Now that waiting times for new cars are rising sharply and young used second-hand cars are also scarce, car buyers are increasingly looking at older cars. That is also fine, but from what mileage does buying such a car become risky?
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The answer to that question is not simple and certainly not unequivocal. After all, there are many factors that can play a role. The reliability of a car depends on the make, model, year of manufacture and even the country where the car was built. For example, cars from Japan have an almost proverbial reliability and you can almost close your eyes and buy a Mercedes C, E or S from the 80s or 90s with a mileage of 200,000. Even at 300,000 kilometers you can still take the plunge. Hybrids are also extremely reliable. Perhaps because manufacturers have made them extra durable so that doubting consumers would be convinced.
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However, according to the Royal Dutch Tourist Association ANWB, the mileage is of secondary importance. “A second-hand car with a high mileage can be a good choice,” says Marcus van Tol of the ANWB. “Provided there is a conclusive maintenance history.” That is also the view of Paul de Waal of the Dutch sector organization BOVAG. “Cars last much longer these days. The demolition age is only increasing and is now an average of 19 years. That is very high. Rules of thumb that you should stay away from a petrol car with more than 100,000 kilometers and diesels with 200,000 kilometers are a thing of the past.”
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Buy a car with warranty
De Waal believes that if you want to avoid risks, it is also best to buy a second-hand car with a warranty. “The older the car, the greater the temptation not to do it, but that way you avoid nasty surprises. When purchasing, also ask what costs are to come and record these in your purchase agreement. That is also nice for the selling party, because it prevents discussion afterwards. So you can easily buy a car with more than two tons on the counter, as long as it has had its turns on time.”
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200,000 kilometers as a lower limit
Other experts also mention a mileage of at least 200,000 kilometers as a lower limit. Simply because, on average, given the mileage, it is more or less normal that from that moment on things like the clutch, gearbox, shock absorbers, timing belt, alternator and starter motor can in theory need to be replaced. That is not to say that they cannot last for hundreds of thousands of kilometers, but the risk of broken parts does increase quickly.
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These are the fragile car brands
When you look at the reliability, there are still a few specific brands that stand out in a negative way. A number of models of the brands Renault, Peugeot, Volkswagen and Mercedes from 2001/2002 to 2007/2008 do not excel in reliability. Also fragile are certain models equipped with poorly constructed engines, such as the 1.4 TSI blocks from Volkswagen, the models with the first DSG gearboxes, the 1.2 TCe Renault or 1.2 Puretech PSA engines, but also the 2.0 BMW N47- diesels. With these types of models it can be risky to buy them with less than a ton on the counter.
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Cars with a rock-solid reputation that have been well-maintained, always kept indoors and not abused by their previous owner can easily remain reliable at over 300,000 miles. But it is therefore important to always check whether there are any comments or remarks with regard to reliability.
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“Hidden costs run up to 980 euros”: car expert warns of pitfalls when buying a new car online (+)
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