Yoder

iTrader: (2)

Anyone have 100k miles yet? I have 99,7xx on my 2013 ES350 and will probably hit 100,000 tomorrow.

MrlexEd88

I'm at 73k on 13 ES 350, took delivery back in may 13 with 20 miles on the dash. I thought I drive a lot but I knew someone had to drive more than me knock on wood but no problems so far just oil changes,tires and brakes.

Yoder

iTrader: (2)

I bought mine last December when i got a new job and lost my company car. I bought it with 72k which didn't bother me too much because I knew I would be racking up the miles. Previous owner obviously drove a lot too, all maintenance done on time at Lexus dealer. Knock on wood here too, no issues other than normal maintenance.

KennyLexus

Took delivery of my special order 2013 ES300H in January '14. I use to commute long distances to the job. I'm at 130,000 miles. All service done at the dealership. At the last service, got everything done (scheduled maintenance) ...even the PCS recall. No problems <knocks on wood > whatsoever up to this point.

Yoder

iTrader: (2)

Wow,130k...that is a lot of windshield time. Good to hear zero issues, but can't same I am surprised as that is why I bought my Lexus.

azipod

I think 100k is more of a psychological barrier than a mechanical one. When I started driving in the 90s, I always felt that the 100k mark was the end of the line and anything more was a bonus. Fast forward 25 years later, I feel that 100k is barely breaking in a car. I traded in my Prius when I got the ES. The Prius had 110k miles but it ran like brand new, minus the rattles.

jollick

Hi Kenny, congratulations! I am at 31,000 miles. Good to know the car we purchased will hopefully stay trouble free for a very long time. I hope to keep mine until I can't drive anymore.

JT4

I agree with you I feel the same way, 25 years ago I felt that if a car had 80K you were driving on borrowed time. Today it's not uncommon for vehicles to go way beyond 100K,

jollick

The company I work for has sold or traded-in many Japan brand vehicles over the last 9 years that had anywhere from 250,000 to 350,000 miles on them and they were still good working cars!

lesz

That is something that has changed significantly over the course of just 3 or 4 decades.

The development of technology and the related resulting benefits of tighter production tolerances, better lubricants, better materials, etc. have led to cars lasting longer and being more reliable than they would have been not that long ago.

Thirty or 35 years ago, it was not uncommon for cars to need major engine repairs, transmission repairs, steering system repairs, etc. by the time when they may have only had 40,000 or 50,000 miles on them. In the 1980s or earlier, if you had 3 year old car, the exhaust system was likely to be on borrowed time and in need of being replaced soon. And it was not uncommon to see vehicles that were less than 3 years old that already had body panels that were rusting through.

A few decades ago, if I drove a 50 mile stretch on the interstate, I would have been likely to see at least one or two cars broken down along the side of the road. Now, it is rare to see a vehicle that is stranded for mechanical reasons along the side of the road. Today, most complaints about vehicle reliability relate to things like computer glitches causing something like the audio system or navigation system to stop working properly.

While, for some products, it may be correct to say "they don't build 'em like they used to", that certainly is not the case with cars. In the 1970s and 1980s, when a car hit even 40,000 or 50,000 miles, it might have been wise to consider whether it was time to trade it in or to face the likelihood of major costly repairs in the near future. Today, it is truly accurate to think of a car as being barely broken in at that kind of mileage. And, beyond reliability and durability, another plus for today's cars is that maintenance intervals are longer and fuel economy has dramatically improved.

JDR76

Some impressive numbers here!

As for the 25-40 years ago discussion, I think it just really depended upon manufacturer. My experience was Japanese cars of that time period were rock solid reliable, but American cars were often a disaster.

My first car was a 77 Corolla. I parted with it in 92, with 200k on it. No major repairs, original engine and transmission, etc. Pretty much just brakes, distributor (remember those?), fluids, etc. I then replaced that with an 85 CR-X (150k miles), then an 86 MR-2 (120k miles), 88 CR-X (130k miles and only repair was an HVAC panel and a thermostat), and an 88 Corolla GT-S (140k miles). All of those were reliable. The 85 CR-X was going to need a clutch replacement before too long, though. I sold it to a friend who had it for quite a while.

azipod

I agree with every post here. I think its safe to say that today's cars will last longer than you want to keep them!