Can a Car Really Last a Million Miles?

From the November 2011 VehicleMD publication

One million miles. It's like driving 10,000 miles a year...for a century. It's like driving around the earth's equator...40 times. It's like taking a round trip to the moon...twice. (Before the astronomers write in, we know it's technically only 955,428 miles in two round trips to the moon, but we rounded!) It's so far, in fact, that it takes light a little more than 5.3 seconds to cross one million miles.

In other words, one million miles is, in the human scale of things, a loooooong way. Yet more and more vehicles these days are turning up with that magic number on their odometers. And I'm not talking about over-the-road trucks, either, since those big-rigs are built to endure such long distances. I'm talking about the very same passenger vehicles most of us drive every single day.

For instance, you might have read about Joe LoCicero, the insurance adjuster from Maine who just hit the million-mile mark in his 1990 Honda Accord. Bought the car used in 1996 when it had 74,000 miles on it and averages about 4,700 miles per month.

Or how about Wisconsin travelling salesman Peter Gilbert, who retired his 1989 Saab 900 to a museum in 2006 after wracking up 1,001,285 miles.

Finally, there's New York's Irv Gordon, a retired schoolteacher who purchased his 1966 Volvo P1800S brand new and is preparing to hit the three million-mile (!) mark early next year. Gordon- who put 1,500 miles on the car the first two days he had it- has driven the car an average of 65,000 miles per year, even shipping the car across the Atlantic to tour Europe on occasion.

So how have these drivers achieved such extreme lifespans with their cars, especially when a typical vehicle's lifespan is around 145,000 miles? By following these seven strategies.

1. Drive. A lot.
It goes without saying that in order to hit seven figures on your odometer (if, in fact, your car's odometer goes that high) you have to put in some serious seat time. But not all miles are created equal.

As these drivers could attest, though highway miles are amassed faster, they are typically easier on your car than miles driven in city traffic. Constantly starting, stopping, accelerating, idling, cranking, etc. puts a lot of stress on your car. In contrast, a vehicle, like any machine, operates at peak efficiency when it is in a steady-state rhythm like that experienced while driving at a steady speed on the highway.

But don't worry. Even if you commute (like Gordon did for decades in his Volvo before retiring), there are some other strategies you can use to maximize your vehicle's lifespan.

2. Change is good.
All three of these drivers- as well as many others who have racked up very high mileage totals on their vehicles- have something in common: they are all big believers in regular oil changes.

Think about it. Your car's engine is like any other industrial machine. It works hard with metal parts sliding back and forth against each other hundreds of times each minute. For vehicles that accumulate the miles, that means the engine is experiencing millions, even billions, of revolutions. That kind of mechanical pressure takes its toll on the motor oil that lubricates engine parts, making periodic oil changes a safe bet if you want to keep your car running.

Gordon, for instance, changes his oil every few thousand miles, and didn't have to have the Volvo's engine overhauled for the first time until nearly 675,000 miles showed on the odometer. Plus, as motor oil quality has improved in recent decades, those overhauls have gotten further and further apart!

3. Follow the schedule.
Motor oil isn't the only fluid that needs attention in a vehicle. That's why LoCicero credits "religiously" following his car's recommended fluid maintenance schedule for helping his car achieve its incredible lifespan. In fact, the only major components LoCicero has ever replaced on his car are the fuel pump, cooling fans and the radiator (twice). That none of those repairs were directly related to fluid maintenance speaks to the effectiveness of such a strategy.

4. Try the synthetic route.
Gilbert purchased his Saab brand-new and knew he wanted to give it the ultimate in protection. That's why he opted to use synthetic motor oil from the very first oil change, a strategy that paid off big time. Ever after a million miles, the Saab's engine had never been overhauled or needed a repair. In fact, Gilbert bragged that the only major repair he'd ever had to pay for (besides collision repair; more on that later) was a transmission rebuild at 200,000 miles.

5. Invest in repairs.
If you truly want to keep your car running for an extended period, you have to come to grips with the fact that things will break. Like all machines and mechanical devices, the components on cars will eventually wear out- though hopefully not all at once!

During his frequent travels, Gilbert encountered several wayward deer and had to pay for collision repairs on several different occasions. And while it can seem like a waste to spend money repairing an older vehicle, if you do the math you'll find that even a major repair job (spread out over time) is less expensive than replacing your current vehicle. Like the wise man once said, the cheapest car you'll ever own is the one you're driving now!

6. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
Your car's insides aren't the only parts that will need attention if you want to drive it for a long time. Road grime, dirt, mud and anti-icing salts and chemicals like those found in northern and snow-bound states can play havoc with suspension, exhaust and other components beneath your car. Plus, they're murder on your car's finish.

Gordon notes that he spends as much or more time cleaning his car on the outside than he does maintaining it on the inside. Not only does running your car through the carwash keep it clean and sparkly, it also removes the dirt/grime/salt that can over time contribute to wear and damage.

Not to mention the fact that you're almost certain to take more pride in a car that you spend time and money keeping in good shape. After all, none of the cars we've run across that hit the magical million-mile mark were beaters!

7. Take care.
Okay. You have the motor oil and other fluids changed regularly. You pay extra for the very best products. You have your baby washed and detailed often. So what's the final step in driving your car for a very long time?

Well, that involves visiting your neighborhood auto service center. You see, the technicians that service your vehicle aren't just changing the motor oil and filter. They're also giving your car a thorough once over, looking for little problems that you can fix before they become big-and expensive- ones.

Thus our final piece of advice is to partner with a trusted technician or mechanic and listen to his (or her) advice when it comes to needed maintenance and repairs. Because if you really want to drive a million miles, chances are you'll need some help.

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