Fellow Nairalanders i have checked the vin reports of many vehicles in recent times, my observation is that most of the 8-10 years vehicles normally have between 120k-190++. Under this type of situation what are the possible implications of buying a vehicle probably a SUV that has the odometer reading falling under this category? I know auto gurus in the house are always there to help us the greenhorns in automobile anatomy, so please assist and analyse the implications so that i will use as a guide to make my choice.

@siena your usual indepth and informed contribution will be appreciated

Normally they expect an average of 10k miles a year thats if you drive to work every day and a bit higher if you drive alot every weekend,

It could go up to 20k miles a year if the car was used as a mini cab or taxi or if its an ex company car.

Diesel engine cars are normally used for a lot of Long distance journeys and mini cabs because they are economical on fuel,

look at it from a lifecycle analogy

vehicles are built to cover a technical distance within their useful life. if a car is built to technically cover 250,000km in its useful life time and you buy it at 180,000km then you have 70,000km to go on the car

note that it doesnt mean the car will stop working after the 250,000km, it just means all bets are off

so if you pay 3m for a SUV with 70,000km to go and a brand new of the same SUV is 6m, are u getting value for the money you're doling out?

I can live with 120 - 150 and I wont use such for more than 3 years before disposing it. Anything over that, forget it. I put an average of 12,000 Miles a year on a car.

There are good and bad in all. You might have a low mileage vehicle, that is not properly maintained and serviced well. And likewise, have a higher mileage vehicle, that is maintained and serviced on the right intervals.
But one thing I think for sure is, at the point of resale, majority of buyers tend to shy away from higher mileage vehicles.
I have no problem buying a high mileage vehicle. Some low mileage vehicles might have been clocked.

I have also seen from experience that sometime in the states,packed up "Motor" or "engine" can be replaced but most used car dealers wont bother to state that or include it in the reports for sale.
Now a used vehicle that has 180k miles and got a new engine of 110k,you cant say such vehicle wont last in Nigeria?of course it will.besides,the way vehicle are used and maintained abroad is not the same as here.
Therefore to me,it does not matter the mileage of 160k, as long as the engine is sound and i can have a carfax or autocheck report proving the mileage is same or close to whats seen on board, i'm good with it.
I DON'T RECOMMEND SALVAGE,ESPECIALLY WITH FRONT DAMAGES.Experience have taught me better.

look at it from a lifecycle analogy

vehicles are built to cover a technical distance within their useful life. if a car is built to technically cover 250,000km in its useful life time and you buy it at 180,000km then you have 70,000km to go on the car

note that it doesnt mean the car will stop working after the 250,000km, it just means all bets are off

I dont think a car has a life span, well it would pack up eventually but its down to how well you maintain it. I know guys who still have cars from late 70s which they see as collected items, A colleague of mine has a 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby

Two types of cars are generally shipped to Nigeria:

1. Salvaged Cars (ie "Accident Cars"
2. High Mileage Cars (By this I mean cars driven an average of 20,000 miles a year or less)

So if you are buying a tokunboh, you will most likely get one or the other and in a worst case scenario, both. A lot of car dealers have realized that people are scared of high mileage cars and have resorted to shipping salvaged cars in great quantities.

So the question should be: "Which is Better: Salvaged or High Mileage Cars?" This is like choosing between a rock and a hard place. But in this case, I will take a high mileage car over a salvaged one.

maintenance, maintenance, maintenance






Million miles and counting for a Honda Accord

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500202_162-20126363/million-miles-and-counting-for-a-honda-accord/


(CBS News)  In Norway, Maine, there is a 1990 Honda Accord with the nickname "True Blue." It's been going so long it recently passed the 999,999 mile mark. Since it's logged more than a million miles, you can't see the actual number on the odometer because it doesn't go that high.


Owner Joe LoCicero told co-anchor Chris Wragge on "The Early Show" that he has to do a lot of maintenance to keep the 15-year-old car running -- so much that his wife sometimes gets jealous of his relationship to the vehicle.


He said, "I have to make special time (with my wife), and I try to break up my maintenance into smaller pieces so that rivalry is not as big."


LoCicero says that, because of the economy, he's been averaging about 55,000 miles on the car in recent years.


But keeping the car running hasn't been without its rewards. In addition to having a functioning vehicle, LoCicero has received some recognition from Honda. He received a parade in his honor from the Japanese automaker, as well as a new Honda Accord, which he's dubbed "Midnight Blue."


LoCicero said, "I love Honda. I love this particular color. And I love the fact that it's 20 years newer technology."


But just because he has a new car doesn't mean he's going to abandon "True Blue."


When asked if he's going to put the million-miles vehicle out of commission, LoCicero said he's not and plans to "drive it a while longer."

BizBooks:

Two types of cars are generally shipped to Nigeria:

1. Salvaged Cars (ie "Accident Cars"
2. High Mileage Cars (By this I mean cars driven an average of 20,000 miles a year or less)

So if you are buying a tokunboh, you will most likely get one or the other and in a worst case scenario, both. A lot of car dealers have realized that people are scared of high mileage cars and have resorted to shipping salvaged cars in great quantities.

So the question should be: "Which is Better: Salvaged or High Mileage Cars?" This is like choosing between a rock and a hard place. But in this case, I will take a high mileage car over a salvaged one.

Back to your concept of salvage cars. I hope you will agree with me, that some salvage cars are worse than others.
If a salvage is body impact, I do not see anything wrong with this type of salvaged cars.
On the other hand, if the salvage is engine or wheel side damage, I tend to frown away from such.
I am happy to buy a salvage car, If the see the post - impact pictures. Prices of categorized cars are normally almost 1/2 off book value cost.

My advice is buy a new car when you have the cash

KacHemNaU:

My advice is buy a new car when you have the cash

Why would I buy a new car that would depreciate in value in no time ?

Lexusgs430:

Back to your concept of salvage cars. I hope you will agree with me, that some salvage cars are worse than others.

Yes, you are right. But no salvage is minor as most car dealers will like you to believe. Before an insurance company declares a car as "salvage", they must have judged the damage to be severe. Remember, if the insurance company declares a car as salvage, they must then get another car for the insured or provide him some form of financial settlement. So this is not a decision they make lightly.

The problem is that people are confusing two important terms "Salvage" and Salvage Title". When you buy a salvage from an insurance auction, it will still bear all the damages sustained in an accident. In most cases, it is assumed that the car will be used for parts. So a "salvage car" is an "accidented car" in it's raw state.

But if you buy a "salvage car" and intend to drive it in the US, you will have to repair it and then take it to Motor Vehicle Department for Inspection. If it passes inspection, you will be issued a "Salvage Title" which will allow you to drive it in the US. If it fails, you will have to fix the part that failed and do the inspection again. Passing inspection is not easy as they check a long list of items.

The problem is that some car dealers buy salvaged cars, fix them at a roadside mechanic and then ship them to Nigeria without inspection. Some even ship them in the raw salvage state and do the repairs in Lagos. If you are shipping such cars, the American government will not prevent you from doing so since you are not going to use them in their country. It is left to our government to ensure that cars brought into the country are safe.

@ Bizbooks - In the UK you have for types of write - off class (A - D). A & B cannot be driven on the roads or sold as cars, but as only parts.
(C & D) can still be driven on the roads, subject to been repaired and taken to a Vehicle inspectorate for inspection.
So class C & D are perfectly fine to buy, so long as I see post accident pictures.

@ Lexusgs430,

I think we are making the same point. If the UK government deems a car unfit for their roads, will they prevent you from shipping it to Nigeria? The answer is most likely no. Correct me if I'm wrong. The ethical question should be: "Is it fair for the developed countries to allow cars deemed unfit to be driven in their countries to be shipped to another country?"

On your second point, salvage car dealers do not take their cars for inspection. That will defeat the whole profit making purpose. Remember the inspection is not free. After all said and done, the whole process (including getting a salvage title), may cost up to $1000 or much more if it is an expensive car.

@ Bizbooks

I agree we are making the same point, the ethical stance should be that of the countries where the cars are shipped from.

Cat A & B have to be crushed, while cat C & D, if fixed properly upon passing inspection can be returned to the roads.

@ Bizbooks

Category A - Crushed
Catergory B - Only parts to be sold
Category C - Cost of repair, exceeds value
Catergory D - Minimal impact, can be returned to road with or without no fix required. But Insurance company has compensated insured.

dagboss:

Fellow Nairalanders i have checked the vin reports of many vehicles in recent times, my observation is that most of the 8-10 years vehicles normally have between 120k-190++. Under this type of situation what are the possible implications of buying a vehicle probably a SUV that has the odometer reading falling under this category? I know auto gurus in the house are always there to help us the greenhorns in automobile anatomy, so please assist and analyse the implications so that i will use as a guide to make my choice.

@siena your usual indepth and informed contribution will be appreciated

Varies widely, depends on how many owners it has had,kind of maintenance history
A car used as a taxi cab with under 100,000 miles is worse off than another car owned by an older person used to commute long distances to work.Personally I never consider mileage in buying a vehicle,just if it has had proper maintenance schedules attended to and was at least not driven hard


Have the car checked out by a mechanic, the carfax is not going to tell you thing other than the vehicle's registration history and possible accidents.Most cars that old will have about 100k or more miles, if you really want something with less miles,they are out there but be expected to pay much more

[b]Salvaged cars are more of a 50-50 thing, but one must "shine your eye well" when dealing with such.

of course they are much cheaper than the regular ones, but if you are very smart and know what to look for, you will definitely get one that needs just very minor repairs and with very low mileage. it is just the same as when someone has an accident with his car in nigeria and you decide to repair it. won't you still use it after repairs?

the last car i used before i left nigeria was salvaged, and it served me very well for two years before i gave it to my younger brother. when looking to buy a salvaged car, here are a couple of things you should watch out for -

1. make sure it is not a head-on collision as this might affect the radiator and AC Condenser.
2. Even if it is head on, make sure the Air-bags have not been deployed. this is a no-go area when dealing with salvage vehicles.
3. make sure the car is not a flood vehicle. u might be lucky in this case, but more often than not electrical issues occur in flood vehicles.
4. always look out for cars with minor damages (bumper, not-too serious looking rear-ending, things that can easily be replaced).
5. ALWAYS make sure the car RUNS and DRIVES. it is usually stated there on the vehicle on the auction websites.
6. Make sure all the wheels are intact i.e no form of upper arm, suspension, etc damage. this refers to no. 5 above.
7. atimes thesecars can have frame damage. this can be seen by the doors not aligning properly, having to slam the doors etc before closing.

Salvaged vehicles are usually a game of luck, but if you know what to look for and what to avoid, you can get a very good one. all you will just need to do is buy replacement parts, ship them to nigeria or wherever you are, and get a very good mechanic and panel-beater to work on the car. before you know it, it is as good as new and you can then sell the car at a good price, or use it yourself.[/b]

well a big thanks to all of you that have responded to my topic. Most of the posts have proferred possible reasons for high odometer readings, but my lay man's fear is that if i buy a vehicle with an odometer reading of say 195000 i may not be able to ride it for more than two years before it will start emitting smoke. This is my main fear.

The OP probably wants a late model car but doesn't want to pay late model price, which means that you have to buy high mileage or salvage.

The most important thing that you can ask for when buying any used car is the service records. From the service records, you can tell if the owner took take of his car or if the car makes too many frequent trips to the dealer for one problem or another. You can also tell if the owner performs the regularly scheduled maintenance on time.

For salvage cars that crashed, take it to a good body shop to see how well the damages were fixed. If you're lucky, there are some salvage cars that had other types of damages like recovered theft - stripping, hail - little dents, flood-minor or major, vandalism, and repossessions.

For most cars, parts that wear are designed to be replaced after about 100k miles. So you should budget for things like water pump, thermostat, alternator, timing belts if not chain, control arms, brakes, battery, and spark plugs. Skip the things that were done in the last 20k miles or so (another reason why you need service records).

Take a look at the site below to bid or get someone to bid on a car you like. You can even get the car shipped to you and I'm sure quite a few Nigerians use the site.

http://www.copart.com

I HAD A HONDA ACCORD THAT HAD OVER 170,000 MILES AND IT DROVE VERY SMOOTHLY, JAPANESE CARS CAN STAND LONG MILES BUT NOT AMERICAN CARS, IF AN AMERICAN CAR HAS OVER 150,000 MILES DONT EVEN BOTHER TO MESS WITH IT, CAUSE THEY ARE NOT MADE TO LAST THAT LONG

TALKING ABOUT DEALERS SELLING SALVAGE AND HIGH MILES CARS IN NIGERIA, THE TRUTH IS THAT CARS WITH LOW MILES AND CLEAR TITLES ARE NOT CHEAP IN THE USA, CAUSE THATS WHAT PEOPLE PAY FOR, IF YOU LOOK AT HOW MUCH CARS ARE SELLING FOR IN NIGERIA DUE TO HIGH SUPPLY WHICH EXCEEDS DEMAND, YOU WILL FIND OUT THAT THE ONLY WAY A CAR DEALER CAN SURVIVE THE NIGERIAN MARKET IS TO GO THE SALVAGE/HIH MILES ROUTE

@Lexuegs
Brother, your head reject new car? Whatever the name, salvaged or tokumbo, please dream new car. the white man wey first used am get seven heads?
0ur banks should wake up and Nigerians should reject and cast out salvged and tokumbo spirits in JN amen!

Any car, properly maintained, can
run for millions of miles. Parts of the
engine, if not the entire engine will
need to be replaced eventually. The
car you are looking at could die
tomorrow for all we know. I'd say if
they made it to 228k miles, they've
maintained it well, but you'll have to
continue maintaining it as well to
make it keep going.

@Xzikob

Thanks to you and others that have contributed to this thread despite the fact that i thought it was dead. Well like my people always say a "Sango dancer that dances and refuses to kick the air na him abuku (disgrace)". I remember i specifically mentioned some so called experts who i believe may have a deeper knowledge of the topic of the thread, they avoided it like one would avoid a leper, no peoblem. Finis

If I were to buy a 15 or 20 yr old car, I would go for a well maintained high mileaged: mileage that has exceeded 150,000km. If I were to buy a 5 yr old car, I would choose a low mileaged one.

The truth is, the proper engine lifespan, especially the powerful engine, starts after 100,000km. A 15 or 50 yr old car with low mileage should be avoided. There is more wear & tear on a car engine used only in city. And there is less wear & tear on engine used mostly on motorway/highway, as long as the running-in period was adhered to when new.

Its all about the car History, how religiously the car was maintained. Well maintained Vehicle engines that run most of their life on highways exceed 600,000 kilometers without failure or rebuild. I have seen car with 800,000 kilometers with the original engine, simply because it spent years running on highways and spent less in city driving. Travelling with your car, at least, once in a while, helps it in so many ways. So dont just check the cost of fuel alone, put the longevity of the engine into consideration as well

Ikenna.

@ikenna351

Thanks for the enlightenment and God bless