Want To Buy but Question About Mileage

[Jcarlson]

Hey folks, newb here. I've been wanting to buy a Tahoe but everything in my $20k or less price range all have well over 100k miles. Even higher price points have high miles.

My questions are -
1) where in the heck is everyone going where they all have that kind of mileage in a short amount of time?

2) at what point mileage wise do parts start needing replaced?

3) am I ok buying one with high miles?

I'm 56 yrs old and come from an era where you NEVER bought nor kept a car with over 100k miles. I know things are different these days. I've had two Grand Cherokees and a Trailblazer with over 150k miles but at that point come the $1,500 repairs.

Thanks
Jim

 

[intheburbs]

200k is the new 100k, at least for trucks, IMHO. I bought both my trucks used, the Suburban with 106k miles and the Denali with 70k miles. The Denali has needed about $3k in repairs over the last two years-front axle halfshaft, front bearings, couple of brake rotors, new ball joints, new shocks/struts, etc. Meanwhile, the Suburban has needed almost nothing; I think the HD components just last longer.

That being said, I'd be nervous buying a truck with over 125k, and would probably pass on anything over 150k. Either way, have it checked out stem to stern by a competent mechanic. When I bought the Denali, it had a leaky front pinion seal. Not even dripping, just wet; had the dealership fix it before I signed the paperwork.

 

[fiatdale]

1. - Here, at least in Houston, everywhere is a long commute. And new vehicle prices are insane, hence people driving the shit out of their current rides, racking up miles.

2. - Parts can need to be replaced as little as 50k miles. Depends on what maintenance has already been done. If its got 100k and new ball joints, brakes, etc you should be in the clear for quite some time. If it hasnt, it will definitely need them and soon. Is the motor running smoothly? Any smoke? There are a couple quick inexpensive fixes for oil consumption you can do on your own to lessen the problem.

3. - Absolutely. - as long as its overall condition fits the bill. This site is a great resource to helping solve issues quickly and as inexpensively as possible.

 

[Doubeleive]

I've put about 24k on mine in the last 16 months, and I have a Silverado I drive also sometimes, that's mostly just around town stuff and a couple decent road trips.
regular maintenance will keep you going, just make a habit of inspecting everything about once a month under the vehicle and under the hood if you catch it right away it's usually beneficial.
I put over 300k on my nbs, I have 239k on the Silverado and the Yukon has 108k and I plan on taking it a LOT farther.

 

[MajorJakkov]

I bought mine with 30K and it just crossed over 120K four years later. I agree with @fiatdale , long commutes can be the biggest driver of high miles. I used to commute ~130 miles a day and would do a 1500 mile round trip to see my family 3 or 4x a year. From personal experience, I would say our vehicles are pretty comfortable to drive long distances so people don't mind taking them on the road and highway miles aren't too harsh. I've only had fluid changes and tires to deal with so far *knock on wood*. The GMT900 suvs have good mechanical reliability. Some trim pieces like the dash, not so much.

 

[Hi-psi]

1) where in the heck is everyone going where they all have that kind of mileage in a short amount of time? It's a shifting trend. Years ago, 10k/yr was considered "average" miles. Then it rose to 12k, then 15k, now for most people it's in a 12k-20k range. Say it's 15k, that puts a 2008 right around 150k for "average" miles. Now, let's add that we're talking about an SUV....which is typically the family roadtrip/vacation vehicle, and it's easy to see how easily mileage can add up.

2) at what point mileage wise do parts start needing replaced? 1k miles, 100k miles, never. Really depends on the vehicle, the way it's been serviced, and driven. That's like asking at what age does a person get their first cavity or need a hip replacement. Some things simply wear out, some things if taken care of don't/won't.

3) am I ok buying one with high miles? If you inspect it well before, or even take it to a dealer or independent shop and pay for a pre-purchase inspection, absolutely. Miles never turn me away from whether or not I purchase a vehicle. It's all about condition. I bought my Yukon Denali with a little over 200k on it and didn't think twice. It was in great shape, extensive dealer service history, etc.

 

[petethepug]

Carfax will be your friend to separate the lemons from lemonade. Flashback 4 years I was in the same $20k dilemma. Refused to allow CA to rob me of $1k+ on registration every year and Ins to soak me after that.

Our 08 had 96k when purchased by one owner who (per carfax) regularly had the big (important) AWD services completed and some regular oil changes done. They all don’t get recorded.

Car fax showed they went back and forth from Oregon to Cali and towing a trailer because a nice trailer brake was installed. We almost drove to AZ from Cali to pick up an old body style, loaded 06 Denali XL w/ 70k clicks for $12k.

There are some good cl finds and 1 owner dealer trades but you’ll have to do your homework to find them. We drove 150 miles and had our other car towed back for free with the SoCal Premier towing up to 200 miles.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jcarlson]

$1k registration fee? Holy smokes! Glad I dont live in Ca

 

[Hi-psi]

$1k registration fee? Holy smokes! Glad I dont live in Ca

Most states are going to a different tax/registration process. Georgia switched a few years ago. You now pay a percentage of what the DMV assigns as the value of the vehicle. Doesn't matter if you paid $3,000 for a 2010 Yukon Denali or $25,000....if the DMV decides the value is $15k, then you pay the registration fee based on that.

When I bought my '08 Yukon Denali in March/April of this year, it was a little over $1400 to register it here in GA.

It sucks for people who like to switch/flip vehicles often. A lot of the change here in GA was rooted from dealers complaining they were losing out to private party sales because if Jim sold Joe a Tahoe, they could "say" it was for any kind of price to avoid high sales tax. So, by doing away with "sales tax" on vehicles and changing the way you register them, it effectively leveled the field to where here in GA buying from a private party vs dealer is no different now.

Because of most states being setup now this way is exactly why you'll notice a lot of high end vehicles with Montana plates. LOL Montana has pretty much the easiest and cheapest vehicle registration cost in the US. So, if you live in GA, or CA and just bought a new Lamborghini you can save a ton of money by just paying a couple hundred bucks to setup an LLC in the state of Montana with a PO Box address in Montana, then ABC Company LLC "owns" the Lamborghini so you can register it in the state of Montana.

 

[swathdiver]

You now pay a percentage of what the DMV assigns as the value of the vehicle. Doesn't matter if you paid $3,000 for a 2010 Yukon Denali or $25,000....if the DMV decides the value is $15k, then you pay the registration fee based on that.

Essentially paying a "sales tax" every year.