Anyone with a 200k+ miles petrol car
Discussion
A few years ago, I ran a 1.8 Petrol Ford Focus.
Lots of motorway commuting all over the country.
I bought it at three years old with 32k on the clock.
It was serviced properly and never missed any maintenance.
It only broke down once, because the positive cable to the starter motor was really close to the engine block, and the vibration over time had worn the insulation away and it shorted and blew the fuse when you tried to start it.
I had the clutch replaced at 205k, and the guy who replaced it effectively told me that you could take 100k off the mileage and no one would have a clue.
Engine and mechanics were absolutely spot on in his view.
I moved it on because of body rot underneath the scuttle panel beneath the windscreen and it leaked into the passenger footwell when it rained, and it just wasn’t worth getting it sorted.
It had 226k on the clock when I moved it on.
I sold it for a couple of hundred beer tokens to the husband of one of Wifey’s pals who was a long distance HGV driver and wanted a car to drive to the depot and then it stated there whilst he was away for a week driving.
He ran it for two years until it failed an MOT needing complete overhaul of brake pipes... and it wasn’t worth doing.
It was head and shoulders the most reliable car Inhave ever owned.
Lots of motorway commuting all over the country.
I bought it at three years old with 32k on the clock.
It was serviced properly and never missed any maintenance.
It only broke down once, because the positive cable to the starter motor was really close to the engine block, and the vibration over time had worn the insulation away and it shorted and blew the fuse when you tried to start it.
I had the clutch replaced at 205k, and the guy who replaced it effectively told me that you could take 100k off the mileage and no one would have a clue.
Engine and mechanics were absolutely spot on in his view.
I moved it on because of body rot underneath the scuttle panel beneath the windscreen and it leaked into the passenger footwell when it rained, and it just wasn’t worth getting it sorted.
It had 226k on the clock when I moved it on.
I sold it for a couple of hundred beer tokens to the husband of one of Wifey’s pals who was a long distance HGV driver and wanted a car to drive to the depot and then it stated there whilst he was away for a week driving.
He ran it for two years until it failed an MOT needing complete overhaul of brake pipes... and it wasn’t worth doing.
It was head and shoulders the most reliable car Inhave ever owned.
Bought my 2004 Renaultsport Clio 182 back in 2012 for the princely sum of £2400
Since then in terms of let downs, it popped a tyre on the motorway in the winter of 2018 and that has been the only time I've had to have it dragged home. Few injector issues occasionally, an earthing issue recently and now I have a steering angle sensor fault.
However everything works as it should, Cruise, Climate (A/C still icy cold) auto lights etc etc. Car is a hoot to drive still and still no plans to get rid.
Engine is original, headgasket, bearings, etc all original, never been opened. Gearbox is the same all original, whines in first and has since the day I got it, never got any worse.
I do a couple of trackdays a year in it and around 12k every year, car remains my daily as it has since I bought it.
General maintenance is kept up, replace the oil and filter once every 6 months or 6k miles and doesn't use any between services, never had to top it up even on a trackday interval. It's about due it's second cambelt service under my ownership on mileage, not age.
So the currently total, just a hair over 220k miles
Since then in terms of let downs, it popped a tyre on the motorway in the winter of 2018 and that has been the only time I've had to have it dragged home. Few injector issues occasionally, an earthing issue recently and now I have a steering angle sensor fault.
However everything works as it should, Cruise, Climate (A/C still icy cold) auto lights etc etc. Car is a hoot to drive still and still no plans to get rid.
Engine is original, headgasket, bearings, etc all original, never been opened. Gearbox is the same all original, whines in first and has since the day I got it, never got any worse.
I do a couple of trackdays a year in it and around 12k every year, car remains my daily as it has since I bought it.
General maintenance is kept up, replace the oil and filter once every 6 months or 6k miles and doesn't use any between services, never had to top it up even on a trackday interval. It's about due it's second cambelt service under my ownership on mileage, not age.
So the currently total, just a hair over 220k miles
I’ve got an 07 plate e91 318d which is fast approaching 274000 miles, it’s the m47 engine which is in it and I fully expect it to reach 300k without too much hassle. I recently (around 10k ago) changed the clutch and flywheel and it was the originals that I took out! Regular servicing is definitely key - I previously had an n47 engined car which died at about 120k, or less than 10k after I bought, due to lack of maintenance before I got it, BMW report after it died reckoned it’s hadn’t had an oil filter in at least 50-60k - learned an expensive lesson with that and a) will never take a dealers word on servicing again and b) service my car (myself) every 7-10k without fail ! This is an old 
Edited by TonyTucker on Saturday 7th November 20:12
I’ve got an 07 plate e91 318d which is fast approaching 274000 miles, it’s the m47 engine which is in it and I fully expect it to reach 300k without too much hassle. I recently (around 10k ago) changed the clutch and flywheel and it was the originals that I took out! Regular servicing is definitely key - I previously had an n47 engined car which died at about 120k, or less than 10k after I bought, due to lack of maintenance before I got it, BMW report after it died reckoned it’s hadn’t had an oil filter in at least 50-60k - learned an expensive lesson with that and a) will never take a dealers word on servicing again and b) service my car (myself) every 7-10k without fail ! This is an old picture, but the most recent mileage photo I have as proof!
Edited by TonyTucker on Saturday 7th November 20:13
Sold my two previous 2.5l V6 mondeos, both at around 230,000 miles to mates who ran them for a few more years. The R reg V6 saw the speed limiter the day before it was sold (it was the only V6 model to ever have some sort of speed limiter at 143mph).
Dad's 3.0l V6 Mondeo ST220 is on around 250,000.
A-reg Mk3 Escort owned since new on 240,000 ish
My current V6 mondeo 2.5l is on around 160,000
As long as you maintain them and keep them well lubed and cooled, we like to run petrol cars up to good mileage.
RW
Dad's 3.0l V6 Mondeo ST220 is on around 250,000.
A-reg Mk3 Escort owned since new on 240,000 ish
My current V6 mondeo 2.5l is on around 160,000
As long as you maintain them and keep them well lubed and cooled, we like to run petrol cars up to good mileage.
RW
TonyTucker said:
I’ve got an 07 plate e91 318d which is fast approaching 274000 miles, it’s the m47 engine which is in it and I fully expect it to reach 300k without too much hassle. I recently (around 10k ago) changed the clutch and flywheel and it was the originals that I took out! Regular servicing is definitely key - I previously had an n47 engined car which died at about 120k, or less than 10k after I bought, due to lack of maintenance before I got it, BMW report after it died reckoned it’s hadn’t had an oil filter in at least 50-60k - learned an expensive lesson with that and a) will never take a dealers word on servicing again and b) service my car (myself) every 7-10k without fail ! This is an old picture, but the most recent mileage photo I have as proof!
Good work! Edited by TonyTucker on Saturday 7th November 20:13
And yes the only way you can get an N47 up to those mileages, your doing the correct thing with the oil intervals, they are just a little more sensitive to the longer intervals the N47 but fundamentally good units I think.but, this thread is for high mileage petrols not diesels
Our previous 2003 Volvo S80 2.4 SE petrol was sold on at 204k miles a couple of years back. Checked its last MOT on account of this thread and its done another 20k! Never had any engine work though felt its power wasn't quite up there in later years but might have been more used to quicker cars.
Its predecessor was a 960 3.0 24v which did 225k too before it had gearbox issues and was traded for parts. That had cam belt failure early on but was repaired at great expense but thats nothing to do with the engine per se and pulled like a train till the end.
Reading through the thread it seems to be Volvos, Saabs, BMWs and Fords that have the most longevity!
Its predecessor was a 960 3.0 24v which did 225k too before it had gearbox issues and was traded for parts. That had cam belt failure early on but was repaired at great expense but thats nothing to do with the engine per se and pulled like a train till the end.
Reading through the thread it seems to be Volvos, Saabs, BMWs and Fords that have the most longevity!
V6todayEVmanana said:
Having a chat with a mechanic and he mentioned that if my petrol engine made it to 200K miles that would be exceptional and I am very lucky.
He expected the big end or piston seals to fail on a petrol car by then.
Must be a Bmw-mechanic..? He expected the big end or piston seals to fail on a petrol car by then.
My 1985 Fiat Argenta 120ie.
326000km’s and counting. (+200k miles)
Edited by Pereldh on Saturday 7th November 23:18
Pereldh said:
V6todayEVmanana said:
Having a chat with a mechanic and he mentioned that if my petrol engine made it to 200K miles that would be exceptional and I am very lucky.
He expected the big end or piston seals to fail on a petrol car by then.
Must be a Bmw-mechanic..? He expected the big end or piston seals to fail on a petrol car by then.
Edited by Pereldh on Saturday 7th November 23:18
Cant say I was ever worried that the engine would crap out either.
My LS430 has pretty high mileage, the odometer light has died (only thing that doesn't work) pretty sure it's well north of 200k possibly 300k. (I put around 500 miles a week on my cayenne and used the Lexus a lot more) Only things that seem to fail every 4 years or so are lambda sensors.
200K miles is nothing these days. I had an 85 BMW 745i (3.5l with a turbo) with over 300k when i sold it, Several Mercedes Benz V8's from the 80's and 90's (M117 and M119 engines) with 200-300k and a couple of American pickup trucks. Old Volvo's (240's etc) with the cast iron 4 cylinder engine should have no problem either.
I bought a low mileage ten year old mondeo, about 70k I think, 1.8 petrol mondeo, it got to about 90k miles before failing emissions test. Strip down revealed burnt out valves as the cause, fitted replacements and then did about 10k in it and bought a 2.5 v6 mondeo.
This v6 had about 60k on it (ten years old at the time) put 20k on it and the catalyst in the manifold has broken up, no longer available part so am searching ebay regularly, but will probably give up soon and scrap it.
Makes me wonder if low milage cars are best avoided....
This v6 had about 60k on it (ten years old at the time) put 20k on it and the catalyst in the manifold has broken up, no longer available part so am searching ebay regularly, but will probably give up soon and scrap it.
Makes me wonder if low milage cars are best avoided....
Love all these "high mileage" thread's, something about a good honest high miler, don't know why I am obsessed by one.
Maybe it's the survivor kid of aspect to it, and the fact you can keep a good solid car going for X amount of miles, or maybe a smugness as to the ones in the know can get some absolute bargain cars just because of the number on the odometer.
Even better if the car looks almost perfect in condition and the mileage is a real shock to someone as they would not know at all.
I often look on auto trader and others and start my search at 100k+ as default now on any car I look for.
Maybe it's the survivor kid of aspect to it, and the fact you can keep a good solid car going for X amount of miles, or maybe a smugness as to the ones in the know can get some absolute bargain cars just because of the number on the odometer.
Even better if the car looks almost perfect in condition and the mileage is a real shock to someone as they would not know at all.
I often look on auto trader and others and start my search at 100k+ as default now on any car I look for.
alabbasi said:
200K miles is nothing these days. I had an 85 BMW 745i (3.5l with a turbo) with over 300k when i sold it, Several Mercedes Benz V8's from the 80's and 90's (M117 and M119 engines) with 200-300k and a couple of American pickup trucks. Old Volvo's (240's etc) with the cast iron 4 cylinder engine should have no problem either.
Funny the old Volvo 240 comment. As a young lad, I remember my parents offloading our brown 240 DL estate. The car was a 1980 model and was 10 years old with 99000 on the clock. The reason for getting rid was that the thing was so unreliable. If only We’d known that there was another 30 years left in the thing! 😂Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff