 series, but not too bad. 35mpg+ on a run is good enough for me.

I imagine the engine will be strong to at least 300,000 miles, they are strong lumps.

My old MG ZS Diesel was similar, on about 120,000 when I sold it, the engine was spot on except a solenoid and very rare (on the Diesel) head gasket failure. The gasket was probably due to previous abuse, the coolant was rusty and filthy when I bought the car.

I don't think there is a simple rule for what is a high mileage for a petrol or Diesel car, with every engine and model there will be some weaknesses. With forced induction petrols and Diesels built in the last 10 years I would do my research very carefully, as the potential for engine borkage car be reasonably large.

My previous four cars before the Bimmer were Diesels, but I wouldn't want one now due to the potential for problems. Though if I was doing high miles and buying less than 5 years old, 50,000 miles, then I would consider another Diesel, but there is the extra risk of issues compared to the older generation engines - injectors, DMFs, turbos.

The trend towards high power from forced induction petrols and Diesels, economy and emissions targets, and also the cost cutting that aims to make components as cheap as possible, means that reliability is not guaranteed from any manufacturer in my opinion as a general rule - each engine needs to be considered separately.

EnglishTony

2,552 posts

98 months

Tuesday 19th July 2016
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I got 200k out of myMk 2 Golf GTI. It was shägged at 180 though.

caelite

4,273 posts

111 months

Wednesday 20th July 2016
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~10k/year is my max with service history. Much less, ~<3/year its probably sat about for long periods to generate rust. Much more ~>15k/year and the likelyhood of missed services and abuse seem to go up.

Other than that I tend to buy on condition, currently own a 160k mile 15 year old diesel, it has a patchy paperwork history but engine doesnt miss a beat and produces next to no smoke well reving so its kind of a given its been well serviced.

rainmakerraw

1,222 posts

125 months

Wednesday 20th July 2016
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Nothing like a good thread necro every now and then eh? hehe

Back when I used to do moon mileage on a shoestring - around 50k pa at times - I ran XUD engined Peugeot 405s, which were about 15 years old each at the time. A couple of them were dogs, one was NA (and slower than a slow thing in treacle) and the rest were turbo units. I always went for the Bosch injection pump models so I could run them on straight vegetable oil (£5 for 15 litres in Costco at the time), and most were on >200k when I bought them. As has been the theme of this thread it was only ever ancillaries that let them down. Usually on those it was losing 5th gear because of people driving around in the (weak) top gear at too low revs, and the clutch cable becoming incredibly heavy, with the usual French electrical problems.

I had a couple of absolute minters (low miles, FPSH) and a few high mile belters. My last one before I switched to bigger more modern metal was a M reg estate. It had 230k when I bought it and I sold it the year after for £300 with 275k on the clock to two Russian lads, a father and son called Ivan and Ivan. No, really! I'd just given it a service and changed the glow plugs, and last I heard via an eBay private message they'd taken it to the motherland and back and it was still running perfectly and firing on the first turn of the key at >300k.

I only drive petrols these days because they're more fun, cheaper and less complicated than diesels; though this is changing to a degree with DMFs, GPFs, high pressure direct injection and so on. The received wisdom back when I started driving was that diesel engines last longer because the fuel is lubricating (whereas petrol is a drying solvent) and 'revs kill engines'. At the time, being young and owning many high mileage diesels I just believed it, but it seems that's not quite true....

SuperHangOn

3,486 posts

152 months

Wednesday 20th July 2016
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I am totally comfortable running a (well built) car up to lunar mileage but at the same time I wouldn't want to buy a high miler. People just don't look after their cars and you could easily end up rebuilding the bloody thing.

CubanPete

3,630 posts

187 months

Wednesday 20th July 2016
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I tend to run my cars to 160 - 170k. (usually about 12 years old) I have never had a problem with the engines or running gear, but I find they tend to get noisier, and just feel tired.

My current 2003 320d has 171k on it. It has been great (owned since 55k) doesn't burn any oil, interior is still tidy, but it just feels a bit tired and rattly. I am sure it will go on for till 250k if it is looked after reasonably, but I am now looking :S

Friend who works at Ford says they design around 150K and 10 years without major failure. This sounds about right in my experience (though recently I have had BMWs and VWs, next one stands a chance of being a ford)

jaye1971

1 posts

89 months

Friday 7th October 2016
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peugeot 406 2.0 hdi got 209.thou on clock 5 owners from new almost full service history wat sort of miles are left in this old girl 02 plate drive like she got half the milage on her

GentlemanStroller

3 posts

74 months

Wednesday 31st January 2018
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This thread is probably dead now but hey.
I've got a 99 Golf Gti Turbo with 267,000 on the clock. Original Turbo, clutch, DV and exhaust down pipe.
Fresh oil every 5k and none of this long life rubbish..
Last MoT cost £90 and £35 of that was the test fee.

Bargain motoring..