I was having a tough day yesterday, but one thing made me smile: my car hit the 100,000 mile mark. I actually missed seeing the odometer turn over by 4 miles, so no cool video or picture to show you. None the less, we’ve owned the car since early 2005. It’s a 2003 Honda we purchased used with about 40,000 miles on it. And it’s nice to see it last this long.
I know this is chump change for some of you. But this is the first car that I’ve owned free and clear for some time and also seen go past the 100K mark. What’s even more exciting is that I don’t really feel like the car is old or that it will need much in repair anytime soon. In fact, I just spoke with my brother-in-law (mechanic) and he said he sees this model in his shop all the time with 200k (even 300K) miles on it.
Here’s something really impressive. A man in Wisconsin was able to get his 1989 Saab to over 1 million miles:
“Gilbert bought the Saab for $29,000. It was his treat after a divorce, and he took meticulous care of it. He used premium, synthetic oil in oil changes, changed the tires every 45,000 miles and strictly followed the maintenance schedule.”
Just think about how much money this has saved Gilbert. No car payment for at least 15 years. I’ve kept decent care of our Honda, with timely oil changes and maintenance. One thing I could do a better job of is rotating the tires and keeping them properly inflated. Here’s ten tips from MSN to make your car last longer:
- Regularly Change the Air Filter
- Maintain Proper Coolant Levels
- Keep Tires Inflated Properly
- Pay Attention to Dashboard Warning Lights
- Find a Reliable, Regular Mechanic (easier said than done, right?)
- Look for Warning Signs
- Set a Maintenance Schedule
- Be a Good Driver
- Keep it Clean Inside and Out
- Keep it Covered Up
I’ll add one: make sure you maintain affordable auto insurance and an adequately funded emergency fund. Having a good policy and cash on hand to handle your deductible will allow you to take care of your car properly when something goes wrong.
How many miles do you have on your vehicle(s)? Did you do anything special when you hit 100K?
photo by Danilo Prates
About Philip Taylor
