High mileage cars making customers to have second thoughts

[Joe Marconi]

High mileage cars making customers to have second thoughts?

 

In the end people are people. This has been a long recession and we hear now that we are in a recovery. (That’s debatable). However, we have seen an increase within our own customer base of new car purchases as customers say enough is enough. There seems to be a threshold factor taking place. As a car approaches or goes over 200,000 miles, many people are not too happy about sinking a few thousand bucks in their car to keep it going.

 

Have others seen the same?

[Jeff]

I see a lot of cars over 150k, a few over 200k. When they balk and its a nice piece I run the numbers for em. Needs 2000 in repairs. Less than 200 a month and no high priced new car ins. Show em my old F150 with 275k on it. Fires right up (NO JINX!!) ands goes where I aim it. Stops when I whoa it! Usually sells the job.

[CARMandP]

I have a lot of customers with high mileage vehicles and most of them are paying to keep them running. It doesn't bother me to tell people to drive high mileage vehicles since every one I own is over 200k. People around here are spending the money to keep their cars running.

[xrac]

High mileage cars making customers to have second thoughts?

 

In the end people are people. This has been a long recession and we hear now that we are in a recovery. (That’s debatable). However, we have seen an increase within our own customer base of new car purchases as customers say enough is enough. There seems to be a threshold factor taking place. As a car approaches or goes over 200,000 miles, many people are not too happy about sinking a few thousand bucks in their car to keep it going.

 

Have others seen the same?

 

Joe, in your area how much of a problem is corrosion with the longevity of cars. We don't have much snow here in Southern Indiana so not a lot of salt. However, I would think that high mileage coupled with corrosion would mean that a car will not last as long in your area as in mine.

[Joe Marconi]

Joe, in your area how much of a problem is corrosion with the longevity of cars. We don't have much snow here in Southern Indiana so not a lot of salt. However, I would think that high mileage coupled with corrosion would mean that a car will not last as long in your area as in mine.

 

Rust is a BIG problem and many times is that last straw that breaks the camel's back. We do a lot of fuel line and brake line repair, but when the frame is rotted, you have to draw the line. Just last week a customer came in with his Jeep for his regular scheduled service and we noticed his transmission was hanging down because the frame was rotted where the cross member/support was bolted to the frame. We did talk about frame repair, but with 185,000 miles on the clock, the owner put the car to rest.

[DewayneP]

That's a good point. Different areas of the country will have different reasons for junking a vehicle or buying another one. Up here in the rust belt, it's usually rust that kills them. Down in the deep south the rubber components and interiors tend to go first, while out on the west cost you fight with the interiors and paint. Whenever I go down to Florida I notice that people tend to hold on to their vehicles more than they do up here. Ours rot out around 200,000 miles or 10-15 years whereas a southern vehicle you keep until you simple grow tired of it. This is why broad Federal regulations may have some unintended consequences when enforced from region to region.

[CARMandP]

I forgot about the rust thing. Living in the South East we don't have a rust problem. My 25 yr old Ranger has almost no rust on it at all except for surface rust where the paint has come off. I love the south

[xrac]

I forgot about the rust thing. Living in the South East we don't have a rust problem. My 25 yr old Ranger has almost no rust on it at all except for surface rust where the paint has come off. I love the south

 

The reason I remembered the rust thing was we were dealing with a rust bucket Olds Achieva yesterday. It had came from Chicago.

[Jeff]

We get the rust thing, to a degree, here on the coast of Florida. Folks living on the barrier islands get it from the salt air. Not as bad as the "rust belt". I have fuel lines, brake lines, shock towers, etc. Then we get the retirees that bring thier rust buckets with them when they retire down here!