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Vehicle History Reports: Ever look up your old cars?
Posted on 10/22/20 at 2:19 pm
Posted on 10/22/20 at 2:19 pm
I typically get rid of my vehicles after they turn about 8 years old with the understanding that they'd be more costly to keep around after that point. I figured that the average lifespan for most cars is between 10-12 years before they get sold off for parts or scrapped - and that's assuming they are not in any major accidents.
I recently looked up the VIN numbers for my old vehicles (both Chevrolets - I couldn't find info on our old Honda), and saw service entries with vastly higher mileage than when I sold them - far exceeding what I thought those vehicles could handle before being scrapped. They are now over 15 years old and appear to still be accident-free and still getting occasional maintenance.
It's caused me to rethink how long I keep my cars. My estimates that a usable lifespan for a modern car being 10-12 years appears to be a big underestimation. That's especially true if they operate most of their life south of I-40, where salted roads are not common in the winter.
If you buy your vehicles (not least), how long do you tend to keep them?
I recently looked up the VIN numbers for my old vehicles (both Chevrolets - I couldn't find info on our old Honda), and saw service entries with vastly higher mileage than when I sold them - far exceeding what I thought those vehicles could handle before being scrapped. They are now over 15 years old and appear to still be accident-free and still getting occasional maintenance.
It's caused me to rethink how long I keep my cars. My estimates that a usable lifespan for a modern car being 10-12 years appears to be a big underestimation. That's especially true if they operate most of their life south of I-40, where salted roads are not common in the winter.
If you buy your vehicles (not least), how long do you tend to keep them?
This post was edited on 10/22/20 at 2:47 pm
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Posted on 10/22/20 at 2:22 pm to dewster
The sweet spot of cheap, realizable transportation today, is anything made from the mid 90s to the mid 00s, assuming you DIY
New cars are for suckers
New cars are for suckers
Posted on 10/22/20 at 2:23 pm to dewster
quote:
I typically get rid of my vehicles after they turn about 8 years old with the understanding that they'd be more costly to keep around after that point
Your precious Toyotas don't last longer than that without becoming expensive to maintain?
Posted on 10/22/20 at 2:23 pm to dewster
We planned on keeping ours for around 8. At 8 they were fine so we kept putting money in the bank and said we would go to 10. At 10 it became a game. Due to other unrelated life circumstances we replaced both car and truck at 14 years. Both vehicles were fine and sold cheaply to friends kids.
quote:my Toyota went 14 without any repairs that were not normal maintenance (battery, brakes, shocks, etc)
Your precious Toyotas don't last longer than that without becoming expensive to maintain?
This post was edited on 10/22/20 at 2:25 pm
Posted on 10/22/20 at 2:25 pm to dewster
Probably every 5 years or so on average. I plan on keeping the current one until the wheels fall off. I'm not really a car guy.
Posted on 10/22/20 at 2:25 pm to dewster
quote:
It's caused me to rethink how long I keep my cars.
I'm hoping to keep my current car for 10 years minimum. Maybe longer, but I was on the road a lot the first two years I had it and put 40K on it.
Posted on 10/22/20 at 2:25 pm to dewster
I don't do it but it's pretty much always cheaper to keep repairing your old vehicles. Even if a new engine was 6k (just a guess) that would be a years worth of $500 notes.
This post was edited on 10/22/20 at 2:30 pm
Posted on 10/22/20 at 2:27 pm to dewster
I happened across the old family SUV on Copart one day. It was kinda sad really seeing it smashed all to hell within a few months of me getting rid of it.
Posted on 10/22/20 at 2:28 pm to dewster
Good thread. I run a carfax on just about all of my old cars every so often just to keep in touch with old friends
Posted on 10/22/20 at 2:33 pm to dewster
Actually, it’s cheaper to fix your old vehicle that’s paid for than it is to buy a new one.
I drive vehicles until they fall apart ala Blues Brothers though.
I drive vehicles until they fall apart ala Blues Brothers though.
Posted on 10/22/20 at 2:38 pm to dewster
Wife's Escalade is 12 years old, and for now I'm planning for 2-3 more years before I turn it in. It only has 120k miles on it (bought in 2010 with 40k miles on it), so she's only averaging about 8k/year. She still likes it, so I'm not going to complain. She has also said she wants a Jeep when we trade it in, which is not happening, so I'll put that 'discussion' off as long as possible 
Posted on 10/22/20 at 2:48 pm to dewster
My last vehicle was 16 years old before I got rid of it. My current one is 14 years old.
Posted on 10/22/20 at 2:48 pm to dewster
I got my Taco in May and have 7k miles on it. The plan is to keep it at least 15 yrs. That puts me at about 250k before I'm done. Hopefully not much major stuff will happen.
Posted on 10/22/20 at 2:48 pm to dewster
I have always driven hand-me-down vehicles previously owned by relatives. As a result, I have never full-time driven a car that was less than 6 years old or had fewer than 90k miles on it. Maybe some day I’ll know what owning a new vehicle is like
This post was edited on 10/22/20 at 2:52 pm
Posted on 10/22/20 at 2:50 pm to dewster
Usually 10 years is how long I keep mine. Just kind of a standard my father had and I followed suit.
That said, I have a 95 GMC that is my beater vehicle. It was my father's truck on the farm and then it was given to my grandfather with about 200k on it so he would have something newer to tool around on his ranch with.
After my grandfather passed in 2015, I took possession of the truck and it now has 275k. I'm about to replace the factory power steering pump but other than that and your standard belt and battery changes, I just do regular maintenance on it. The truck has dents and scratches from being a farm and ranch truck, and the paint looks like crap but it's spent a life of hard work so that doesn't bother me.
If you don't beat the snot out of a vehicle and keep it maintained ,it will last a long time, regardless of make and model, unless its just a complete lemon of a vehicle. If the truck is still in my possession come 2025 that truck will be 30 years old.
That said, I have a 95 GMC that is my beater vehicle. It was my father's truck on the farm and then it was given to my grandfather with about 200k on it so he would have something newer to tool around on his ranch with.
After my grandfather passed in 2015, I took possession of the truck and it now has 275k. I'm about to replace the factory power steering pump but other than that and your standard belt and battery changes, I just do regular maintenance on it. The truck has dents and scratches from being a farm and ranch truck, and the paint looks like crap but it's spent a life of hard work so that doesn't bother me.
If you don't beat the snot out of a vehicle and keep it maintained ,it will last a long time, regardless of make and model, unless its just a complete lemon of a vehicle. If the truck is still in my possession come 2025 that truck will be 30 years old.
This post was edited on 10/22/20 at 2:52 pm
Posted on 10/22/20 at 2:57 pm to dewster
I kept my last car for 11 years and it still ran pretty well when I got a new one.
Posted on 10/22/20 at 3:12 pm to dewster
My wife’s vehicle report says it was hit by a train. That’s seriously fricked up. She hit a deer.
Posted on 10/22/20 at 3:14 pm to dewster
We usually buy new and keep them 12 to 15 years. We just got rid of a 2005 Toyota Avalon that had about 203,000 miles on it. We gave it to our son and if he keeps it I will not be surprised if he puts another 100k on it.
The issue with keeping modern cars that long is not the engine or transmission; although they can go out, but gaskets, rubber seals, seats, and plastic stuff just wears out. I have a 2011 F 150 and had to replace the drivers seat and the door seal needs to be replaced. And the backup camera only works about 1/2 the time. But the Ecoboost engine and transmission are solid (knock on wood).
The issue with keeping modern cars that long is not the engine or transmission; although they can go out, but gaskets, rubber seals, seats, and plastic stuff just wears out. I have a 2011 F 150 and had to replace the drivers seat and the door seal needs to be replaced. And the backup camera only works about 1/2 the time. But the Ecoboost engine and transmission are solid (knock on wood).
Posted on 10/22/20 at 3:31 pm to dewster
A short while back I discovered in England you can look up vehicles on their equivalent of the DMV using just the license plate number (vehicles keep the tags there).
Out of curiosity I searched for my first car, a 1965 MG B, and discovered not only was it still registered, but it had recently passed their fairly stringent MOT inspection. To cut a long story short I eventually traced the current owner down and the vehicle will be reunited with me soon.
Out of curiosity I searched for my first car, a 1965 MG B, and discovered not only was it still registered, but it had recently passed their fairly stringent MOT inspection. To cut a long story short I eventually traced the current owner down and the vehicle will be reunited with me soon.
Posted on 10/22/20 at 3:42 pm to dewster
I have two vehicles we drive. One is 15 years old, the other is 10 years old. I plan on keeping both another 3-5 years. Then again, I perform regular maintenance and wash and wax them regularly.
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