How many miles on a car is bad?
When residents in Central New York, including New Hartford, Rome, and Utica, need a high-performance, reliable used car, truck, or SUV from a family-owned, independent dealership, they turn to United Auto Sales of Utica. For over 80 years, we’ve become the can’t-miss used car dealership for residents and families needing a near-new vehicle they know and trust will run for years to come.
One of the more common questions we receive concerns about is how many miles a used car should have. Are a lot of miles on a used car bad? Better yet, how many miles on a used car is bad? Ultimately, it’s less about how many miles a used car has and more about how well-kept and serviced that car was across its history.
Mileage Insight
It’s an all-too-common mistake to assume that a car with higher mileage is not as valuable or well-maintained as the same make and model with lower mileage from the same year. On average, drivers put anywhere from 12,000 to 14,000 miles a year on a car. As such, a five-year-old vehicle should have anywhere from 60,000 miles to 70,000 miles. However, more or less than this amount is not an indication of how reliable that used car is.
- Highway Driving vs. City Driving
- Age of the Previous Owner
- Profession
The age of the driver, their profession, and where they drove the car often play a big role in how well that car was maintained. For example, highway driving is much easier in a car compared to city driving.
The repeated stop-and-go of city driving can put a tremendous amount of wear and tear on a vehicle. This kind of driving can wear out brakes sooner, produce considerable repeated strain on the car’s suspension and undercarriage components, not to mention leading to more cycling of the vehicle’s battery and alternator. As such, a vehicle with higher mileage driven on a highway may be more reliable than a car with much lower mileage driven in the city.
Condition and Maintenance
In the end, the value of a used vehicle is often a question of how well the previous owner took care of the vehicle. That relates to whether the owner adhered to the factory-recommended maintenance and service schedule. A vehicle owner who meticulously follows this schedule means their vehicle is more valuable than a vehicle that does not.
Vehicle owners who purchased prepaid or complimentary maintenance plans ensure that the vehicle undergoes frequent maintenance intended to extend the vehicle’s life. That can include engine oil and filter changes, multi-point inspections, tire rotation, brake inspection, and fluid top-ups every 8,000 to 10,000 miles. Alignment, suspension, and undercarriage checks, alongside battery checks and exhaust system checks, are typically done every 30,000 miles.
Every 40,000 to 50,000 miles typically includes replacing the transmission and brake fluid, inspecting the spark plugs, inspecting and cleaning the entire fuel system, as well as coolant replacement. Finally, drive belt inspections, full brake replacement or servicing, as well as a comprehensive powertrain inspection, are often included near the 80,000-mile mark.
Vehicle Maintenance and History Report
One of the most important parts of purchasing a used vehicle is to ensure you have access to the vehicle’s maintenance and history report. At United Auto Sales of Utica, every used vehicle we sell comes complete with a CARFAX history report.
This detailed title history report provides invaluable insight into how many previous owners a used vehicle had, how many accidents it may have encountered, whether there were any recalls on the vehicle, and its service and maintenance record. Additionally, this report also provides invaluable insight into any safety issues, what the vehicle may have been used for in terms of being a personal use, lease, taxi, rental, or fleet vehicle, alongside odometer readings and where the vehicle originates from.
- Number of Previous Owners
- Where Owned
- Accidents or Recalls
- Maintenance and Service Record
- Any Safety Issues
- Vehicle Use Information
- Personal
- Lease
- Taxi
- Rental
- Fleet Vehicle
Vehicle Inspection
As important as it is to have access to a vehicle’s maintenance and service history, it’s equally important to deal with a dealership that provides a vehicle inspection on all pre-owned vehicles. At United Auto Sales of Utica, we take this inspection a step further.
Every pre-owned vehicle sold by our dealership has undergone an exhaustive, detail-driven, 125-point inspection and safety check of the interior and exterior. That includes an engine, transmission, brake system, and suspension check alongside a full electrical system check and extensive inspection of tires, alignment, and balancing.
United Auto Sales of Utica: Your Partner for Reliable Used Vehicles
At United Auto Sales of Utica, we combine an on-site parts and service department with long-serving, expert mechanics and technicians, alongside an extensive selection of used cars, trucks, and SUVs, out-of-this-world financing, and a family-friendly, can-do attitude.
If you are interested in knowing how our always-friendly team can help you drive away in a used vehicle of your dreams, call us now at 315-669-8154 or contact us online.