No doubt that owning and driving a car has gotten easier over time. Not only did cars become safer, but they became much more reliable. The problem is, these things wear out eventually. What happens after a certain number of miles?
It turns out that cars can last anywhere between 200,000 and 300,000 miles, depending on the type of vehicle. That means that once you hit 100,000 miles, it’s probably time to trade in your ride and sell your car online or in person. Once this mileage threshold passes, check your owner’s manual for specific guidelines regarding service intervals and safety checks.
It’s a divisive question with no easy answer: What is a car’s actual and realistic lifespan?
Many agree on the figure of 250,000 kilometers (if you take care of the parts to meet this deadline). We will try to see if this figure is relevant and realistic.
Does a car wear out?
Of course, a car wears out. However, the question here is not whether it does, but how it wears out quickly
Running Gear Wear
At the level of running gear, wear concerns a whole host of things such as wheel bearings, silent blocks (arms, stabilizer bar, etc.), ball joints, tires, discs, pads, and shock absorbers. We can also assimilate the direction with the rack, the hydraulics for the oldest (in particular pump), and the electric motor of the recent versions.
Wear occurs during vertical and lateral stresses, causing the silent blocks to work, which are only rubbers with a limited lifespan, mainly if the climatic conditions attack them. All that is metallic, namely the arms, does not undergo aging. However, the semi-rigid rear axles (torsion axles) have a limited lifespan which can induce high costs (while they have a low design cost, the consumer will pay more later).
Worn undercarriages are not immobilizing, and things can last a long time even when they start to deteriorate. It will just be necessary to be rigorous concerning the wheel bearings or any problem concerning the fixings of the arms and struts because there you are in danger (a destroyed bearing can make you lose a wheel).
Estimating the lifespan of all these mechanics and parts is hard because if some have running gear on the ball joints in only 70,000 km, others arrive at 200,000 without it. It all depends on the road types you drive on, your bad habits, or even your tires (high sidewall tires somewhat limit the stresses suffered by the suspended masses).
Transmission
Here we are talking about gearbox/differential bearings, various clutches, flexors, universal joints, and the various oils (gearbox, differential, viscous coupling, etc.)
At the transmission level, there are more risks than at the level of the bearings with more effect on the car valuation in Dubai. It is necessary to check the engine oil level, or the wear will accelerate (an empty gearbox will endure excessive heat that harms the gears and bearings).
Let’s not forget the clutch that may have a shorter lifespan due to a dual-mass flywheel that breaks down or improper use.
Engine
The engine has a lot of things that wear out: the hoses, silent blocks of the engine/gearbox mounts, the various bearings/bearings (turbo, accessories like the air conditioning compressor, etc., connecting rods, crankshaft, camshafts, pump pump, oil/water pump), segmentation, pistons, cylinders, pulleys (particularly flexible with the Damper), injectors, injection pump, exhaust and probes ( lambda, flowmeter, water, oil pressure, etc.)
The estimated time for the engine to wear is around 250,000 km, but that is not the case
The 500,000 km is achievable. It’s all about tolerance and maintenance. The engine’s heart, namely the cylinders/pistons, can almost last an eternity if you take good care of the mechanics.
