50 Cars That Will Last More Than 250,000 Miles

[allmyEXes]

Here is an interesting article. Several Fords made the list. The Explorer made #5 on the list.
50 Cars That Will Last More Than 250,000 Miles | Buzzdrives.com

 

[Rick]

 

[CDW6212R]

That's cool. But does it list other factors, like location? No vehicle in the typical Northern salt climates will last 50 years. Car care is still more important than the manufacturer. A car from India or China will last 50 years, if it's in say Arizona its whole life, and well taken care of.

 

[Josh P]

A new or late model car is expected to last 250,000 miles or it isn't worth buying. I've never had an issue getting more than 250,000 miles out of any car I've bought.

 

[Mbrooks420]

250,000 is only impressive to me if nothing major is ever replaced.

 

[CDW6212R]

250,000 is only impressive to me if nothing major is ever replaced.

Ditto, it's about what the owner has to do to reach 250k miles, or 50 years etc. My V6 99 Explorer had the trans go out at 152k, my two 302's are still fine with 210k and 218k. Does an AWD TC count, my 98 is 2WD now, since last Summer? I've got the $450 of parts here to rebuild one.

 

[Mbrooks420]

It’s also about just being robust. My last Mounty is sitting at 220k, and was beaten savagely it’s entire life. 20k oil changes, commercial plowing, always ran oversized mud tires, ran the transmission flat empty twice. Bouncing off the rev limiter a dozen times every time it was driven. Driving 2 hours on the speed limiter on several occasions.

Very little maintenance. Amazingly stock for what it’s been through. It’d have made 300k if not for rust. The most expensive repair it ever had was a front driveshaft.

 

[CDW6212R]

It’s also about just being robust. My last Mounty is sitting at 220k, and was beaten savagely it’s entire life. 20k oil changes, commercial plowing, always ran oversized mud tires, ran the transmission flat empty twice. Bouncing off the rev limiter a dozen times every time it was driven. Driving 2 hours on the speed limiter on several occasions.

Very little maintenance. Amazingly stock for what it’s been through. It’d have made 300k if not for rust. The most expensive repair it ever had was a front driveshaft.

That's great, and was that front shaft one of those $400 jobs, back in the early 2000's?

My 98 Mounty had the shaft go bad a month after I got it, on Christmas day. I thought it was a left hub or axle. After that didn't fix it, I removed the front shaft to isolate the noise. It was the CV, boot intact but obviously bad inside. I didn't like that way high new shaft price. I had a new shaft made with a DC joint, which left a vibration. I got a used shaft later on, which is still fine today after about 85k more miles. Now you can buy a $75 CV rebuild kit to fix those front drive shafts.

 

[BrooklynBay]

You could only hold onto it as long as parts are available.

 

[Josh P]

You could only hold onto it as long as parts are available.

Good fabrication skills...

 

[CDW6212R]

You could only hold onto it as long as parts are available.

You have to become a pack rat, within about ten years of the last model of the vehicle. I've collected a bunch of the obsolete parts that are most likely to wear out. The rubber/trim/seals, and glass parts are among the hardest to find. The rear hatch and glass seals are gone now, as are the hatch latches, and most interior parts.

 

[BrooklynBay]

You have to become a pack rat.

I've owned Aerostars for 26 years, and have a collection of parts. Occasionally I need a part that's not available so I have to improvise, but it gets more difficult as these vans age. This is where 3D printing comes in handy. I've designed & printed bushings over a year ago that are heavy duty. The cheap parts from the auto parts store don't last too long.

 

[974X4BLACKSPORT]

I had a 1994 F250 STd cab and bed, 351W EFI, 250,000 miles HARD miles, no leaks, no smoke, ran perfect when the company got rid of it in 2001, hauled two tons of fertilizer in the bed daily, sometimes pulling a trailer with two tons. We just did normal maintenance.