How To Make A High Mileage Car Last Longer

The average Australian car is over 10 years old. Nowadays, a high mileage car doesn’t mean a rust bucket. With car engineering and technology improving at a rapid rate, modern cars are built to last.

With regular care and maintenance, cars are no longer considered dead in the water at 150,000kms. In fact, most cars should last well over 250,000kms, and even over 300,000kms with good treatment.

Read on to find out how you can keep the old faithful ride going for a while longer. And if you’ve got a new car, you might want to start taking better care of it early. Then you’ll be driving it for years to come!

Tips to make a high mileage car last longer

When your car is on the older side, a little bit of TLC can help to keep it ticking over nicely. Employ these tactics and it should be good to drive until the day that you’re ready to upgrade.

1. Keep up regular servicing

Hands up if you took your car for services regularly in its younger years but are getting a little bit more complacent now? Unfortunately, your older car needs more maintenance and TLC than a new one!

Think of services like a doctor’s check up to make sure that everything is working ok. If your car is ‘mature’ you will have moved past the capped price servicing stage and into making your own choices on service centre and regularity.

Still, it’s a great idea to book your car in for services as outlined by your car’s manufacturer – they made the car, they know it best. Neglecting regular services could lead to unnecessary damage.

In between services, make sure to pay special attention to things like tyres, oil and fluids, brakes, and filters.

2. Drive your high mileage car gently

You should probably be driving any car gently, truth be told. If you treat your car well, it’ll treat you well. Try not to subject your car to unnecessary stress.

That means driving at consistent speeds without slamming on the brakes or accelerator, sticking to terrain that it can handle (no off roading in your little hatchback, please!), and trying to be a better driver for your car in general.

Also try to reduce the weight your car has to withhold every day – can you do without the roof racks and junk in the trunk? Every little bit makes a difference.

And seeing as we’re on the topic of taking care of your car, check out how you’re damaging your car without realising.

3. Keep her looking good too

It’s not just what’s inside that counts. You might think that taking care of bodywork, paint, scratches and chips is superficial…and maybe you’re right in some ways. There’s definitely some pride in keeping your car looking brand new.

But it’s not just vanity. Keeping your car clean and the paintwork in good nick (see our car scratch repair tips) makes a huge difference in preventing corrosion and rust. And rust is one of a car’s worst enemies as far as longevity goes.

Keeping your car looking good will help you to get the best resale value for it when the day comes too. So don’t procrastinate on breaking out the wax and polish from time to time!

4. Fix small niggles

If you want to make a high mileage car last longer, it’s important to fix any small issues before they become major issues. If you start hearing a rattle or shake, or see fluid or steam leaking out, it’s time to get your car looked at.

You might be tempted to just drive on and save the cash, but major repairs can be very costly. Not to mention inconvenient and time consuming. Often, a small issue can compound and get worse if not treated.

For example, failing spark plugs is one of the most common examples of a minor(ish) repair which if not taken care of, can quickly become a huge problem.

And when you do fix these issues, try to invest in high quality replacement parts. The initial cost might be higher, but good parts will last longer. They often come with a guarantee too.

5. Get the right insurance for your high mileage car

The right car insurance can help you keep your car on the road for longer. If you’ve got comprehensive car insurance on your oldie-but-goodie, then a bumper bash or claimable event need not keep you off the road.

Car insurance lessens the financial burden of damage or theft to your car, and allows you to get repairs or replacements when needed. Check out PD Insurance’s comprehensive car insurance offering, and get an online quote.

Making a high mileage car last longer – over to you

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