Top 5 tips to make your car last more than 100,000 miles

It is not just the baby boomer generation that’s maturing, it’s their cars as well. The average age of a vehicle in the United States is a record 11 years. Moreover, the vast majority of car owners plan to hold onto their cars well past the 150,000-mile mark, according to a recent survey from AutoMD.com, and nearly 80 percent are racking up more miles (up to 50,000 or more) on their current vehicle than their previous one. If you’re driving something built before Facebook or the Y2K millennium bug, here are five tips to keep it humming well beyond the 100,000-mile mark: 

1. Keep up with maintenance and repair

Mark Avery/Zumapress/Newscom/File
Kevin Hancock performs an oil change at Valvoline Express Care in New Port Richey, Fla., in this 2008 file photo. To keep your car running more than 100,000 miles, don't let up on oil changes every 3,000 to 5,000 miles and other basic maintenance.

Just because your vehicle is long in the gear tooth doesn’t mean you should neglect repairs. Be diligent and change the oil and oil filter every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. Continue to check the services required as delineated in your owner’s manual, with particular attention to tire and brake wear. Proper maintenance will not only keep your car running well into six figures on the odometer, it could prove less expensive than a new car payment.

1 of 5
You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.