QOTD: High Mileage?
238,900 miles. That’s the distance between here and the lunar satellite that controls our tides and has an American flag stuck in its side. It’s also a number that’s rapidly spinning up on the odometer of your author’s paid-off 2012 Dodge Charger.
Today’s QOTD is simple: what’s the highest mileage you’ve ever accumulated on a vehicle?
It doesn’t have to be all your own mileage, either. We’ll allow vehicles you wantonly bought with 200k+ already on the clock as well.
Murilee has shown of plenty of high mileage vehicles in his junkyard series, from this recent Volvo DL with nearly 400k to a late-80s 190E with a stunning 601,173 miles. Your author has seen plenty of 1M+ mile long-haul tractor trailers at Ritchie Bros auctions, as I’m sure most of you lot reading this today have, as well.
But we’re talking about your own fleet. Few of my own machines have stayed in my possession past 200k, with the Rust Monster — fed by the notorious Canadian East Coast salt — claiming the lives of many cars long before they can join the double-century club. A buddy in high school had a non-turbo Plymouth Laser that crested 300k, but that thing was preserved by copious amounts of cigarette smoke.
Leave your tale of high-spinning odometers in the comments below.
[Image: Murilee Martin/TTAC]
Matthew buys, sells, fixes, & races cars. As a human index of auto & auction knowledge, he is fond of making money and offering loud opinions.
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I have a few vehicles in the family that I can remember, MIL 2007 Ford Taurus 245,000 miles. Intensive maintenance Dad 2003 Honda Accord V6 288,000 miles Me 2007 Honda Accord manual 210,000 I don't think a lot of people realize that 210k miles is actually low mileage if well taken cared of.
I tend to tire of vehicles long before they become undriveable. The vehicle with the most miles that I've ever owned was a 1998 Blazer that was well used when I bought it and had 217k mile at acquisition and was sold a year and a half later with 234k. It was a secondary vehicle and it just got too tiresome to remember to drive it occasionally, and it was annoying to be the person who was asked to lend it out. I had a "friend" who asked to borrow it for a week while he figured out what he was going to do with his truck that had broken down somehow. Since, it was my second vehicle, and it was no skin off my hide to allow him to borrow it for a week, I allowed it. Called him a week later and he asked for a quick extension. This went on longer than I should have allowed, 3 months, until finally I demanded the keys back. He got salty and said it "wasn't part of the deal". In that 3 months he got a parking ticket that he didn't tell me about and beat the crap out of it. A couple months later, I traded it and my primary car on an Escape. Wasn't playing that game again. Lesson learned.
1995 Q45 215,000 miles never any issues, a mechanic friend bought it. 2003 Q45 225,000 miles it used a quart of oil every 1500 miles other than that no issues. My wife hit a rock and damaged the power steering rack and exhaust manifold. The car wasnt worth fixing. Current 2004 Nissan Titan bought new, 160,000 miles replaced one window motor and one radiator, still tight and uses no oil. 2011 BMW X5-35d 170,000 miles, no major repairs except for a delete and tune done at 160,000 miles. Currently makes 400 hp and 600 lb ft, uses no oil and has no rattles. It is the perfect vehicle for living at 6500 feet in rural Colorado.
1995 Mercedes E300 Diesel, the legendary W124. OM606 non-turbo 24v inline 6. 498K miles, totaled in a street flood in Chicago in 2007. It required only routine maintenance, fluids, shocks, and suspension bushings. Not a single warranty claim, nor a single breakdown.