How is the age of a car calculated?
2 Answers
Car age is calculated from the date of vehicle registration. Below is relevant information about determining a car's age: 1. Check for accident traces and hidden issues: Lift the floor mats to inspect for body damage underneath. Carefully examine doors for repainting signs - any fresh paint may indicate concealed defects. 2. Body condition: Walk around the vehicle multiple times, meticulously checking fender edges and axle areas for mechanical wear and weather exposure. 3. Test driving performance: To check clutch condition, start the car in third gear instead of first - if the engine doesn't stall as it normally would, this indicates clutch wear.
I've also thought about how to calculate a car's age before. Simply put, it starts from the day the vehicle was first registered and licensed. For example, I bought a used car last year. Although it was manufactured in 2018, the registration date was March 2019, so this year the car age should be counted as 5 years. This starting point is particularly important because it directly affects the vehicle inspection cycle - new cars are exempt from on-site inspections for the first six years, but by the seventh year, you'll need to go to the DMV. Maintenance schedules also follow the car's age: for cars under five years old, the main tasks are oil and filter changes, while after six years, you'll need to check for aging issues with rubber components in the chassis. Car age is also a key factor when buying insurance, with older cars having significantly higher premiums than new ones. I personally keep track of the registration date in my phone and schedule maintenance appointments as the car approaches these age milestones.
