What's the longest running car you've seen owned by someone who did the least amount of upkeep and maintenance?

[-]

redwbl@reddit

Brother-in-law bought a Toyota Previa minivan brand new. Put 350k miles on it.

Sold it to his Brother-in-law who drove it a couple more years that I know before I lost track of it.

[-]

bank3612@reddit

My dad’s 97 Corolla went 350,000 miles before rusting too bad to be safe. All he ever did was routine maintenance like tires, brakes, and oil.

[-]

lurkerofthethings@reddit

Yeah. Had a 92 corolla. Finally got rid of it in 2022. The rust was so bad it couldnt be repaired anymore. Got 30 years out of a car I paid 600 dollars for with just some normal repairs.

[-]

danmingothemandingo@reddit

And air filter, cabin filter, spark plugs.. Never had an exhaust??

[-]

This i don’t do any fn maintenance on my toyotas lol changes. No sensor spark plugs fn. nothing. Last one was at 230k still ran fine. Current one is at 130k. We are getting rid of it for a Lexus next year as we jsut want a nicer car.

[-]

Historical-Use-3006@reddit

118k miles in mazda 1988 b2200 pickup. That truck was incredibly dependable

[-]

Retiredpotato294@reddit

An old 60s VW van, used as a delivery vehicle for a liquor store. Not only no maintenance, several drivers didn’t know how to drive a stick so they did 20 mile deliveries in first gear.

[-]

LegitimateFinger8966@reddit

My college friend group bought a shared truck together, we all had our own cars but for bad weather or truck stuff it was nice to have. 99 Ram with a 318. Thing leaked so much oil, coolant, trans fluid I dont think we ever did a change just constantly filled it. I did brakes once, drums suck when its rusty af.

[-]

elsteve-9@reddit

2005 Nissan Frontier SE 4x4 6spd manual. Sold at 220,000 miles with no issues. Only changed the oil regularly and did the brakes twice.

[-]

scottblk70@reddit

2006 Toyota Highlander hybrid. Bought it for 1000 bucks with 150,000 miles on it. Currently passed 265,000 miles no maintenance except for long overdue oil changes. All the warning lights on the Dash are on I’ve been collecting them like Pokémon. I think I finally got them all.

[-]

ripped_andsweet@reddit

friend in high school had a Pontiac Grand-Am coupe that had literally every single warning light on full-time, never did any maintenance at all. not only did it never break down, but it was surprisingly a super comfortable car for what it was

[-]

Samsonlp@reddit

I had a grand Prix gt when I was 19. I flogged that thing like it murdered dog and it never had any issue not caused by me hitting something.

[-]

Thick-Paper1595@reddit

My first car! Black 2 door with tan cloth. Loved it. 4th gear eventually gave up around 145k miles tho

[-]

YossiTheWizard@reddit

GMs (with exceptions, no doubt) can run badly longer than many cars run at all.

[-]

BarnyardCoral@reddit

They don't so much run badly as just linger, perpetually in the valley of the shadow of death but never giving up the ghost.

[-]

YossiTheWizard@reddit

Ok, badly wasn't a strong enough word, maybe. But really, they've had some good powertrains. My experience with GMs was all front wheel drive, and my take is this.

60 degree V6s were GREAT until 1994. Going to sequential fuel injection was great, but they saved money by using crap gaskets (intake manifold gaskets would go, although that might have been later since the introduction of life-long coolant was brought up as a potential culprit in that).

90 degree V6s, so the Buick-designed 3800 (and maybe the 3300?) were insanely reliable! Not sure if they suffered issues in later revisions, but the first and second gens were good as far as I know.

That said, there were other engines that weren't as well built.

[-]

wisconsin69boy69@reddit

The 3.1 is one of my favorite engines. I also love the 2.0 4 banger TBI LL8 found in the 87-89 Cavalier, Corsica, and Beretta.

[-]

YossiTheWizard@reddit

Haha! I had a 2.0 Corsica and a 2.8 Beretta.

[-]

hookydoo@reddit

Gm3400 v6 owner here. Yes, gaskets is kill. Minivan is kill. Yes.

[-]

Bonocity@reddit

Does this apply to the supercharged Buick Regal sleeper of the early 2000's? I'm no expert but my friend had one of these (with a transmission issue, mind you...It never went into its final gear yet never broke either) and it would go like snot.

[-]

looneyshots76@reddit

Yeah I had an 08 cobalt, 2.4 ecotec and that shit died once due to a clogged up fuel filter but I started it right back up and it didn't die until i crashed the hell out of it. Not only did it not die, it ran fucking amazingly in top races, I could easily keep it hanging with modern muscle cars on curvy roads. Shit was missing 3 head studs, never had a transmission change. Rarely ever did oil changes on it. And still every single night I'd run that thing to it's very limits and it kept up no matter what.

[-]

YaBoiTrashBag@reddit

This is the realest GM take I’ve ever read

[-]

Buckets86@reddit

I had an 06 Trailblazer that had something wrong with it (I can’t remember what it was) but I didn’t get it fixed for like a year and half. It was a pretty expensive repair whatever it was, and had a couple of engine lights on. That car never missed a single beat. I was pretty terrible about regular maintenance too. Rarely changed the oil, literally never changed the battery, never rotated tires/had it balanced, whatever. I sold it with 175k miles and it was the best car I’ve ever had.

My supposedly indestructible 2017 Camry has had a lot of smallish to biggish issues and at only 130k miles has had a much much higher cost of ownership than the Trailblazer did. I have been fastidious about regular maintenance on this one but it hasn’t left me with a great impression for Toyota.

[-]

sippin-jesus-juice@reddit

My Tahoe collapsed multiple lifters and drove on another couple thousand miles without issue until I eventually sold it lol

My first Jeep blew a rod and drove home 20 minutes while on fire.

There’s no rhyme or reason with American cars. They’re built like crap, but can take a beating and work better when neglected

[-]

jenesia-CakeEatnNPC-@reddit

that last paragraph describes more that just the cars built in America 🫠

[-]

loweexclamationpoint@reddit

A guy I used to work with had a first generation Chevy minivan that had 200k miles, never did anything but change oil and tires. He claimed to have the original battery

[-]

YossiTheWizard@reddit

Astro or Lumina APV?

[-]

loweexclamationpoint@reddit

I had to look at pictures on Wikipedia. Pretty sure it was an Astro because I remember the hood being extremely short and rather vertical

[-]

YossiTheWizard@reddit

Yeah, you definitely can't mistake the two! I think the 4.3L V6 in those was pretty reliable. I worked at a GM dealership changing oil in 2002, and had more than a few early models of those come in.

If I suggest a brand, I usually stick to Honda/Toyota/Mazda. But if you dig a bit deeper, you can definitely find a few good models from an otherwise less reliable brand.

[-]

loweexclamationpoint@reddit

Oh, sure, old Toyotas are everywhere. But averages are just average, and every once in a while I'll see some dude cruising in an ancient clapped out Monkey Karload, Grand Prick or Malibu Plastic held together by duct tape and prayers to St. Joseph. Roll on, Detroit!

[-]

bank3612@reddit

I had a 2003 and loved it! My first car and it had its quirks. Like the no AC, passenger window didn’t work, drivers window would fall off the tracks and I had to lift it up to close, fan was either full blast or off, and lots of warning lights but nothing wrong with it. The transmission eventually took an electrical dive and the car wouldn’t go over 40 mph half the time. The fix was turning it off and back on.

[-]

sunsetair@reddit

I had a Saturn L200 that often got stuck in third gear. Pulling over , put Trans into Park (huge bang) turn off /on engine. Good as new

[-]

PreMixYZ@reddit

My coworker had a Saturn that he just drove and drove … 180,000 miles the transmission sounded like it was ready to fall out, gave it to his brother- legend has it that it’s still on the road today.

[-]

Nibblitive@reddit

Sounds miserable but once your comfortable your stuck

[-]

bank3612@reddit

I had a couple drives back and forth from home to college in the middle of the summer where I had to drive in my underwear because it would be so hot. Sold it to a guy for $750 cash. I let him know about the issues but he didn’t seem to care.

[-]

acreekofsoap@reddit

Like Mr, Burns, had you tried to fix one thing on that car, it would have immediately fallen apart

[-]

7-x-7@reddit

Probably had the “iron duke” in it. Had 90Grand Am that I bought from my sister who bought it from and friend and so on. It had the Iron Duke and 239,000 when I got it. I fixed the minimal rust changed the fluids and drove it for a year. I then sold it to a kid for a few hundred bucks despite it running perfect now with regular maintenance and pretty much a new exterior as after I fixed the wheel well rust I wet sanded and cut/compounded/polish. Looked new. Now here is the kicker. He gave it to his grandmother who was expected to use it for just a few years and ended up driving it for more like 20 years to the store and church. The only thing it needed was an exhaust and a battery.

It’s last year and my family and I are at the local big city college football team at the local stadium and as I walk through the parking lot, I glanced over to see the Grand Am. I had to walk over to it and it was definitely it - as when my buddy bought it from a used car dealer, it had an odd paint job. The car was light gray and had dark gray molding - it never quite looked right to me. Most definitely same car- now it belongs to a college kid as it has stickers on it. Kinda cool and crazy that a car like that ( economy box/ car) would still not only be running but still be in great shape. I’ve thought about trying to find whoever bought it and see if they would sell it and for how much! Sorry for the long story but I’ve been drinking Guinness.

[-]

Bonocity@reddit

Its that floaty solid rear axle.

[-]

aquatone61@reddit

If you got one that was built on a good day at the plant then they were nearly bulletproof. If you didn’t lord help you.

[-]

d_class_rugs@reddit

I had a 95. I changed the oil but thats about it. drove that thing around with cracked heads and no transmission fluid for months.

[-]

jwbourne@reddit

My wife had a grand prix once upon a time. Its taillights would fill with water, dash lights, and a bunch of little things broken but it never let us down once. Engine was a champ.

[-]

whipla5her@reddit

My dad had a Honda Civic in the early 80's that he passed down to us kids. We drove that thing to death. Eventually it had over 300k miles on it and I don't remember my dad doing any work to it other than changing the oil and coolant.

[-]

Ancient-Sea-69@reddit

Ford ranger it was a 1998…my cousin didn’t change the oil for 2 years drove it like he stole it…he taught me to drive one time in it. Lmao. The breaks deadass went out going down a hill. I had to aim for the grass across the street.

Wild times

[-]

blondechineeez@reddit

I have a 96 Ranger 3.0 6cyl 4x4 manual with 200k on her. I've replaced many things but she still runs like a charm. Super easy to maintain and replace whatevers... except the clutch because being a Ford, you gotta drop the transmission which is a pia.

[-]

Whole_Equal_2344@reddit

My dad had 91 ranger with a 5 speed that I learned to drive stick on, had a little to much fun and rolled it into the neighbours fence and still drove it for a year after. Called it the ford fucked

[-]

ToneThugsNHarmony@reddit

My dad had a Chevy Laguna that ran to about 350k miles with basic maintenance, and I will forever hear the story about how he drove it up a mountain in a blizzard passed Jeeps stuck on the side of the road.

[-]

Hash-82@reddit

I've had a few...
01 Excursion diesel with 680K miles
06 E350 5.4 with 560K miles
01 Caravan 3.3 with 360K miles (but i did replace transmission 2x)

[-]

ValBGood@reddit

Old Honda Accords, currently an ES300. I got over 250,000 miles on a Chevy K-5, 6.2L diesel Blazer although just about everything needed replacement along the way, but it did get about 25mpg on the highway, with the EGR disabled and the injection pump tuned.

[-]

CR8VJUC@reddit

1972 Dodge Dart with the slant 6.

You can’t kill em.

[-]

patrolmanEmbiid@reddit

had a 2007 Ford fusion that i got at 84k files and drove it all the way to 288k. Oil changes, tires, 2 “tune-ups” was all i did.

[-]

elkabong427@reddit

Early 1970's Toyota Corolla w/ 286,000 miles on it.

[-]

Old-Figure922@reddit

Myself. 2012 Honda accord. Got it at 224k miles, About to hit 300k miles less than 2 years later. Pretty much only had brake pads, tires, and oil changes between the previous owner (someone I know) and myself.

I bought it for $700 because it had sprung an oil leak that the previous owner thought was a waste of money to fix. Ended up being under $100 to fix. All in under $1000 ain’t bad.

Surprisingly enough since it’s an all highway mileage car, everything’s still in great shape. No clunks or rattles, no problems besides the converter lockup being a little jittery at times.

It’s overdue on everything besides oil and tires right now. No trans or coolant flushes, no suspension or bushing work. I’ve tossed new headlight bulbs and windshield wipers in since I got it. Works like a charm.

[-]

trailxj44@reddit

Had an 88 jeep xj 4.0, hood latch broke on one side so I duct taped the hood closed for 2 years, ran great zero oil changes for two years

[-]

surrevival@reddit

My friends dad's 1979 Mercedes W123 200D. 1.3 milion kilometers and engine died. So he got a "new" one, used with 400k kilometres on the clock already, swapped the engine and did another 200k on it.

[-]

Eerriicc8@reddit

My relative bought a used 2001 Avalon that wasn’t in great condition. And drove it for 10+ years without doing a single maintenance. Not even oil change. Just topped off when it got a little low.

[-]

JusticeoftheCuse@reddit

2010 Toyota RAV4 for my parents. Almost 300k miles. Original transmission fluid. Only maintenance is oil and brakes. Everything else is original.

[-]

JagR286211@reddit

Lexus LS or a Toyota LC

[-]

tads73@reddit

My 2005 honda accord is on original cluch, original suspension, needed the basics, and some things specific to honda, like vtec solenoid. 267,000 miles

[-]

Maybepls@reddit

My 2011 had 276k when I sold it. Original clutch lasted to 235k. I was heartbroken when the girl I sold it to told me she got it hydrolocked in a flood </3

[-]

NOSE-GOES@reddit

I miss my 07 accord. It also needed VTEC soly and other basic wear items but she was purring strongly at 230k when I sold her

[-]

AncientSalad4974@reddit

We have an 07 VP that 4 teenagers have learned to drive in. Its spent 9 years in a high school parking lot. Wont die.

[-]

AdInternational6902@reddit

My fiesta st has made it 211k on 10k+ oil changes, and pretty much doing nothing else to it at all lmao

[-]

lpg975@reddit

Are you trying to say you had 10k mile oil change intervals? That's not really abnormal anymore, with high quality synthetics. How did your turbo hold up over that time? Stock or did you do any mods or tune it at all? Any track or autocross time? What kind of oil/filters did you use? My buddy has a FiST and it's a pretty neat little car.

[-]

AdInternational6902@reddit

Yeah i did 10k mile oil changes. its just everyone always says some bs that you need 3-5k oil changes lol. And it was stock, I did some track and autocross work semi-regularly. Drove several canyons/mountains near me in los angeles almost every weekend tho. Oil was penzoil platinum + and wix filter. Outside of that, i did nothing to it, besides a timing belt/water pump once, than a air filter and cabin air filter a few times. Car has been bulletproof. Had it since brand new

[-]

lpg975@reddit

Nice! 10k miles is not that crazy for modern synthetic oils. I do 5k mile oil change intervals on my 2016 Camaro 2.0T 6MT. I'd go longer if it was stock, but I've got some bolt ons and a custom tune. I drive pretty spirited and do track time and autocross as well. I figure, with the turbo being tuned to turn the boost up, I'm probably cooking that oil more than I would if it were stoxk, so I just change it when it hits 50% on the oil life monitoring system (which usually turns out to be about 5k miles).

I was using Mobil 1 Extended Performance and an ACDelco UPF64R filter, but I've recently switched to Valvoline Restore and Protect after doing a lot of research and seeing how good that stuff is.

Are you still on the original turbo? If so, I'd say you can rub that in all those "3k mile oil change" idiots faces lol. Some people don't realize that oil technology has advances so far since the 3k mile interval was standard. It's just excessive these days.

[-]

AdInternational6902@reddit

I didn't think so either but I figure id test it out myself. Thats a good call for the camaro tho, the 2.0t is abit more sensative to maintainance than the ecoboosts especially tuned. And good oil and filter really are the key. Also yes its the original turbo, doesnt eat coolant or oil at all either so I expect another 100k out of it atleast. The highest mile fist iv seen was abit over 300k so im hoping it makes it there aswell

[-]

lpg975@reddit

Good luck! I bet you can hit 300k miles!

[-]

AdInternational6902@reddit

I appreciate it, hope you get some good mileage out of your car too

[-]

mcshaftmaster@reddit

10,000 is a lot of oil changes. /s

[-]

AdInternational6902@reddit

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[-]

knight9665@reddit

i owned a 240sx in highschool.

i didnt change oil nor anything other than add gas. had 200k miles drove it 30k miles zero maintenance. still fried up right away when i sold it, lol

[-]

mynameisranger1@reddit

I had a 92 Toyota Previa. It lasted 280k and I did practically no maintenance. It was still going strong but the AC compressor failed and I couldn’t get a new one. I resorted to rebuilts. They all went bad within 3 or 4 months. The straw was when I was in full dress coat and tie heading for a job interview. It was over 100 degrees in Dallas and the damn thing went out about halfway there. When I arrived, I was bathed in sweat. Somehow I got the job but the Previa had to go.

[-]

lpg975@reddit

The old AMC-derived 4.0 I6s are nearly indestructible! I've had three of them over my life. One of them, in a 1999 XJ 4AT, had about 350k miles on it when I sold it. Everything still worked. AC blew cold af, and the heat would roast your ass off. Lots of trail time and ORV parks visited with it. Lifted it 3" and put 33" Cooper Discoverer STT Pros and some Bilstein 5100s on it. I still see that XJ around Omaha, NE. Last time I saw it, I asked the owner how many miles it had. He said it's at 550k miles and still running the original engine and transmission (Aisin AW4)!

For the time I had that XJ, I changed the oil every 3-5k miles. Used Shell Rotella T6 5w40 synthetic diesel oil in it and whatever filter was on sale at the time (since I didn't have very long oil change intervals, the quality of the filter was kinda a moot point for me, but I would at least always use something better than the shitty orange Frams lol).

They're slow and gulp gas like it's the 90s, but damn if they'll outlive coxkroaches.

I had two other 4.0s over the years, one in a 2001 XJ 4AT with 100k miles on it, and the other in a 1999 TJ 5MT with 250k miles on it. Still see both of them around Lincoln, NE when I'm over there visiting friends. The manual TJ was probably my favorite out of the three. You can't beat lots of torque on demand with a manual transmission! Tons of fun on the trails and at the ORV parks!

[-]

huntsvillekan@reddit

My dad bought a XJ Jeep Cherokee (‘92 Limited) in 1996. Still owns it, still runs, changes oil occasionally but otherwise just sends it. Rust everywhere, leaks everywhere, duct tape failing to keep the water out. Last time I checked it was somewhere between 450K-500K miles.

[-]

lpg975@reddit

Those 4.0s are nearly indestructible! I've had three of them over my life. One of them, in a 1999 XJ, had about 350k miles on it when I sold it. Lots of trail time and ORV parks visited. I still see that XJ around Omaha. Last time I saw it, I asked the owner how many miles it had. He said it's at 550k miles and still running the original engine and transmission (Aisin AW4)!

The other two 4.0s I had were in a 2001 XJ 4AT and a 1999 TJ 5MT. The 2001 XJ only had 100k miles when I sold it, and the TJ was at 250k miles. My buddy sees the TJ around Lincoln, NE every so often.

Those engines will outlive cockroaches lol.

[-]

Fit-Search4592@reddit

1990 Acura Integra 4 door. Changed oil every so often, not even close to the correct intervals. The car just kept running up until I traded it in. Someone else bought it around the same area because years later I saw my car. Someone who worked at a business in my area somehow ended up with it. I bought it with 125k miles on it, traded it in with 225k miles on it and saw it again a couple years later regularly for awhile and haven't seen it since. Probably still running 😅🤷‍♂️

[-]

Ok-Examination-6195@reddit

Don’t know the year but friends cousin got a Monte Carlo from a junkyard. My mom’s crv is at 180k+ only oil changes (about 5k late rn)cvt went out about 10k miles ago and we just changed out the original pads and rotors

[-]

Skabbc@reddit

Bought a 2007 honda ridgeline in 2010 at auction for $7,000 Had a dent on rear quarter panel and a nasty DIY botched repair. I needed a 2 nd vehicle for gravel roads - i loved how that ugly truck drove and ended up driving it more than my new Tacoma. Had 175,000 kms on it when i bought it, had 490,000 kms when i sold it last summer. I might have done 3 oil changes over those 15 years Sold it for $5K Saw that ugly old truck recently, still running just fine.

[-]

Terrh@reddit

My mom has had her 2004 grand prix since 2009, 120,000+ miles she's put on it and has never done anything. No oil changes, no brakes, no tires - nothing.

She thinks it's a miracle and it certainly has nothing to do with me doing all that shit every time I "borrow" her car for something.

[-]

ChaunceytheGardiner@reddit

You're a good kid.

[-]

lillpers@reddit

Coworker of mine managed to keep their old Corolla operational for 12 years without knowing about oil changes. They just kept topping off the oil as it leaked and/or burned off.

Once it started making "expensive noises" they finally got it to a mechanic. It somehow still runs

[-]

Notabotyet@reddit

How do you know to check and top off oil without knowing it needs to be changed?!

[-]

FrankCostanzaJr@reddit

when you drive a car like that, you know it needs oil when you can hear the engine ticking at idle. usually you're around a quart+ low when the ticking gets loud.

i've owned plenty of old toyotas.....corollas, tercels, pickups. they will basically run forever,(especially with a 4/5 speed) even with absurd amounts of neglect. one winter, i drove a corolla (maybe tercel?) for who knows how long (maybe a week? maybe a month?) without coolant. i remember calling my grandpa, complaining the heater wasn't working. he said check the coolant...so, i checked the coolant, bone dry. the car ran fine though...i honestly don't know how toyota does it, but they can take SERIOUS abuse, and keep on running. i mean, you probably won't get a million miles when they start using a quart of oil per tank of gas...but you might get another 50k miles, maybe more. depends on your tolerance for embarrassment when smoke starts billowing out the tail pipe 😂

personally, i find it fuckin hilarious to be driving around in a complete piece of junk beater, smoking like a chimney just idling. reminds me of that scene from uncle buck.

[-]

Swimming_Ad_8856@reddit

Well in their defense if it’s going through that much oil, you don’t really need to change it maybe the filter on occasion. But topping it off is giving it all new fresh additives, etc..

[-]

burjuner@reddit

While keeping all the tiny metal particles :)

[-]

xXapathyXx@reddit

Leave it up to the little oil filter that could

[-]

Camo138@reddit

Sounds like the old 03 rav 4 I used to own.. drank oil but kept going regardless, kept adding oil as needed

[-]

Masterbuttbongos@reddit

Right?

[-]

IntelligentWay8475@reddit

Have a friend whose father is a university professor. She was driving his Nissan truck and said it was not running well. Eventually we pulled the dip stick and the oil was clumped on it. We changed the oil and filter. It took hours to flush. In the end it went on a And ran fine. 20 years with no oil change.

[-]

Gragdanovich@reddit

1974 Fiat 124 T/C

[-]

FrankCostanzaJr@reddit

i owned a BROWN 87 toyota tercel in high school in the 90s...i wrecked that thing at least 3 or 4 times...BAD. it would not die. took it offroading and had the whole weight of the car resting on a the engine block trying to make it over a big ass boulder. would not die. then i sold it to a buddy for $500 bucks, and we continued taking it off-roading, hitting big jumps, catching at least 1 or 2 feet of air...in a STOCK TERCEL. would not die. nearly every single panel was dented, the hood, fenders, and bumper were different colors and held on with some rope and lots of deck screws.

finally, after probably 2yrs of extreme automotive torture, my buddy crashed it in a head on collision with a full size Ram truck...it died. and my buddy almost died too...but fortunately the windshield (we replaced from a junkyard years prior) popped out and absorbed the impact of his skull, and the mini sized cheech and chong chain steering wheel helped absorb the impact of his chest/torso. (of course he wasn't wearing a seatbelt)

that car was tough as nails, and no matter how hard we beat on it, it started right up every time. with its pathetic 1.5liter electronically carbureted 78hp engine, and 5speed (hydraulically operated clutch!! fancy at the time!) i have no idea how that car put up with so much abuse, but it was pretty incredible. i remember a few months after i bought it, the idle was a little low, it was going dead at red-lights, so i started tinkering with the weird ass electo carb, thats how i found out that carbs could EVEN BE electronic...it was probably among the last made, since EFI was already PRETTY common at that point in time...but i guess toyota wanted to safe a few bucks keeping the carb? i'm still kind puzzled by that one. either way, GREAT CAR! ugly as sin though....

THIS is what it looked like...well before we destroyed it

[-]

Sirjohnrambo@reddit

My 1984 300d Mercedes. I got it when I got my license in late 90s/early 00s. It was my uncles originally, then my grandpas, then mine. I got it with something like 275k miles. I put nearly 100k on myself. Never a single issue and I legitimately believe it ruined cars for me. I’ve been expecting what I had in that car from every car since and I’m always let down.

[-]

Poppy2K10@reddit

Had a 1990 Buick Century with a V6. Only one window worked, the front door only opened from the outside and the AC didn't work. Got it from my inlaws when my old Datsun truck had the clutch go out and then was vandalized over a 3-day weekend. The only thing I had to replace was brake pads and a muffler. It's amazing how loud that thing can be when the muffler rotted out and had a 4" hole in it. The front end got smashed one night when a tree fell across the road and didn't have time to stop.

[-]

Any_Program_2113@reddit

Toyota corolla 300,000 miles. My nephew drove it with a bad alternator for almost 2 years. Push started it daily. Inside was roached out. Only thing he did was change the oil. Stolen twice and recovered.

[-]

puskunk@reddit

My 2008 Honda civic came from
My father in law who is notoriously hard on cars. He gave it to my wife and I at 160k miles and it's currently at 302k miles with everything original except front brake pads. Rear brake pads are original and I've done one tune up and changed the coolant. Regular oil changes with synthetic too.

[-]

Rawdawg321@reddit

I had a 85 Supra that I neglected in high school and it never let me down until the head gasket blew. I wish I would have taken better care of the car and kept it instead of junking it. 275k miles RIP.

[-]

Carguycr@reddit

1989 Chevrolet Beretta 2.0

[-]

skyHawk3613@reddit

My cousin had a late 90’s Toyota Camry that she never maintained. Regularly drove across the state to and from college without a problem. I don’t think the oil was ever changed the entire time she owned it

[-]

Gullible_Wind_9142@reddit

The 3800 V-6 GM engine series 2 was one of the best engines ever built in the world made top 10 . Can run 500,000 no problem maybe a timing chain oil pump.

[-]

JSGilst@reddit

1980 Toyota PickUp.

[-]

Ok-Zookeeper420@reddit

I have a 2004 highlander with 150,000 miles. Haven’t changed the oil in 7 years or done any maintenance and still runs like a dream

[-]

DrZeus104@reddit

My SiL had a Honda civic, early 90’s total base model she bought brand new. It last over 425,000miles. She had a “new” used transmission and clutch put in. That was around 250,000miles. The gears never lined up properly after that. The car was rear ended maybe around 350,000miles. Insurance wouldn’t give her much so she kept it. My brother refused to do work or put money into it. So she found a trunk/rear bumper at the junkyard and had a neighbor help her put em on. Then she learned how to bondo so she could “fix” the rear quarter panel too. She never changed any fluids but the oil. Had brakes replaced a few times and new tires. I’m guessing she needed a battery at some point but I don’t recall. That’s all the maintenance in over 425,000miles. She’s from NJ and always drove that car like she just stole it or someone was chasing her. Don’t get me started on her tailgating everyone. It finally died(through a rod or something major)about 4miles from their house. She had to be convinced not to have it fixed.

[-]

Ruger338WSM@reddit

Our bought new 2009 Smart Car had only oil and tire changes in the 126,000 we drove it. One of the best commuter cars ever.

[-]

WinnerAwkward480@reddit

74 Chevy Vega Wagon , bought it outta the junkyard . It was written off due to engine smoking , common for the Aluminum Engines. I got it for $200 and think I paid $75 at NAPA for engine rebuild kit . Can't remember if it was Labor Day or Memorial Day weekend, I rebuilt it in my garage. Drove it for another 6 yrs to include a trip from California to Florida.

[-]

PopularToe1951@reddit

Still driving the 2010 Nissan Versa we bought for our daughters high school graduation. That piece of sh*t has over 150k on it and still fires up every morning. Granted my work commute is only a couple of miles

[-]

Gold_Ticket_1970@reddit

2002 Civic. 1 battery. 2 exhausts. 3 brake jobs in 21 years. Sad to see it go

[-]

ou2mame@reddit

My friend put over 500k miles on his 04 civic, and all he did was oil changes and repairs when something broke. he drove it to nyc from long island everyday for his 20 years of nypd service.

[-]

raviscons@reddit

2010 Toyota Camry hybrid. Friend bought it used with 30,000ish km and it looks like to the original owner did 2 oil changes. I got it from him as a gift and it had over 330,000 km

He didn't do any fluid changes except for oil changes (doesn't look like that was even done on schedule as well).

He told me the car was starting to have some rough idle and had a check engine light. I put in an odb sensor and there was a code indicating an issue with spark plug. I asked him when the last time he replaced the spark plugs and he said never. Jaws dropped. Then I asked him about the other car fluids, never. None of the fluids were every changed.

He didn't even do the brakes. This Toyota hybrid ran over 300,000 km without any major maintenance.... That's incredible. That beats every Honda, Ford, Nissan and Chevy that I've every had.

I replaced all the essentials fluids, spark plug, brakes and it felt brand new again and is still running better than my cars which have followed maintenance schedule and are 200k less and 7 years newer.

Toyotas really are the king of reliability

[-]

Good-Department-5677@reddit

Had an 89 Camaro RS 305 v8. Lasted 11 years & 256,000 miles till I gave up on it

Paint was the Maroon & gone after about 6 years. I got an el cheap repaint. Biggest issue was something on the bottom of the engine that controlled the engine fan caught fire. I wired in a switch but my wife wanted the car. She got her feet caught in the wiring, ripped it off the switch & it sparked so she was done with it.

As I was waiting for time to fix it, she sold it to a guy at work without asking me...

We were divorced within a year. Had that car longer than her...

[-]

xylophonedreams@reddit

I’m currently in a 2011 dodge challenger with 302k. Hit lots of curbs, ran it out of oil once or twice. Been driving it since I was 19- so ten years now. Definitely not the best car owner when I was younger and she’s still kicking 😎

[-]

thatcavdude@reddit

Late 90s 2000s corollas/Camry

[-]

kotakoabrat@reddit

Toyota Camry 1998. Just sold it. Still runs

[-]

Agharinagh@reddit

Wifes santafe 320000 km now😁lot of oil changes. 😁

[-]

Agharinagh@reddit

Have ranger 2.5 with 420 000 km

[-]

Agharinagh@reddit

Maintaining a tow truck 3.0 iveco with 1.2milion km.

[-]

Ok_Today_475@reddit

2007 Toyota Yaris. One of my close friends had one through high school and college. I did an oil “change”. Come to find out, it had been burning oil for 8 months since her last oil change. Car had 325K KMs on it. She drove it from Niagara Falls to Alberta (cross country Canada) and the mechanic inspecting it in Alberta couldn’t believe it made it across the county- wasted ball joints, 2 litres of oil, CV shafts clicking like mad but never gave her a hard time. If Toyota made one good car, the Yaris was it

[-]

Top_Tiger2744@reddit

1979 Datsun B210. I used that car throughout college delivering pizzas. No flair, just rock solid.

[-]

Real-Mode-3417@reddit

My cousin had a work truck, early 80's Toyota 2wd we called the "Greenie Meanie". Never changed the oil-only added a quart every two fill ups. Ran out of water a couple of times. Did burn outs every chance we could. Even left the fuel hose in after filling up, and still managed to live! We couldn't kill that thing if we tried

[-]

Scpdivy@reddit

Still driving an 06’ Dodge Durango. I’ve never flushed anything. Brakes done a few years ago, and a new alternator about 7 years ago, that’s about it. It will rust out pretty soon though.

[-]

Mjolnir36@reddit

92 GMC regular cab pick up, 6.2 N/A diesel, 700R4 2 wheel drive, rarely changed the oil, changed the fuel filter once in 70K miles. Ran perfectly all the way through 237 K, drove it all over working shutdowns in power plants. Bought it at 185K for $500, l would still be driving if the lower control arm hadn’t broken off and swung inward knocking the starter off.

[-]

madstonk@reddit

girlfriends 2004 Honda Pilot - 300k engine finally kicked.

[-]

CanadianExiled@reddit

My dad had a 96 GMC Jimmy, got it used in 2001 and I'm not sure he ever even took it in for an oil change. When I came home while he was in the hospital I used it every day to go see him. The day he passed away, the Jimmy got me to the hospital but refused to start again after that. That thing loved him so much it ran like a charm till he died. Had it towed to a garage and they basically called me a liar when I said I'd been driving that thing for 3 weeks with no issues. If there's an afterlife, my dad is probably still driving that Jimmy.

[-]

Rejse617@reddit

I’m a scientist. I don’t believe in the supernatural.

I will die believing that cars have souls.

[-]

General_Boner@reddit

My ex wife drove our 93 Jimmy to the airport in 4WD low. This included around 20 miles of highway. She must have hit the button while looking for the switch to turn the headlights on. It burned up the ignition control module on the way back, but once that was replaced it ran fine.

I still chuckle every time I think about it. It must have been bouncing off the revenue limiter the entire time.

[-]

friendIdiglove@reddit

4 LO. That’s 4 headlights on low beam, right?

[-]

mdr1384@reddit

Wtf, 4L max speed is like 10mph?

[-]

General_Boner@reddit

I don't know how she did it. All she said was the truck ran rough and she couldn't keep up with traffic

[-]

Wack0HookedOnT0bac0@reddit (OP)

Hell yeah

[-]

Rejse617@reddit

I had an 01 accord. I drove the wheels off of it, drove the damn thing on gnarly colorado dirt roads. i changed the oil at roughly the recommended rate. I think I changed the air filter once. I changed my brake pads/shoes once. Oh put a new gas cap on to pass emissions. in 150k miles it never saw the inside of a shop or had any other maintenance (filled coolant when it was low i guess). Still ran like a dream when i sold it only because i got my dad’s car when he died. Somewhere around 2015 maybe?

[-]

FrozenBurrito7@reddit

I had an 89 jetta which towards the end of its life was low on oil and burning it quickly. I decided not to top it up or change it as it was destined for the junk yard and I was a broke teenager. I figured I'd run it until it seized up and send it to the grave. This was at about 375,000km. I ran that car for almost 20,000km on maybe a liter of oil or less. It still refused to quit and I retired it due to both front door handles fully falling off. Before I put it on the flatbed, I pulled the oil plug and nothing came out. That car refused to die.

More recently I had a 2014 Fiesta ST with a tune. Purchased it with 50,000km and sold it at 300,000km. Only work I ever did was 1 brake job, 1 wheel bearing and oil changes at 10,000km. That's it. Easily the most reliable and fun car I've ever owned.

[-]

Pup111290@reddit

My dad had a 92 Suburban. He stopped driving it around 300k just because of rust issues, it still ran and drove fine. He owned it for around 10 years and put around 150k miles on it. In that time he would often go a year or two without and oil change, the transmission was never touched, he did one full tuneup the entire time he owned it. But it was always reliable, the only time it ever left him stranded is when the fuel pump went

[-]

karlowolf05@reddit

2005 W211 E class 220 CDI, 1.200.000 km, original engine.

Saw it few months ago, first owner, if he told me it had 200k km I wouldn't even blink, still looking great and interior puts pretty much any waaay younger used car to shame.

[-]

kingdick900@reddit

Any old lady whose kept her car for like 30 years just to the grocery store and church and that's it 😂😂😂

[-]

MichaelHammor@reddit

My 2002 cavalier went 78k miles without an oil change. We were very poor. When we got money I dumped a bottle or Marvels in the oil and drove for a while then changed the oil. It was coal black. Added new oil. Car ran for a few more years till the radiator cracked and the head gasket blew when I put in a new radiator.

[-]

SRC2088@reddit

My aunt had a 1996 Camry that I know for a fact never received even remotely regular oil changes let alone any other routine maintenance and that car lasted until 2018 or 2019 with over 350k miles when the head gasket went. And realistically if she would have wanted to keep it going and replaced the head gasket I have no doubt that it would still be tearing up the road today

[-]

charles_47@reddit

I’ll never track it down, but I recall a story in a Polish newspaper about an older lady that drove a Mercedes 190E for like 30 years without so much as an oil change. Car ran just fine 😂

[-]

binarypower@reddit

2011 Toyota Avalon. lasted a decade with zero maintenance

[-]

Just_here_to_poop@reddit

400K in an all-original Subaru

[-]

herffjones99@reddit

My buddy, who has no mechanical bones in his body, ran his Toyota tercel into the ground. He had 400k miles on it after about 15 years before it finally gave up on him on his third cross country road trip that year.

[-]

Self_Destruct_Brat@reddit

2005 ford escape with 85k. just now beginning to crack up, no indicators yet except for “door”😄

[-]

Past_Strength_5381@reddit

'93 corolla. We gave it to my MIL in great condition in 2003, it's been stolen twice, found months later totally trashed and hadn't hasn't had an oil change in decades. Sits on the side of the house rotting in the pacific northwest. Their newer cars were totalled so they are back to driving the corolla, 300k miles and still going.

[-]

Glittering_Bar_9497@reddit

My father had a 92 Corolla he put over 200k miles on it and only the door handle broke and mostly oil changes. Gave it to my cousins where it was notoriously abused and it made it to 500k miles and a tree didn’t move and that ended a 20 year story.

[-]

Prize-Mail-6769@reddit

Anything with a GM 3800

[-]

PyllynKaivelija@reddit

Propably biggest numbers i've seen have been on w124 mercedes. Rolling the odometer once is breaking in the engine lol

[-]

kentuckyMarksman@reddit

My dad had a 1993 Chevy Astro with the 4.3, would go years without changing the oil in it. Made it past 200k before the transmission went out. He had the transmission rebuilt and drive it to 297k miles when my sister totaled it.

[-]

edoggy792@reddit

2004 grand cherokee about to hit 500k. Engine has returned next to no maintenance and is still running strong. 4.0 is a fantastic engine!

[-]

sasspancakes@reddit

My husbands 2011 Tacoma just hit 300k miles. That thing is a beast. Just keeps running. New brakes, new tires, oil changes. Drive shaft fell off last year but other than that its been great.

I had a 97 Honda CRV I got for free in my early 20s. Drove that thing for four years. Holes in the floor where you could see the road through. Drivers seat barely attached. The key would fall out and it would still be running. Had to start it with a screwdriver on the starter half the time. Sounded like a wooden rollercoaster on highway curves. I finally gave up on it at 375k miles when the brake lines rusted through. Sold it for $600 lol.

[-]

wyoflyboy68@reddit

My 94 Toyota Camry, almost 400,000 Miles’s when I sold it, nothing wrong with it, wife wouldn’t let me keep an extra car. Tires, brakes, oil changes, and two timing belts.

[-]

Boopped_Snoot@reddit

I've seen a ton of GM 3800 V6 engines out live their original owners the get passed down to people who don't care about them and don't have money for maintenance. I've seen a Pontiac Grand-am with almost 600k miles before and there wasn't much left beside the drivetrain because it hadn't been washed or cleaned or had any kind of maintenance in 20 years. Waa also the only 6 cylinder I've ever heard run on 2 cylinders and still be drivable.

[-]

VERMILLION-TEA@reddit

my mom had a Pontiac Grand am. taking car of 3 kids single mom couldnt do much maintenance. Got to about 250,000km. Only reason she had to stop driving it was that the car rusted out completely. Like warned if she took it out on the road again there is an increasing chance the engine would touch the pavement.

[-]

Captain_Nuggitz@reddit

2007 rav4 v6

Just oil changes and an alternator, everything else is original

Nearing 400k

[-]

whozwat@reddit

386,000 mi 1983 Saab 900. Very little maintenance but was religious about oil changes. Would have gone forever, but that Saab gave its life protecting my wife and unborn in a terrible freeway accident.

[-]

hittingrhubarb@reddit

The ultimate send off to make a great car a priceless car. Glad to hear your family was okay :)

[-]

whozwat@reddit

That was the last of my many Saabs. That newborn was our fifth kid, so after the wreck life was SUVs in minivans. Solo old dude now, might have to get another old Saab....

[-]

Organic-End-9767@reddit

That's true loyalty

[-]

Amarathe_@reddit

120k nothing but oil changes. They came in one day and asked how the brakes were because they realized theyd never done them, 50% life left. We checked their service history and they had always come to the dealership for service and only ever needed a set of tires and several oil changes.

Also seen a ford explorer (2002 maybe but idk) with over 700k on it but i dont know the service history

[-]

Pretend_Ad_8465@reddit

600,000 mile 2005 Toyota Tundra work truck. My friend barely ever changed the oil filter just topping oil off when low. It was totalled after getting rear ended. I am positive the junkyard that got it sold the engine to someone else and it still lives on.

[-]

ActuatorTraining6448@reddit

297k my son never takes care of anything 😒.

[-]

WorldstarBandit@reddit

Friend of mine had one of the first Genesis sedans when they merged with Hyundai a few years ago. 61k miles without a single oil change. I couldn't believe it

[-]

troycalm@reddit

Got an 05 Boxster I’ve had for 10 years, 300k miles and only oil changes.

[-]

No-Candidate-2380@reddit

1984 opel kadett 1.6 diesel hatchback. just changed oil, filters and brake pads, had 100,000s of of miles and never ever failed until it burned down along with the garage 10 years ago

[-]

DANPARTSMAN44@reddit

Me a vw rabbit diesel

675 k

[-]

JudoNewt@reddit

Toyota hylux. The farmer who had it bought it ten years before i looked at it. I told him the oil was just barely on the dipstick and he said he didn't even know where to check it, i had to show him. Though he was fucking with me but he really just never knew. Guy was a wizard with root vegetables but machines were a mystery to him.

[-]

I_am_Forklift@reddit

My dad had a 99 GMC 2500 Sierra with the 6.0. 250k miles

The man never changed the oil in it. It ate a quart every few months so by his ‘calculations’ he was basically doing an oil change annually.

Truck ran like a beast and pulled his 5th wheel all over the country

[-]

Blu_yello_husky@reddit

Theres a local old guy in the city near me that literally everyone who lives here will know who youre talking about if you ask, I talked to him once at a gas station, he drives a 1974 ford gran torino he bought new in 73 and has been driving it ever since with nothing but oil changes, brakes, and wheel bearings. The odo has rolled over at least 4 times and it was at 76k when I talked to him.

Ask anyone around here if they've seen "that old green car" around, theyll say yes. Jes lived here over 50 years and hes owned the same car the entire time. Impressive.

[-]

SnooEpiphanies8097@reddit

I had a 1995 Mitsubishi Mirage that I put almost 300,000 miles on with late oil changes and maintenance, the cheapest tires and duct tape “just keep it driving” repairs whenever possible. I remember putting 4 tires on it for $110 dollars mounted and balanced. 😂

I know these cars are not known for reliability but I apparently got a good one.

I currently have a Chevy Bolt EUV with 100,000 miles on it and other than tires, it has required no maintenance.

[-]

Jolly-Bowler-811@reddit

Eh, well, my '06 Wrangler was still going strong at 300k when I traded it.

I did the bare minimum of maintenance - added oil when it was low, changed the filter when I thought about it.

For at least a year, the radiator was full of water from a pond along the side of a trail where the hose blew off and puked it's contents all over.

The pieces of the interior that weren't hard plastic were all fucked from years in the sun and rain.

So, I guess that one.

[-]

Leather-Weather3380@reddit

Nissan “Hardbody” pickup. The bargain basement manual with no A/C. Sold it at 300k miles still on the original clutch. Coworker who bought it put on another 50 until he was hit at an intersection by a kid on an F-150. It saved his and his daughters’ lives (one had to be helicoptered to the hospital).

[-]

Concrete_Grapes@reddit

2001 Kia

I picked it up at 130k miles. A small fender bender made the original owner unable to open the hood.

I got it open..

I had never had an oil change. The original factory Korean oil filter was still on. The original timing belt. Original air filter. The owner said that before the accident (at 80k) they would 'sometimes' put oil in it, but had not since.

It had no oil. Not in the dipstick, nothing.

Ran and drove fine

[-]

DeviceAdventurous786@reddit

My father in law. 1994 Toyota Camry. Didn't change the oil. Didn't change the spark plugs. Didn't do anything. Car ran for 197000 miles and blew up the engine.

[-]

Turbosuit@reddit

Acura Integra bought at 230k sold at 310k only put air in the tires. Sold for the same I bought it for.

[-]

Geoarbitrage@reddit

I had a 94 Honda VX that lasted 29 years before succumbing to northern Ohio salted roads & rust. Miss you Betsy!

[-]

imnota_cop@reddit

2012 Toyota Highlander. It had 290k when my mom sold it, only maintenance was oil sometimes at like 15k intervals. She got the air filter and such but other than that it was beat. It largely had highway miles but it was impressive.

[-]

Busy-Organization942@reddit

My neighbor has a 70's truck, Chevy I think, that has the original brake fluid. We are in AZ, however, where humidity levels are often in single digits. Still, this scares me.

[-]

Solid-Tumbleweed-981@reddit

Had a 02 Impala w the 3.4. it ate coolant for like 2 years. When we finally got it fixed the mechanic was surprised it was still chugging along lol. I drove around w coolant and then it finally started giving me a check engine light and would get a little hot. So we had no choice but to fix it

Then I hit black ice flew off the road. It never really ran the same after that but even at its final day the engine still ran 😂

[-]

CapTroller@reddit

My Grandfather’s 1996 Honda Civic

[-]

FRT82-87@reddit

My sister drove the family’s 78 ltd station wagon 25 miles without a drop of antifreeze in the system. I replaced the hose and it went another 50 k miles.

[-]

FRT82-87@reddit

When I went to college, there were many city dwelling New Yorkers there. One young lady had a car purchased for her by her parents, since she could no longer rely on public transportation 100 percent. Her car made it 30 k before the engine locked up due to zero maintenance.

[-]

bluzed1981@reddit

My buddy’s 2010 crv with 471k. Basic oil changes hasn’t changed the atf yet. I just did the brakes yesterday car is in great shape.

[-]

Billz3bub666@reddit

1982 Volvo DL240 - 300K + miles oil changes and tires and brakes

[-]

FickleRefrigerator14@reddit

My GMC Sierra 6.2 always had lights on. Drove that thing for 5 years and put 250k miles on it with fixing anything. Check lights were annoying to look at but truck ran fine.

[-]

Deepcoma_53@reddit

My Buddy went to the automotive mechanic school UTI in Rancho Cucamonga and there he told me about an early ‘90s Toyota Camry the students used as their gopher car, go for this, go for that. The instructors wanted to show them Toyota dependability. The students only added gas, did not do any of the scheduled maintenance on it and the car lasted 2 and a half year, before it crapped out.

[-]

conflictedolder@reddit

Have a 2005 jeep wrangler….occasionally change the oil replaced the water pump and did the brakes 10 years ago… still my daily driver….

[-]

Neptune_trace@reddit

Had a 2002 Toyota sequoia we bought new. Drove it till 2024 and sold it. The only mechanical part that gave out was the alternator and that was 20 yrs old. Brakes, tires and oil changes was all we did. Still ran great when we sold it.

[-]

Readditlovesbans@reddit

Me

I had a 1995 Acura Integra that lasted until 300K\~ miles

The gas tank had a leak...so I could only fill up to 1/8 of a tank barely

[-]

RevolutionaryBeat301@reddit

I had a 1998 honda civic that I bought with 200,000 miles on it. All I ever did was change the oil and put air in the tires. It finally broke when I drove through some deep water at around 300,000 miles and the transmission fluid turned into strawberry milkshake. It still ran ok until I took it to valvoline for a transmission flush. After that, it started to slip.

[-]

Equivalent_Thievery@reddit

Geo prizm, I know it went at least to 200k.

My brother had it after my parents, sold it to a friend. When my brother had it, he did zero upkeep. I helped him do an oil change, it'd been so long that the oil ran out like water and I was able to stick a finger through the air filter when I pulled it out.

[-]

Careful_Thought_8386@reddit

2013 Kia Sorento 418k miles. Quit changing oil around 240k since was losing a quart a week. Just topped off and oil changed every 20k. Attempted to kill it literally. Went over 400k and I started thinking maybe I shouldn't since I doubt I find something that would survive the full neglect this thing did. Quick note ended up rebuilding it as a backup car the steering rack died is the only reason it took a break. probably less then 1k spending for parts over 5 years if want a rough estimate of neglect.

[-]

Mick-Mack@reddit

Not a car, but my LawnBoy lawnmower is still going. I never changed the oil for 7 years, finally changed it and then gave it to my brother-in-law. To be fair, he’s probably never mowed his grass. It’s probably collecting dust in his shed. Kohler engine.

[-]

MentalTelephone5080@reddit

I started working for a growing company a few years ago. They decided to get company vehicles. A few higher ups got their own car and the rest of us got a few to share.

I asked who was responsible for ensuring the maintenance gets done. The response was everyone. If you get in and see it needs an oil change you should bring it. They woule reimburse the charge. My response was, that means it's not going to get done.

We found out that a Dodge Ram with a hemi can last almost 38,000 on the factory oil fill before it seizes up.

[-]

LegitimateUser2000@reddit

Buick Century - dude never changed the oil !!

[-]

Scarlett-the-01-TJ@reddit

‘65 Mustang, never spend a night in a garage. Survived two fender bender crashes. Floorboards rusted out in the back seats. A friend had to ride home from college one time with just the floor mat between her feet and the highway. Dad riveted sheet metal to repair it. Drove it from PA to Ft. Lauderdale with the automatic transmission failing. Flushed the radiator which cleaned out all the rust that was plugging the pinholes. Needed to drive everywhere with a container of water. I was still driving it when it was running on five cylinders when I bought an MG. It got stolen after someone yanked the ignition core and hot wired it. Found it a few blocks away, probably overheated. Drove it back home and used a screwdriver to start it every week or so. When I was moving back north after three years, my dad desperately wanted it back but it was obviously undriveable and my mother said no way was he paying to have it shipped or repaired. Sold it to a dumb kid for $400 who had grand plans to restore it.

[-]

PolybiusChampion@reddit

I had an alcoholic, but very nice, neighbor who had a late 70’s Ford F150 with a manual transmission. This was in the later 90’s and he’d only changed the oil twice.

[-]

Scarlett-the-01-TJ@reddit

‘65 Mustang never parked in a garage . Back seat floorboards rusted out. Had a friend put her foot through one while driving home from college. My dad repaired it with sheet metal . Drove from PA to Ft. Lauderdale after college with the automatic transmission failing. Replaced that, had the rad

[-]

dental_floss_junkie@reddit

My buddy had a ‘90s Chevy cavalier with a manual transmission. I hung had 350000+miles and would just go. He beat it down. It was still running when he traded it for a 1st gen Tacoma.

[-]

Zealousideal_Lack_36@reddit

My boss in work bought a 2002 Volkswagen golf estate brand new and its still running 24 years later. Seems like older engines are alot tougher than more modern ones

[-]

Reasonable_Tax_5351@reddit

For a while I worked at the parts container and one time this guy came in with a sunburnt red 99 echo that had 420k miles on the clock. Said it had been his grandmother's and he'd get rid of it but it just kept working. The engine was running perfectly and it looked all original.

[-]

Competitive-Double67@reddit

This makes me seriously wish i sucked it up and got that echo with 80k i saw for 4k a while back

[-]

Any-Description8773@reddit

Cousin bought a Cavalier brand new. She asked me to give it a 100,000 mile tuneup. I went to change the oil and just one gloop came out. IT STILL HAD THE ORIGINAL OIL IN IT!!! She never once had even an oil change. Stupid thing lasted another 100,000 miles with better maintenance but I have no earthly clue how. If I did something like that I’d have been walking with a blown engine at 20,000 miles.

[-]

IDPTheory@reddit

Worked for Audi. There was a Passat that we serviced every few months because of the mileage the driver did. The odo was well over 500,000 miles. Half a million. WITH servicing although I hear Australian yutes regularly achieve more due to the distances there. WITHOUT servicing, it'll probably be a very boring late 90's automatic Toyota or Honda. They run and run with very little upkeep.

[-]

Consistent-Play-4127@reddit

Friend from high school. Took an old 80’s truck, that’s been sitting for years. Drove it from Minnesota to savanna georgia. And back a few months later! Never did anything but put gas in the truck.

[-]

DCLexiLou@reddit

High school friend’s Dad had a 68 Olds 98 that never had an oil change and was literally painted with Olympic Overcoat black paint with a roller! He topped up oil if it got low bit it was bizarre. Of course, he was the cheapest man I’ve ever known

[-]

48hMaintenance@reddit

600.000km in a 2004 Toyota Corolla with just the regular oil change and wear pieces

[-]

Wiscos@reddit

I had a full size Denali and drove it for over 120k miles. Never had a single issue.

[-]

ResponseNo6375@reddit

I sold my ‘94 S10 to my mechanic, he used it to run parts and sold it and bought it back from a few of his customers that needed a cheap ride. Last I heard it was over 300k miles. Only maintenance it ever got was oil changes, wipers, battery, brakes, starter. The 4.3 V6 just goes forever.

[-]

BigDust@reddit

Our company has some gen 1 Tundras that still run daily and have been running for us for a decade, they run awfully with every warning light on but they still run.

[-]

EntertainerIll8089@reddit

2010 f150,dash looks like a Xmas tree, every light is on , haven't changed oil, or did any maintenance. In years. It now has 347,000 miles. Drive it at least 60 miles a day.

[-]

le_fez@reddit

My brother had a Toyota hit 485k miles, he did oil changes and brakes, and tires as needed but nothing else. He thought the car was done around 350k miles and the mechanic said "when was the last time you had a tuneup?" My brother said never and after that it ran like new .

[-]

low_mizu@reddit

2011 Honda civic ex coupe.

425K miles, nothing but oil changes and brake pads. Original timing chain, original trans, original engine.

The R18A’s after 2009 are super stout. Honda knows how to build a car.

[-]

Minuuven@reddit

I had a 1984 square body 4 wd that ran forever, I'd bought it used for $500. Originally it was a farm truck that wasn't taken care of. But I ran it 10 years before getting a newer one.

[-]

blind-madman@reddit

2001 Volvo V70 run flawless up untill at 510k km i had to give it away, because of rust and taxes. (Mostly taxes). Car flwas still running like a dream. Engine and Gearbox - Perfect. Ac was blowing cold ( like cold cold, not like modern cars). Music was good. Every single thing on it worked. Owned it for ~300k km, never did any major repairs. Apart from oul changes, suspension and wear items.

[-]

Dismal_Extreme3817@reddit

Guy made the news here in NZ with a 93 Corolla that did 2 million kms

[-]

SheLovesMe_Not-@reddit

My dad owned a bmw 533i that went over 400k miles before it caught on fire in our garage

[-]

eatingabananawrong@reddit

I worked with someone who was selling a car after owning it for 8 years. I asked her if it used any oil and she looked at me blankly. Turns out she had driven all that time and nobody had lifted the bonnet once. Conclusion was that it must have been pretty good on oil consumption.

[-]

TheWhogg@reddit

My 1985 Ford was bought for $2500 near death. Smoking and generally looking worn out at 160,000km.

I changed the oil. Smoke stopped. I drove it another 160,000km with basically nothing except basic maintenance. Gifted it to a neighbour when I bought a new one. I think I might have changed a lower control arm when it snapped in half.

[-]

Mystery_4@reddit

'85 Ford what? Drop the tea my guy.

[-]

TheWhogg@reddit

Falcon S 4.1 EFI

[-]

Tough-Pie8062@reddit

I had a 92 Fairmont Ghia with the 302. It had 446,000 on the clock. Engine was tired but the trans felt like new.

[-]

Brixmis51@reddit

Nice. I love a Falcon. I had an AU a few years ago. Literally Gods Own Chariot.

[-]

TheWhogg@reddit

I was in leasing during AUs. They were absolute trash. The radiator would fail after a couple of years and mix coolant into the integrated transmission cooler. Most of them were on the second transmission by the end of a 3 year lease.

I bought a string of AU3s and BA1s from the warehouse because you couldn’t give them away due to the abysmal quality.

Told everyone to fit an external transmission cooler and bought myself a manual. They are still going great today.

[-]

Jetmutant@reddit

2004 BMW X5 350k miles before we sold it, still going strong. Changed the alternator and the heater/AC fan

[-]

VW-MB-AMC@reddit

There was a number of old W123 and W124 Mercedeses, and also old Volvos in my area that seemed to be impossible to kill. We have had many W123 cars in the family. We have always maintained ours but I can see how they can last and last and last. The old Toyota Hilux is another example.

[-]

jules083@reddit

Obligatory not a car, but I have to share 2 stories.

About 15 or so years ago my dad bought a 1948 John Deere A that had motor problems. It would run but had almost 0 oil pressure, assumed it was finally due for a rebuild.

He basically just backed it in the barn to 'get to later'. I got bored one day and fiddled. Damn thing apparently hadn't had an oil change in years, probably more than 10. The oil came out the consistency of water and smelled like stale gasoline. Best I can figure is the carburetor was leaking through and filling the motor with gasoline. It leaks oil out of a seal that's like just at the correct height to keep the motor from getting overfilled, so if you dump too much oil in it'll puke it right back out.

So gas was draining into the oil, raising the oil height, then it was leaking out. So the oil level was always reasonably close to being correct, it was just slowly getting replaced with gasoline.

I Drained the gas/oil mix out, dumped fresh oil in, looked at the pressure gauge, hooked it to the hay rake, and put it to work. That was 15 years ago, and I could go start that thing right now and work it for the day if I wanted to.

20 years ago I bought a 1944 Farmall M. Went to look at it and the guy had it parked on top of a hill behind the barn. Old guy of course. He said the tractor won't start itself anymore so he'd just coast start it on the hill when he needed it, and to only shut it off on top of the hill. Been like that for untold years. I rebuilt the electronics on it and put it to work. Never had an issue since.

Here's a picture of my son on my Farmall. I gave it a coat of paint since then, just a brush job. Mostly just use it for joyrides around the farm now. Cleaned up pretty good considering it's 82 years old. Still starts up with a push of a button whenever you ask it to. Electrical charging system is mostly made out of parts for a 1972 Chevy C10 pickup truck, with a coil from some sort of Dodge from the 70's. I wasn't sure what to use for parts so I went to Napa, told them I had a 72 Chevy pickup, and bought everything they handed me then made it fit. Luckily the guy there was an old gearhead, he told me to use a dodge coil so I did and it worked. Lol

https://imgur.com/a/OxjUkTe

[-]

SolarWind77@reddit

My brother owned a 2003 Durango with the 4.7l. He did nothing but infrequent oil changes. Im talking 12-15k between changes and never checked the oil, or trans, or anything. He drove that thing all over. It was approaching 400k when he sold it. I was baffled. He tried to kill it and it wouldnt die. It didnt even smoke. Exhaust leaked like crazy at the manifold but that was it.

[-]

aperturephotography@reddit

My 2004 530D touring.

265k miles, the oil was from the drain off barrel from local garage after the dipstick tube came out the sump and they had no oil in stock. Was meant to just get me home but I never changed it. 5 years it ran like that.

Ews ended up shitting a brick and by the time I sorted that, the jacking points didn't work.

Engine still ran first time key was turned though.

[-]

kingramstone04@reddit

My current car is a 2013 Prius with 273k miles. My wife had a 180-mile round trip commute to work 4 days a week. Still runs like a clock and the only maintenance we’ve done is oil, tires and wipers.

[-]

IAmCaptainHammer@reddit

I had a Saturn ion that I did next to nothing to and did 10k miles between oil changes.

Sold it at 210k miles and it was strong as ever. Saw it in my hometown for years afterward.

[-]

Spare-Dragonfruit580@reddit

83 non turbo diesel Mercedes.

[-]

Gubbtratt1@reddit

My great-grandpa had a Volvo 740 that he bought brand new in 1983 and used until he died in 2022. Sometime around 2020 it started running rough. Turns out he had never changed the oil.

[-]

20ears19@reddit

Not the longest running but i talked to a guy with a late 80s four runner who told me it’s the best car he’s ever owned “64k miles and I’ve never even had to change the oil”

[-]

diamasa@reddit

Any 30 + year old F150. Or mid 90s and earlier Camry. My girlfriend had that Camry and the oil plug fell out. I told her it was starting to smell like burning oil and she should take it to the mechanic. At least a week later she did. They replaced the drain plug, topped it up and later gave it to her younger brother. That rust bucket is still going, No AC but otherwise it runs perfectly. How is this even possible

[-]

Responsible-Doctor26@reddit

In the dinosaur age of the late 1970s and early '80s My brother owned an interest in a Bronx cab company. One of his cars was a 1978 Ford Fairmont 4 cylinder. An ugly uncomfortable car that sometimes I felt I could run faster in a race going uphill than the car could.

My brother ran it at least 20 hours a day with himself as a driver and several employees. He treated that car terribly. I remember him driving me down the cross Bronx expressway at about 75 mph and hitting every pothole imaginable. Also just think about what the roads were like in many poor areas of the Bronx. 20,000 miles between oil changes using the cheapest available oil was also not unheard of.

The car lasted almost 600,000 mi and the only major repair was a transmission that he used from a totaled sister car. Several other of the same model cars that my brother ran had difficulty reaching 100,000 miles. My brother just about cried when a private garbage truck backed into it totaling the car . .

[-]

smallchainringmasher@reddit

2014 Jeep Renegade. Owner did nothing except put gas in it for 130k miles. Never changed the oil nor added to it until it conked out on highway. He checked, no oil on dipstick, got it towed, added a few quarts and drove it away.

[-]

Shrikecorp@reddit

Mom's 81 Datsun 310, purchased new. Only maintenance was repair (clutch, etc) and very infrequent oil changes. I know it had well over 200k mi (maybe 300k) when I had it towed to the wrecking yard, still running, in 1999.

[-]

Inner_Pipe6540@reddit

We had a 70 dodge dart with a slant six in it as a kid all my dad did was oil change and spark plugs lasted 300k miles on it

[-]

mcshaftmaster@reddit

My dad had a 73 dart with a slant 6. It would've lasted longer if my dad was the type to do maintenance, but his philosophy was to not do anything until it was actually needed. The oil pump eventually failed, probably due to lack of oil changes and thatvwas the end of that.

[-]

East_Wish2948@reddit

Slant sixs were wild. They would run without oil. My dad had 350k on his step side pickup. The bed complete rusted off before the engine stopped running.

[-]

LiesInRuins@reddit

My buddy had a Honda accord he bought used and drove for 5 years. Never did any maintenance on it. He had to get it inspected and it wouldn’t pass so he brought it to me. I couldn’t believe there was oil still left in it. The tires were bare on the outside like racing slicks.

[-]

MarchCompetitive6235@reddit

I knew an old guy that had this piece of crap Chevy citation. He had bought it brand new in the mid 80's. It sounded terrible, always seem to run pretty terrible but always started.

It leaked/burned oil so he was always adding oil to it. By his logic, he never had to change the oil because it was constantly dripping out little by little and being replaced by fresh oil when he topped it off.

It got several rounds of brand new tires from Les Schwab. With the paperwork still in the glove box. He drove that thing around with zero maintenance til he died in around 2016.

After he died, some kid bought it and drove it away.

[-]

redsnowman45@reddit

Grandpa had Lincoln Town Cars two were pushing 400k miles with only oil changes and tires. Always garaged them and they still looked new.

[-]

Eattherich187@reddit

My elderly coworker had a little ford courier from the 70s. Just changed the oil. Truck ran great still in the early 2000s

[-]

generic317@reddit

Anything with a GM 4.3 or 3.8 Can’t stand their vehicles, but those engines do not quit

[-]

noladutch@reddit

I have had numerous Fords with a 300 six. Love those slow thirsty things.

The first one was an 86 e150 got to 360k miles on it before it was rear-ended and totaled. Then was in the salvage yard and it was their yard truck still going. They torched the back half off and made a pickup thing out of it. That truck was a trooper it was a haul my dirt bike van for me then my little brothers band took that thing all over the country. The was a service truck for my business when I first opened.

Now I own two f150s with a 300 and a manual. One with 286k the work truck the other with 116k on it the going to town truck nice truck.

You have to be a special kind of stupid to blow up a 300 six.

[-]

Ashton-MD@reddit

1996 Jaguar XJ6 Vanden Plas Majestic.

She’s had maintenance but she’s been the most affordable car, all told, we’ve ever owned. This is followed quite closely by a 2006 Volvo XC70

But just to complete the absurdity of the above statement, our WORST vehicle was a 2007 Toyota Tacoma — with the n/a four pot. Thing was a lemon since day one, and it rotted away prematurely, with nearly everything going wrong on it. From the engine to the brakes, the rust to (weirdly) the windshield wiper motors that gave up twice during our ownership, and “conveniently”, both during a snow storm.

For context, I do believe in preventative maintenance and try to stay on top of things, hence why our experience with Jaguar and Volvo, amongst other brands, has been relatively painless. And I’m not so stupid as to believe that our Toyota was representative of the whole brand, we were just unfortunate with that lemon.

[-]

Normal-guy-mt@reddit

Cousin had a 70s something Chrysler Cordoba.

He drove that thing for more than a decade. Only money spent on gas.

No oil changes. No fluid changes. Tires had metal cords showing.

[-]

inlikeflint1234@reddit

I've got a 36 year old Toyota truck bought brand new, probably paid 4-5k in repairs during that time. Still has original muffler, and most parts haven't been replaced in years since it's my second vehicle now. Has 312k miles

[-]

unpolire@reddit

1952 Bentley Continental coupe with fastback custom coachwork. The elderly original owner drove it daily and also had a Lamborghini Countach.

[-]

SealSketch@reddit

2002 Honda Accord. 397,000 miles until she got rear ended and totaled out.

[-]

Jonfers9@reddit

My dad had an original Kia Sephia that he changed the oil on maybe every 50k miles. It ran forever.

[-]

reddit_tookmybaby@reddit

I have a 2009 Mazda 3 with 274,000 miles and the original coil packs. The engine blew at 105k but I took them off and re-used them. Recently replaced the MAF, knock sensor, and an intake manifold solenoid. Most everything else except some suspension parts are original.

[-]

tomnan24@reddit

Lexus ES300 275000 miles just oil xhanges and.most were late

[-]

Additional_Run3119@reddit

2015 BMW 535i.. only did something when absolutely necessary (i.e. car was inoperative for a few days)

[-]

6speeddakota@reddit

Have a buddy with a 2004 Pontiac sunfire that's been ridden hard and put up wet its whole life. It's suffered from neglect when he and his girlfriend took possession of the car. Not sure it's ever had more than oil changes, and those intervals are more suggestions than anything else. They're still driving it to this day. It just hit 302,000 km.

They paid me a couple years ago to redo all the brakes, ended up having to put a fuel pump in it because the fuel filter I believe to be original to the car was nearly plugged solid and took out the pump.

[-]

Iambetterthanuhaha@reddit

Had a friend who got a 1994 Camry LE 4 cylinder auto brand new. Beat the shit out of it and still made it 300k with no issues. That was peak Toyota quality though.

[-]

Whole_Equal_2344@reddit

Believe it or not my 2001 Mercedes Benz E430 that owned for 4 years never died on me and I sold it running and driving with 0 issues(other than electrical lol) with 230k miles on the dash. The thing was fast, comfortable, beautiful interior, and an absolute pleasure to own and destroy as kid in highschool. I took awful care of that car and she never let me down, I’ve since owned 3 more Mercedes with the same engine and/or transmission all have been an absolutely pleasure to own.

[-]

Responsible_Egg_3260@reddit

My mom got 18 years out of her 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe. The timing belt finally gave out and she could have easily fixed it and kept going but she was getting too old to drive a manual.

All she did to that car was oil changes.

[-]

Easy_does_it78@reddit

My buddy had a Jeep Comanche 4.0L and it just ran forever. The guy rarely worked on it and when he did change the oil you could see the metal flakes in it. It had a manual transmission which helped with the longevity but that truck was just a workhorse

[-]

Different-Set4505@reddit

My 07 Honda Accord 300,000 miles, transmission finally died.

[-]

SyntheticOne@reddit

This won't break any records, but out 2012 Prius v Five is now at 211,000 miles and has has two maintenance fixes; at 140,000 front brake pads and at 204,000 replace water pump.

We do oil changes and tire rotations.

[-]

codepoet101@reddit

2003 v8 tundra, nothing but oil changes brakes and tires. my buddy still drives it 420 000KM and 2 timing belts later. its never even had an oil leak shockingly

[-]

Bubbly-Pirate-3311@reddit

The 4.7L in the 2000's Land Cruiser and tundra was such a good engine. Woefully underpowered, even with vvt, but still.

[-]

JfxV20@reddit

That's awesome. I heard those old V8 are built next to forever. If I may ask, what is the oil viscosity do you use at the time it still was with you? Any other major replacements other than T. Belt like cv axle etc. Thanks in advance.

[-]

CollenOHallahan@reddit

2000 audi a4 1.8t quattro manual. I bought it with 200k miles. Sold it with 355k.

I put a couple of timing belts in it and a clutch.

[-]

Bubbly-Pirate-3311@reddit

Those 1.8ts are an anomaly. They're either horrid or amazing. Either 50k miles and they're done or 500k and ready for more.

[-]

EyeIll7026@reddit

I had a 1998 Camry in high school and was terrible about maintenance (because I hated the car and it was super cheap so I didn't really care... plus I had no money). I drove it until about 245k miles and then it sat in my parents driveway for several years until someone offered $500 for it. Charged the battery, it started right up and he drove away in it.

[-]

BigSkyHawk1@reddit

1994 Honda accord. Put 100k miles on it and barely ever did oil changes. The plastic radiator failed on it at some point. Replaced it and kept on chugging along. Car started up every single time.

[-]

Lost-Key-9670@reddit

01 F250 Supercrew 4x4. 5.4L. Bought new. Paid $27,000. Only changed oil when it knocked. Typically 25-35k miles. Towed tractors, plows, cattle. RV, and many wild miles. Up and down the ranch its entire life. Sold at 285k miles. Replaced a battery, 2 alternators, 4 coil plugs. Still sold for $6500 in 2011.

[-]

SVTContour@reddit

2017 Chevrolet Bolt and it's mine.

[-]

WinstonEagleson@reddit

2012 Honda Civic, only basic maintenance. Never changed transmission fluid, antifreeze changed twice. Only muffler, starter, spark plugs and thermostat changed beyond regular tires and brakes over 14 years with 341,000 and still going

[-]

No-Improvement-625@reddit

Currently its my 2013 prius c. Currently has 245,000 miles, and did fuck all when it came to maintenence.

[-]

Scallyswags@reddit

2 cars - first was a coworkers and good friend Jeff, he had a 90’s Corolla that he might still have to this day. Likely 500k miles, a/c comp failed, bolted that shit so it ran all the time, few gears missing in the manual trans, still runs..
if your into fast supras you should follow him on Instagram, he’s fucking hilarious and has some rad cars

https://www.instagram.com/jeffrey_international?igsh=MTJkejFxMWU2Y2FkbQ==

Second is my current daily driver, 2000 Subaru Outback sport with the 2.2 and a 5-speed. I try to change the oil twice a year but really it’s only when it gets really noisy. Has 290k currently, bought it at 130k with a bad clutch fork, so I assume it’s still on the original disc as I never changed it.
I’ve done timing twice and the first time was due to a failed idler bearing. One caliper replaced. One valve cover gasket replaced to adjust valve clearance due to misfires when cold. Plugs and wires have been replaced once. It gets a few redlines daily and it just brings a smile to my face every single day. I genuinely adore this car. I’ve owned it well over a decade and might switch over to my wife’s 05 92-X Aero as we’ve been looking for a new car for her and the kids. I’m not selling it though 🤣

I’ve done a few mods just to make it more my style:
04 STI dampers
Kartboy short shifter
Beatrush shift knob
Some cheap shifter extension
Bride reclining seat and bride rails
Legacy snowflake wheels for summer tires
Factory wheels for winter tires

I don’t see any reason other than me throwing a turbo and standalone on this as to why it would not easily last another 1-2 hundred K miles.

[-]

New-Job1761@reddit

My 98 Dodge diesel with 265,000 miles that finally had to have the torque converter replaced. 2 brake jobs and 2 starter motors. Dual batteries replaced twice in 28 years. In my 86 years I’ve never owned anything else approaching it except possibly my 2015 Avalon.

[-]

Odd-Candidate-9235@reddit

My dad drives a 1996 Buick Roadmaster. He bought it new. Does basic maintenance. The only repair I’m aware of is a transmission rebuild.

[-]

nourright@reddit

2001 gmc safari . Had major tune up in 2010 . Car is solid, always had regular oil changes but nothing else.

[-]

TheElectricWizard666@reddit

94 Ford ranger (4.0 v6) , got it with 160k ran it up to 210k sold it to a friend who got another 100k out of it. Before selling it to someone else. I wouldn't be shocked if it's still running. I never bothered changing the oil, it burned enough, I would just add some oil every two or three weeks.

[-]

MountainManxDan@reddit

2008 fj cruiser at 80k with no history of ever having any service to include oil change. Was owned by a landscaping business and they just had some guy driving it without bringing it in for service.

Service ticket simply said "runs rough". Drove in under its own power with one of the camshafts broken and only black tar residue from what was once oil.

[-]

mnsundevil@reddit

A buddy of mines dad had a 1979 Ford truck back when we were in high school in the early to mid 90's. It died around 1996 with 545,000 miles on it.

[-]

OkDirection8015@reddit

2001 Lincoln Continental. Car drove for 24 years before the tranny finally went out. Sadly it wasn’t worth saving because parts availability were surprisingly low.

[-]

TheElectricWizard666@reddit

My father had this same car for 12 years and racked up 260k before the transmission gave out. He absolutely loved that car but couldn't justify rebuilding the transmission

[-]

TotoItsAMotorRace@reddit

I had an 05 Accord. 235k miles on the original brake and transmission fluid. Changed plugs once.

It still ran when I replaced it.

[-]

cincomidi@reddit

94 accord lx. Bought it at 120k, drive the piss out of it for 150k more. Burn outs, street racing, dumping clutch and ebrake skids. Tires and oil were the only maintenance. Sold it at 270k miles and the buyer rolled back the odometer and listed it for sale a few months later.

[-]

Coloradokush5280@reddit

My gmas 96 gmc sanoma. Which is now mine and has 79,000 miles to date! Does need some work tho

[-]

twdpuller@reddit

That’s just getting broke in

[-]

Coloradokush5280@reddit

I believe she got it with 12,075 if that paperwork is correct. Very little highway if any. To the store and home basically

[-]

twdpuller@reddit

With maintenance it should run a long time for you

[-]

Coloradokush5280@reddit

Not really grandma doesn't go faster than 60. Probably in 10+ years

[-]

resellpanda88@reddit

Currently in a 2004 Honda accord, 258K miles, no oil change in 8+ years.

[-]

Hungry-Job-3198@reddit

Several customers with high mileage vehicles. But the one who did the least amount of maintenance and repairs. Was one customer, younger family. Dad is in his early 30s with younger kids. So he was driving a Lexus ES350 and when someone hit him and totaled the car it had 497k miles on it. He would rarely even have enough disposable income to approve an air filter.

Lexus is by far the vehicle manufacturer that I’ve seen last the longest and still be in decent shape with just the minimum amount of maintenance.

[-]

Bleades@reddit

98 F150 85K miles no oil change or maintenance, only tires and brakes. Dad just topped it off occasionally then traded it in on a new 06.

[-]

snootchiebootchie94@reddit

My bro had a 2000 Toyota Avalon with 275k on it. Engine and transmission were perfect. He do change the oil. Shocks were blown. Needed bushings and control arms. Windows didn’t work. Sunroof leaked. Paint was peeling. Carpet wears worn and stained. Seats all torn. He drove it on 4 hour trips regularly. He sold it when he moved. May still be going.

[-]

tigers692@reddit

My 1954 3100 Chevy pickup truck, sat in the garage for many decades until I started it. Since I’ve tuned it and changed the oil, but it runs fine, not as fast as my other vehicles, and if I’m not careful it can over heat, but runs good for a vehicle that is over seventy years old.

[-]

Top_Plankton8232@reddit

my 1996 civic running strong at 200k miles

[-]

According-Repair-123@reddit

Friend in high school had 1% oil life on his Honda accord from 10th grade to freshman year of college when he totaled it. Never changed the oil once that I remember. Never washed it, was a real dump on the inside, purred like a kitten.

[-]

Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

'56 Studebaker pickup, still going strong on most of the original parts and still being used as a pickup.

[-]

fatkid0821@reddit

I personally have owned 3 with 500-600 k miles tgere are many that will pretty easily go 500k to 1 million miles with not much more than basic maintenance

[-]

AphonicTX@reddit

Friend of mine had a Nissan maxima - never did an oil change after 10k miles until she sold it with 106k miles on it. Ran fine.

[-]

ShoemakerMicah@reddit

Sold my 93’ Toyota Camry with 288k miles, as best I can research it lasted to a bit over 500,000 miles before being totaled due to insurance claim. 89’ Camry sold at 380,000 miles, no idea what happened to it after, my NSX was sold at 176,000 miles and appears to still be on the road. Well built cars last longer than the owners of said cars.

[-]

VicDamoneSrr@reddit

Me

I had a 2002 Passat 450k miles on it. All I ever did was oil change, barely. Only repair I needed was a tie rod

Idk shit about cars. Still don’t. I don’t even remember joining this sub

[-]

depstunts@reddit

1998 Ford Taurus with 440,000 miles, owner tried to trade it in for a used car at a dealership by buddy owned. It looked in rough shape too.

[-]

Hoopajoops@reddit

So not the highest mileage but my dad owned an old Chevy truck and every Mike was hard on it. Basically used it like a tractor. It lasted him 20 years

[-]

Professor_Iron@reddit

A lot of Peugeots run for a long time on minimum maintenance. Surprisingly not even the ones that were considered reliable back in the days, but the dreaded 206, 307 or 407. These were considered so rubbish that first owners were rushing to sell them as soon as the lease ran out and yet nowadays they hold up quite well. I assume they are chosen by those who don't care if the airbag light comes on or the snychronizer rings are worn out. They just drive them as is.

I also see plenty of Škoda Fabias & Octavias, Fiat Puntos and Ford-era Jaguars operated in the same manner.

[-]

ObjectiveHeart3804@reddit

1993 Nissan Quest Mini Van. Sold it at 289,000 miles. It's still running around town. We also drove a 1993 Chevy 3/4 ton Diesel pickup. Replaced the engine at over 320k only because two gas attendants put unleaded fuel in it two different times. It melted the fuel injectors. We just sold that pickup. Had it for 35 years

[-]

Ok_Development_495@reddit

My 2000 Miata was the most reliable car I ever owned. It never broke down in the 16 years I owned it and put a smile on my face every time I drove it. I changed my own oil and antifreeze, and did expected repairs before any failures occurred. The previous car was a 1992 Geo Prizm, essentially a clone of the Corolla. That car needed an alternator, but nothing else in the time I owned it.
Great cars! Virtually no work to keep them running.

[-]

mechapoitier@reddit

Family member of mine ran a Kia Soul out of oil twice and it continued to run. Zero maintenance. Just abhorrent neglect and if kept going.

[-]

corporaterebel@reddit

BMW E46 that I bought with less than 60k miles. I have over 260k miles on the car. Have not changed changed the transmission fluid.

Changed the coolant once because the radiator cracked. Put a salvaged PS pump because the shaft broke. Changed a few coils from junkyard. Spark plugs 3x.

Change oil using my other card old oil.

Mostly tires and batteries.

[-]

Sierragrower@reddit

I bought an 83 Toyota 2wd pickup with 300,000 miles on it in 2013. I changed the oil a couple times bringing it up to 370,000 miles commuting up a mountain and back every day for work. At one point I disassembled the alternator and cleaned out the oil that had dripped on it. I sold it for 700 8 years ago and I still see it running around town.

[-]

imranarain@reddit

1993 Lexus ES300. Dad bought it new and it ran beautifully till 2010 until it met a tree head on.

[-]

glok41@reddit

We have a 1935 Chevy 3 window standard coupe, 91 years and still runs and it’s all original. Recently sold a ‘89 Chevy K1500 I daily drove for 26 years. Sold the truck for more than I paid for it.

[-]

Different-Fan-6991@reddit

The same 2008 saab 93 has been in my family for 10 years now. I bought it with 140k miles and it had sticky valves. Its got over 300k now as a hand me down car and I can’t imagine anything besides oil changes have ever been done to it.

[-]

YogurtclosetDull2380@reddit

My brother put 100k miles on his 93 Ranger V6 without changing the oil

[-]

Br0boc0p@reddit

I took a 92 Accord from 218k to 285k and it had antifreeze in the oil that whole time. I added oil when the lifters would start tapping over the road noise. When it broke down I sold it to a dude who put a new timing chain tensioner on it and followed my maintenance routine for another 3 months before he hit a deer.

[-]

Celtic159@reddit

I bought my wife a 2005 Accord. She's no longer my wife. That poor car is still her daily and probably has oil in it from the second Bush administration.

[-]

Ok-Philosophy-8830@reddit

High-school friend had a 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid that he drove from 120,000-250,000 miles over the course of 10 years. Just sold it a couple months ago. He did less than 5 oil changes on it in that entire time and the only other things were replacing the tires when his parent bought it and replacing the battery around 180,000 miles.

Didn’t drive it gently either.

[-]

Bob_12_Pack@reddit

A high school friend had an 88 Corolla that she managed to get over 200,000 miles. We were in college around 1994 when it finally went tits up. The mechanic asked her if she had changed the oil, ever. She had no idea she was supposed to do anything like that.

[-]

fbi_surveillance99@reddit

My dad had a 97 avalon. Bought it with 38k on it, got rid of it with 229k. Only ever did oil changes, brakes, and tires....sold it for $900 with rear brake lines cut off and sealed off so it was only working on front brakes

[-]

blackstomach@reddit

I don’t know how true this is but I remember hearing you could run a Honda Civic almost indefinitely without oil or that someone tried for awhile to see what would happen. Same with Toyota trucks in the Middle East. I may also be high

[-]

Whole_Inside_4863@reddit

I know someone who has proven this to be incorrect, oil is important, even to a Civic.

[-]

OPisalady@reddit

My brother has a 2005 Toyota Tacoma that my dad bought brand new and then gave to him in 2015. They’ve done basic upkeep and replacing belts, etc when appropriate but beyond that, it’s still in perfect condition especially the interior.

[-]

Over-Description-293@reddit

I had a 2005 Chevy Impala, 285k miles. I bought it with 150k miles and prob only got the oil changed a handful of times..5 max:

[-]

RealBigDickBrannigan@reddit

1993 BMW 525i. Currently 342K miles, original engine (but not the GM-made automatic!). Doesn't burn oil either :)

[-]

TheThinDewLine@reddit

Ill throw my car in. 96 Landcruiser (LX450). Only really do oil changes, tire rotations and brake jobs. Original engine and trans. Power steering stopped working. Leaks coolant and oil. Windows barely work. Trans and engine seem solid though. No rust.

[-]

Bran-Bran-Bran@reddit

85 Corolla, my friends parents gave it to him as his first car. He hated the damn thing never did any maintenance on it. Drove it like a crazy person. Eventually his dad made him do the brakes when they were about ready to fall off. I think that’s the only thing ever done to it. I guess tires, I do remember wire sticking out of them. Anyway it still ran in 2010 when I left the state. We were old enough he was starting to appreciate it and wanted to fix it up. Lost touch. I wonder if it’s still running. Unlikely.

[-]

glockjs@reddit

pretty much any camry/corolla since the 80s. k series accords. k series civics are double edged sword. more has to do with the driver for reliability lol.

[-]

0peRightBehindYa@reddit

My 98 Taurus SHO had 218k on the factory trans fluid when it finally threw a rod.

[-]

sebastiand1@reddit

Infiniti vq’s mostly q50’s when I worked at the dealer a lot of 200k miles cars.

[-]

Mybigbithrowaway732@reddit

I had a 93 f150 that I bought for $300. I drove it for 5 years and did zero maintenance. Only work I did was replace a tire and a blown brake l line. When I scrapped it for $400 it had 430k on it. The only reason I even scrapped it was I needed more space for a kid and no one would pay me above scrap.

[-]

Accurate-Flamingo-16@reddit

Mirage g4 17 160k just basic stuff like filters oils, tires and breaks. The one that would keep me in the shop forester xt 06, every 3k-5k i would need to do something