333,333 miles /// edit /// made it to 350 K !!!!

[Scottintexas]

Our 1998 Toyota Avalon XLS hit 333,333 miles today. I had to drive around the neighborhood for the last mile just so I could get the picture and not forget about it the next time I jumped in.

It's been a great car, we paid $27k for it brand new. It was our first new car. No major engine or transmission issues, just all the preventive maintenance stuff including two timing belts.

The worst of it has been the catalytic converter and o2 sensor going out, it was about $2k to figure out and they had to buy OEM to fix it.

The ongoing issues are occasionally (once every six months) the outside temperature display goes out and the heating/ac won't work. It's something to do with a sending box that's about $1,500 to fix and is problem on all XLS's that year.

Also it doesn't drive well in the rain. It really feels like it ready to hydroplane and I don't like driving it on the highway in heavy rain.

Other than that I'm waiting for 400k! and our 2005 sienna has 157k,

 

[itsdgm]

WOW. You sure can rack up the mikes!!!

 

[OCMD]

Wow. That's a number you will never see on a Ford product!

 

[Julian]

We had a 1997 Avalon and loved it!

 

[HawkTX]

WOW! That is some MILES! I think the max I have ever put on a vehicle is around 70,000.

 

[octavio3311]

Awesome mileage. Something about those older ones.

I had a 1995 Saturn SL1 that I bought new for $13k. She racked up 325k before I got rid of her - original everything except for maintenance stuff - even original clutch. She still drove like a champ the day they took her away.

 

[Julian]

Never felt like I had an issue with hydroplaning with the Avalon....that is typical a function of the tires more than anything. In fact a our Avalon had traction control, I recall driving through a big puddle too fast and noticing that the traction control light came on when the car (quite properly) hydroplaned a little. Pretty much any car will hydroplane on the same tires....

 

[txav8r]

@Scottintexas , that is a milestone! Even with the sending box and CC issues, your transportation costs are so far below what someone that buys new ever few years has! Many financial planners would tell you to do exactly what your doing, and to buy it 2 years old too if you don't keep it that long. I used to do it. The benefit of improving income over the years sucked me into the typical pattern however, along with living 60 miles out in the country. So we have been a little reluctant to suffer breakdowns or other issues. But approaching retirement in a few years, we will more than likely fall back into the buy 2 years old, keep 2 years, and repeat. Pretty great that you have 300K+ on it!

 

[Kevin107]

Before I clicked on this post, I was thinking it has to be a Toyota. Ding Ding

 

[eastcoaster]

Wow thats getting your moneys worth out of a vehicle. Curious if you used synthetic oil and what your oil change interval was.

 

[Scottintexas]

I had a 1988 f150 that had a straight six that had 275k miles on it before we gave it away, other than multiple starters that was a good truck!

The avalon I changed the oil myself about 95% of the time. 85% of the time I change it at about 5k miles or 3-4 months but there we a few times it might have ran it out to 7-9k miles between changes.

I have always used Castrol GTX high mileage 10w-30 and yes hold your breath ///// Fram high mileage filters. I started using them way back before I knew they were lower quality but since I never had a problem I just kept using them.

Only in the last year I have noticed it has started loosing some oil, about a quart every 2k miles.

Other than many trips to Houston on weekends to see family (500 miles round trip) it's always been just city driving. It's still my daily driver, about 300 miles a week now and still getting 24 mpg.

 

[DoubleThrust]

Toyota's for me for a long time ahead too! I have 104k on my '08 V8 4Runner, I'm hoping for 250-300k before I can't stand whatever little issues crop up. Then probably a diesel Tundra

I made the mistake of buying a non-Toyota on my last truck... never again. Pretty simple if you let it be!

 

[Ronnie]

Congrats on hitting 1/3 of a million miles without too much unexpected expense. Ironically I'm responding to this while I wait for a tow truck to pick up my sister Inlaws 2005 Acura tax. Thankfully I'm sitting in my 2001 ford expedition which I bought for $4k about three years ago and put another $3k in since for brakes, tires a new ignition coil and battery. It had 146k miles on it when I got it and now is approaching 200k. I remember reading off the miles for the previous owner to list on the bill of sale. At first I didn't recognize that there is a decimal point so I started to tell him it had 1.46m miles on it before stopping myself from competing the sentence with, "should this car be a lot cheaper with those kind of miles on it?

 

[Scottintexas]

well at 347k //// edited - it only has 339K not 347K //// my starter finally gave out, for about the last year and half once every 100 starts I would get a zzzzzzzing and no start but immediately after it would start fine. About a year ago once a month I would turn the key and get a click and nothing else. In the last few months the frequency increased to once a week but after the second or third try it would start up with no problem. Last week it just wouldn't start, luckily it was in the driveway, I called the mechanic for any ideas how to start it to drive it over to him but he had no advice but call the tow truck. I took 30 minutes to look at the internet found toyota nation http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/10-hardcore-tech-competition/27312-repair-your-own-starter.html?forumid=10 I haven't done much mechanical since my old ford but decided to take a chance, I took my starter apart (about 45 minutes)and sure enough it looked just like they said, contacts worn out


I ordered a new set of contacts and plunger off amazon for $10., waited 5 days for delivery and put it all back together in about 45 minutes, starts and runs fine !!!! I'm sure the mechanic probably would have wanted just to put a new starter on it for $200. and probably another $150. for labor, etc... I just saved some CASH !!!


.

 

[Gym]

If you ever get stuck like that again @Scottintexas you can usually start it by hitting the starter motor with a hammer or tire iron while someone is holding the key in the start position. Just don't hit the power cable from the battery.

 

[Scottintexas]

I actually did that after I found the link and was just killing a little time in the driveway while I contemplated doing it myself. It started but I didn't know if that helped it or it was just "it's time to start" again,

I was told about that trick about 20 years ago and never had to use it until about 5 years ago I was in a hospital parking lot and two mexican ladies couldn't get their car to start, I looked at it, didn't know really what to do so I got a screw driver out of my car, whacked the starter and it started right up, the Fonz came through again, at least that's what I thought! aaaaayyy

 

[Scottintexas]

Well it made it to 350,000 miles !!! I had the motor that operates the heat valve go out last fall, another $250. and still have an intermittent power steering leak which I believe is from the reservoir and it uses about a quart of oil every two months,

Next update at a major breakdown or 400k !!