People in the market for a different car often look for certified pre-owned cars when trying to save money. This is a good idea in theory but it isn’t always the best option for people. The problem is that high mileage used cars are often thought of as money pits so people end up overspending for a newer used car.
There are times that a car with high mileage is a great value and you shouldn’t disregard buying a used car that has high miles on it. There are some things to look out for of course as there is a higher risk of getting a car that doesn’t suit your needs when it has a lot of miles on it.
In this article, we will go over several things to keep in mind when buying a high mileage used car.
Check the history
A car that is older and has low miles may seem like the best option but this isn’t always the case. You’ll need to see the maintenance records of every car you take a look at. That old car with low miles may not have had an oil change in years. Or a tune up.
These things matter so a used car with lots of miles that has had regular maintenance is better than one with low miles that hasn’t. When you see frequent oil changes then you know that there is minimal wear on the engine parts since it has been properly lubricated.
A timing belt needs to be changed at some point and if it has high miles then chances are the timing belt has been done and will save you over $1,000 if you don’t have to get it done yourself.
If it has been maintained well, then it is a good idea to take out a Protect My Car policy that covers many repairs. It’s like an extended warranty for cars with high mileage. Make sure to read up on Protect My Car reviews to make sure it is going to make sense for the car you wish to purchase.
It has better miles
Not all mileage is created equal. This means that a car with low miles but lots of years was used primarily as a city driver for short trips. This may sound nice, but a car with more miles was usually used for highway driving. Highway miles are less rough on the car and wear is not as much of an issue. Brakes will need to be changed on a car with low miles more often then one with high since it likely had more wear on them.
Also, a car that sits around often has the gaskets get dried out as they don’t get as lubricated as a car that is driven more often. And this can lead to oil leaks and expensive repairs. There is also carbon build up on cars with low miles that don’t have a chance to burn off as they do with cars driven more frequently.
