Who has regretted buying a high mileage car?
Discussion
I'm going to have to buy a boring car for a 100 mile A-road daily commute in a few months, and will go for something very cheap and forgettable.
IT would probably end up having lots of miles.
I've seen threads asking about high mileage cars with lots of posts about intergalactic steeds with laudable reliability. I'm wondering if those threads are self selecting, and the people who have bought a lemon are just keeping quiet.
So, in the interests of balance- share your high mileage purchases that have cost a fortune in repairs, or finished their days in the scrap yard within the year!
IT would probably end up having lots of miles.
I've seen threads asking about high mileage cars with lots of posts about intergalactic steeds with laudable reliability. I'm wondering if those threads are self selecting, and the people who have bought a lemon are just keeping quiet.
So, in the interests of balance- share your high mileage purchases that have cost a fortune in repairs, or finished their days in the scrap yard within the year!
I've bought two cars with, what some would class as, high mileage. Both of these have been e46 BMWs.
The first was a 323 with 110k on the clock. I had this until it ticked over 128k and was written off. In that time the only repairs needed was the front suspension bushes, 4x tyres, thermostat and a sticking brake caliper piston.
The second, and current, car is a facelift 330. I bought this with 90k on the clock, and have covered 5k miles. It has cost me nothing except a belt tensioner, and due to doing that job I changed two belts at the same time. Total cost was about £60.
Edit to add- neither car I have regretted buying.
The first was a 323 with 110k on the clock. I had this until it ticked over 128k and was written off. In that time the only repairs needed was the front suspension bushes, 4x tyres, thermostat and a sticking brake caliper piston.
The second, and current, car is a facelift 330. I bought this with 90k on the clock, and have covered 5k miles. It has cost me nothing except a belt tensioner, and due to doing that job I changed two belts at the same time. Total cost was about £60.
Edit to add- neither car I have regretted buying.
Edited by STW2010 on Monday 18th February 20:20
I bought an old 8v calibra with 130k miles as daily snotter. 500 miles later (of admittedly less than sympathetic driving) the conrod made a break for freedom through the side of the block leaving a hole in the block and a hole in my wallet.
Actually come to think of it, I got a scrapyard engine fitted by a mate for £200 and sold it on for what I paid and funnily enough, I realise now that I don't regret it at all. Made a good pub story
Actually come to think of it, I got a scrapyard engine fitted by a mate for £200 and sold it on for what I paid and funnily enough, I realise now that I don't regret it at all. Made a good pub story
In my experience ( 20+ cars over 20 Years ) the ones I've had with up to about 130k on the clock have been reliable.
However the worst car I have ever owned was the supposedly uber-reliable 8v Mk2 Golf GTi which I bought with 156k on the clock supported by a huge history file - it was utterly rubbish and broke down more times in the 6 months or so I had it than all the other cars Ive owned put together.
I also had a 150k Audi which I bought cheap and ended up selling for spares or repairs as it was too expensive to fix for the MOT.
If its got to be cheap to buy I would stay away from post 2000 larger engined diesels though as a DMF/Diesel Pump/Injectors failure will be more than the car is worth.
However the worst car I have ever owned was the supposedly uber-reliable 8v Mk2 Golf GTi which I bought with 156k on the clock supported by a huge history file - it was utterly rubbish and broke down more times in the 6 months or so I had it than all the other cars Ive owned put together.
I also had a 150k Audi which I bought cheap and ended up selling for spares or repairs as it was too expensive to fix for the MOT.
If its got to be cheap to buy I would stay away from post 2000 larger engined diesels though as a DMF/Diesel Pump/Injectors failure will be more than the car is worth.
caprirob said:
If its got to be cheap to buy I would stay away from post 2000 larger engined diesels though as a DMF/Diesel Pump/Injectors failure will be more than the car is worth.
+1 I would happily buy a simple petrol with high mileage but would shy away from a modern diesel unless very cheap.Bought a Rover 25 with 98k on it, put 7k on and the clutch went. It cost a bit to fix and was off the road for a few weeks with Christmas, but was good as new once sorted. I sold it as I'd bought another car, couldnt be without transport over the holidays. If I could have had it done quicker I'd have kept it - I'm quite into buy cheap buy twice and would feel a bit bad about taking a new'ish car and putting 20k on it just commuting. And I couldnt afford a new car or the lease on a 20k a year car without a car allowance really
ked, and felt weird over 90 yumyums, got rid after 6 weeks, slower wasn't bad.Bought a 520i E34 BMW with 155k on the clock.
7k miles later the water pump failed in spectacular fashion (bearing collapsed)on the way home from Bracknell, necessitating the only flat bed recovery I'd had in the past 20 years.
Next day down to the local GSF branch, replaced pump and belt 2 hours later.
Car ran sweet as a nut up till 177k when I px'ed it for a Peugeot 405 Diesel, a hateful car, but that's another story.
7k miles later the water pump failed in spectacular fashion (bearing collapsed)on the way home from Bracknell, necessitating the only flat bed recovery I'd had in the past 20 years.
Next day down to the local GSF branch, replaced pump and belt 2 hours later.
Car ran sweet as a nut up till 177k when I px'ed it for a Peugeot 405 Diesel, a hateful car, but that's another story.
I bought a 1997 Daimler V8 (basically a top-end Jaguar XJ) with 156K on the clock. Lovely owner, stacks of documentation, full service history etc. It drove fine. Any sane person would have walked, since the world of 90s Jaguar sheds is not for the faint-hearted. But me being me, the deal was done.
Within the first year alone it needed the following (I still have the invoices):
The thing is, I loved the car so much that I got all that lot done and more, and kept it until 196K when I traded it in. It never actually left me stranded. I never regretted it for a moment.
Within the first year alone it needed the following (I still have the invoices):
- 4 new tyres.
- New discs and pads all round, since the old ones were dangerously low.
- Engine had significant internal wear and this was contributing to occasional starting difficulty (caused by low compression) and high oil consumption. Reconditioned steel-lined engine fitted.
- Power steering pump failed. Reconditioned pump fitted.
- Wiper motor failed. New motor fitted.
- CD player stuck. New CD player fitted.
- Driver's door strap broken. New strap welded in.
- Suspension was completely knackered. New shocks, wishbones and bushes all round.
- Rear bumper fell off due to corroded brackets. Reconditioned bumper fitted.
- Handbrake switch broken. New switch fitted.
- ABS pump failed. Reconditioned pump fitted.
- Extensive corrosion in wheel arches, floorpan and boot (under battery) leading to MOT failure. All trim removed, old metal cut out and new panels put in.
- Part of rear exhaust fell off. New cat-back exhaust system installed.
- Carpet was rotten from previous water ingress. New carpet installed.
- Aerial stopped working. New aerial installed.
- Various bulbs, wiper blades, bits of trim etc.
The thing is, I loved the car so much that I got all that lot done and more, and kept it until 196K when I traded it in. It never actually left me stranded. I never regretted it for a moment.
habanero said:
I bought a ten year old 996 Turbo with just 63k on the clock. It was the age that got me not the mileage. Poxy thing cost me £11k in two years!
Probably just bad luck more than anything. I bought an MR2 Turbo that was 17 years old and it dodn't cost me a penny over an admittedly shorter running span. But I never once thought "this is old, and therefore, past it and knackered or liable to break because of it's age". I expect Porsche can at least equal Toyota in the 'quality build' feel.Oh wait, you're talking about a 996, maybe not!
Suspension components and such do wear, so if your buying a high mileage car without having had those replaced, don't expect an 'as new' product.
There is nothing at all wrong with buying high mileage, but I dislike when people gloat that they got a car for a fraction of the price of similar ones as if the mileage is arbitrary, because it's not true.
Condition takes precedence but you can't just ignore mileage even on well presented and documented cars.
There is nothing at all wrong with buying high mileage, but I dislike when people gloat that they got a car for a fraction of the price of similar ones as if the mileage is arbitrary, because it's not true.
Condition takes precedence but you can't just ignore mileage even on well presented and documented cars.
3.0 tdi audi a4. Not snotter money and an 06 plate mind. Bought at 112000miles, screwed the clutch within 100miles.
Other than that and a set of tyres and servicing its now on 137000miles and not had it 9months yet. No regret at all. Clutch was painful but could have been worse and if it does another 100k then all good.
Other than that and a set of tyres and servicing its now on 137000miles and not had it 9months yet. No regret at all. Clutch was painful but could have been worse and if it does another 100k then all good.
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