What’s Considered High-Mileage for Used Cars in 2023?
With the costs of everything rising, you may be considering purchasing a high-quality used car rather than paying more for a new car. Depending on the make, model, and year, a good used car may last longer than the latest year’s model.
However, you still need to consider the mileage of a vehicle since high-mileage vehicles often have more wear and tear on key components, including transmissions and various engine components. So what is actually considered high-mileage in 2023? Let’s find out.
High-Mileage for Used Cars
Generally speaking, anything over 100,000 miles is considered high mileage, though you can adjust this rule to account for the age of a car. The car will likely start experiencing problems with its major systems, including the engine, and has typically been driven for more than half of its useful lifetime.
Even if you only drive it less than 10,000 miles a year and take excellent care of it, you may only get 10 years or less out of it before it fails beyond repair. The factory warranty is usually expired at that mileage, meaning any major repairs will be an out-of-pocket expense.
Low-Mileage for Used Cars
As long as there are no obvious problems, there isn’t such a thing as too few miles on a used car. Of course, low-mileage used cars may need some extra attention to address any parts that have dried out or seized up from disuse, but they tend to have far fewer problems than high-mileage cars.
There is no hard and fast rule for what constitutes a low-mileage vehicle the way there is for high-mileage vehicles. This determination is typically based on the car’s age and the expected miles for that age. Anything below the expected mileage by more than a few hundred miles can be considered low mileage.
Balancing Age and Mileage
While mileage is one of the most important things to consider when looking for a used car, you should also consider the age of the vehicle. The average car is driven approximately 12,000 miles a year. If you’re concerned that a car might have more miles than it should, simply multiply the car’s age by 12,000.
While a few hundred miles higher or lower isn’t anything to get excited about, anything significantly higher should be considered high mileage, even if it’s below 100,000. Similarly, a vehicle with considerably fewer miles should be regarded as low mileage.
For example, a 2-year-old vehicle with 50,000 miles on it is likely to have been put through more intense wear and tear than a 10-year-old vehicle with the same mileage, meaning the newer car is more likely to start experiencing problems sooner than the older car.
Taking Care of Your Used Car
No matter the mileage, a used car typically requires more maintenance than a brand-new one, and the longer you have it, the more this maintenance will increase. So sticking to a maintenance schedule that’s recommended for your vehicle is the best way to keep it running well, even at high mileage.
This includes changing the oil and other fluids, checking belts, and ensuring all cases and caps are free from caps and functioning properly. You should also be familiar with your car’s warranty to know what’s still covered and for how long. If you shop responsibly and properly take care of your used vehicle, it’s bound to last for many miles and years to come.