What are risks with buying a car with high miles?
(2011-06-10 14:30:15) 1. Says: I'm looking at a 97 Jeep Cherokee and it is adverstied with 285,000 miles. What are some risks with cars that have high miles like this and what questions should I be asking about this car?2. Says: While another answer says there is little correlation between miles and wear, I beg to differ. As a mechanic I can tell you that things do wear out. Yes you can do maintenance and repairs, replacing stuff as it fails. While I don't put tons of miles on my cars, I had one go over 200k and the drivers seat for one, was shot in terms of padding. I found a guy who was giving his vehicle to charity and we swapped.At very high miles, anything can fail - so your price should be adjusted somewhat.
You'd want to look closely at service history and see what has been done if there is one. Definitely worth a few bucks having a mechanic look at it. He/she should also do a cylinder leak down or compression test to see how each cylinder seals up, that says a lot about the engine. Check oil quality.
While really any vehicle of this vintage will need more than average attention regardless of miles, you may find things starting to fail like radiators, master cylinders, differentials, wheel bearings, brake calipers, shocks, blower motors, front end stuff like ball joints, tie rod ends, rack and pinion, you name it.
Basically vehicles like Jeeps are not made like Kenworth trucks and life expectancy is not unlimited, but you can keep something going forever if you keep fixing it..but people sell when it becomes more $ than what they think its worth to fix vs. another vehicle choice.
Not what you asked but do you go off-road or encounter extreme road conditions? If not you may want to consider a vehicle that is not 4wd with all the extra hardware that decreases MPG and may need $ to fix.3. Says: All the above being said, I have had a few different jeeps and I beat the crap out of them.. I had one that had 320,000 miles on it with no problems untill I tried to cross a river in MT and the cold water cracked my engine block... parts for cherokees are everywhere so even if something does break, you can get it fixed for alot cheaper than most cars out there.4. Says: the other guy proved a good point, although there is a few risks of buying that car. worn parts could be a significant factor to how it drives, as this car is only 14 years old and averages 20k a year, this sounds like it has been used A LOT. just get it checked out at a suitable garage and good luck!
stephen5. Says: As a mechanic who is familiar with this model I would say that unless it is seriously cheap and well looked after or you just want a beater I would avoid it.
If the car is rough but runs I would pay maybe 100 bucks or so, maybe 1500 if it's got service history and is in good shape. No more that that.6. Says: Zero risk.
Mileage does not tell you how it was driven.
It does not tell you how it was serviced.
It does not tell you how it was maintained.
It does not tell you how it was stored.
Mileage tells you 100% nothing about the condition or history of the car, except how far it's gone.
So, get it inspected, and if it's in good shape, it's in good shape. Ask for service history. Pay for the carfax, and check out what that says.
But basing anything off the odometer, is absurd. It's an odometer, not a "condition meter" Tag: What are risks with buying a car with high miles?