I see pickup trucks with up to 200,000 miles selling for thousands of dollars? I am 69 and would never have considered a high mileage truck when I was younger. Are these high mileage trucks a "safe" purchase?

Asked by Tom Jun 29, 2017 at 10:00 AM

Question type: Shopping & Pricing

I am amazed that high mileage pickup trucks are bringing thousands of dollars
in price?  I just cannot get comfortable with the miles/cost?  I am unable to
afford a new  one for certain, and too afraid of a high mileage used truck.

8 Answers

9,220

Depending on the truck you get, do not be scared of high miles. I have a buddy that had his Tacoma brand new from 2008 and he sold it at 270K miles for almost $9000 bucks..to CARMAX of all people! Go for ultra-reliable trucks like Toyota Tacomas, Ford F150 (8 Cyl only), Toyota Tundra, and possibly last on my list would be a Nissan Frontier. What you need to look for are 3 key things: Solid mechanical history, do a carfax, a well maintained truck is the key to your purchase. Look at the 'scheduled maintience' on the truck you are buying and look to see if the major services have been done like Timing Belt, Engine/Tranny flushes, replacing U joints/arms/etc depending on how many miles are on it. Look 1 step ahead at the next scheduled maintence and inspect whatever components is says are due for that next servicing. If that checks out, go to step 2. Talk to the owner... the less owners on the carfax, the better. Car owners are mostly tried-and-true how they care for a car. A guy that does regular oil changes for years will not typically stop maintenance on the truck... once it sells, another owner may be more lazy with caring for the truck so there is more risk..especially if the carfax has prolonged periods with no maintenance recorded. I'd avoid anyone that has had the truck for 6 months or less... those are usually truck flippers or maybe they bought it and learned of a major issue and want to unload. Lastly, GET A MECHANICAL INSPECTION DONE PROFESSIONALLY! No matter how good of a mechanic you are, a 2nd set of eyes always helps. If it gets a clean bill of health, note anything the owner had not mentioned in the inspection and use it as a bargaining chip. Little problems like a window motor that doesn't go down, or it needs new tires, can be used to negotiate slightly. GOOD LUCK : )

50 people found this helpful.
9,220

One final note, although its ideal to get a no-accident truck, do not be scared if the car has had any MINOR accidents. Even the smallest stuff like a dinged rear bumper are simply formalities that had to get reported to the police that may only have needed cosmetic touch ups. Use it to negotiate, not run away. If the truck shows major accidents or repairs (like major front end damage) those are too risky in my opinion. Lots of trucks on the market that struggle to sell because buyers like yourself are 'scared' of the miles. Use it to your advantage! Think smart, not hard : )

30 people found this helpful.
150

No. No. No. Never buy a truck with more then 200k on it it's not worth its weight in parts. 2,200 max for something decent, your buying a headache and will regret it in the first month. Do me a favor make a list of everything wrong with a car/truck that you have and put a price on it? So what would you pay, you are probably hoping to even sell it at this point! Never over pay for a car be smart...

15 people found this helpful.
280

It's perfectly fine if it been well maintained, I bought a 01 suburban LT 5.3l with 266kMI it's now over 315kmi ,no major issues,haven't been stranded or anything.it's been reliable as anything but I have replaced normal wear and tear parts mostly suspension. So high mileage can be as good as any if it's been taken care of but do expect to replace worn out parts here and there

28 people found this helpful.
180

I bought my last truck for $2000. It had 236,000 miles on it. I have put over 60,000 miles on it since 2016, hauling firewood, gravel, logs etc without doing anything other than maintaining it. It's a chevy 1500HD. So, while I would be weary of high mileage vehicles, if they have been well taken care of and maintained, you can often get MANY more miles out of them. Every case is different.

8 people found this helpful.
90

My 06 f150 has over 3000 miles on it . Going to work one morning one of my plugs came out it is in the shop right now I plan to drive it until it brake

9 people found this helpful.
150

It all depends on where ur at. Southern folks are honest and no snow which means no salt which means no rust which means....etc. Bottom line if it's a northern car RUN....

6 people found this helpful.
100

I have a 2007 GMC Sierra 5.3 v8 with 404,480 miles Of course it’s all highway miles. I replaced the engine at around 280,000 miles from a 2006 Avalanche. My mechanic kept it for three months while he looked for the right engine. The first two engines he received from his supplier were not to his approval. Finally the third engine he received was from a truck that was wrecked and considered a total loss. It has the original transmission which was rebuilt at a cost of $1200. The original exhaust, suspension, ac and heat still work well other than the fan speed controller has been replaced twice. I changed the oil every 5000 miles and my last set of Michelin’s last 91,000 miles. Bottom line is, with a new purchase price of $24,000 plus misc. mechanical repairs have been less than $6,000, including the newer engine. I feel that it is still a dependable, inexpensive truck. I know I’ll never get what it’s worth to me if I wanted to sell it and I would never pay over $35,000 for a new one. Even spending 20,000 for a used one and figure on replacing the engine and transmission and anything else is still financially smarter and cheaper than the new truck prices. Yes, the new and improved ones are pretty but you will pay big time and there’s no guarantee it will not break down. Calculating cost per mile: On average I have spent about 7.5 cents per mile for purchase, and repair cost, not counting oil changes and tires. For a $40,000 new truck, you would have to drive it 570,000 miles to only spend 7 cent per mile. Good luck

10 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Bob Beaman
    Reputation
    10,600
  • #2
    james sparrow
    Reputation
    7,590
  • #3
    Ed92626
    Reputation
    7,480
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.