Is 100,000 Miles on a Truck Bad?
With pickup truck prices going through the roof, even for used ones, many of us are forced to make some tradeoffs. Instead of a nice, newer, low-mileage truck, many of the trucks that we can actually afford have more than 100,000 miles. A scan of the local Craigslist, too, shows that there are many trucks with even 200,000 that seem to run well. But, that begs the question, is 100,000 miles on a truck bad?
100,000 miles is not worn out
Sure, we all want a truck with the fewest miles. But for a lot of us, that’s simply not an option. The old rule of thumb used to be that people drive about 15,000 miles per year and that most cars or trucks were worn out after six or seven years. But that’s not the case anymore as manufacturers have upped their reliability and manufacturing standards. A truck with 100,000 miles could be a great buy and reliable for many years.
Can you get an extended warranty on a truck with over 100,00 miles?
Many companies will sell you an extended warranty on a truck with over 100,000 miles. I have one on my Ram 1500, and it recently covered a minor repair at 111,000 miles. However, the more miles and the older your vehicle is, the more an extended warranty will cost.
These trucks can go more than 200,000 miles
In general, for most trucks built in the last decade are more likely to go 100,000 miles or more. In fact, iSeeCars produces a list of the longest-lasting vehicles, and several trucks show that they can easily go past 100,000 miles and into the 200,000-mile range, especially the Toyota Tundra. Of the top five trucks cataloged at iSeeCars, several reach 200,000 miles regularly. Overall, 2.2% of all trucks go beyond 200,000 miles regularly.
The top seven models of trucks that go beyond 200,000, and the percentage of trucks with more than 200,00 miles on the clock, include:
- Toyota Tundra: 4.0%
- Honda Ridgeline: 3.7%
- Toyota Tacoma: 2.8%
- Nissan Titan: 2.6%
- Ford F-150: 2.4%
- Chevy Silverado: 2.3%
- GMC Sierra 2.0%
For comparison, 1.4% of Ram 1500s rack up more than 200,000 miles. The average for all trucks is that 2.2% go beyond 200,000 miles.
Of course, there are a few caveats
The motor isn’t the only thing you need to worry about with a truck that has 100,000 miles on it. Consider the truck’s life. If it looks like it’s had a hard life, the suspension, brakes, steering, and other hard-to-spot parts, like wheel bearings, could all go bad. If you’re looking at buying a higher-mileage truck, it’s a good idea to inspect the hidden stuff that can go bad.
The motor isn’t the only thing you need to worry about with a truck that has 100,000 miles on it. Consider the truck’s life. If it looks like it’s had a hard life, the suspension, brakes, steering, and other hard-to-spot parts, like wheel bearings, could all go bad. If you’re looking at buying a higher-mileage truck, it’s a good idea to inspect the hidden stuff that can go bad.
Diesel engines can go longer, but watch out
A diesel engine truck that’s “just broken in” with 200,000 miles on the clock isn’t uncommon. Diesel engines generally (though not always) last longer than gas engines and can rack up some seriously high mileage. But, diesel engines are a lot heavier than gas engines and that means they come with their own warnings. That extra heft, sometimes hundreds of pounds more in front, can wreak havoc on suspension parts, axles, and wheels and brakes. Also, many diesels are used to tow, and they can cause funky issues with rear suspensions, drive shafts and a lot more. So, while a diesel engine can be a great high-mileage choice, it’s a good idea to check all of the other parts that hold up the truck before you buy.
