How many kilometers can a new car run on the highway?

[LaAnna]

Reason: When a new car is in the break-in period, high-speed driving above 90 km/h should be avoided. When the new car has driven about 5,000 kilometers and is about to complete the break-in period, the owner can appropriately let the engine run briefly above 4,000 RPM to reduce carbon deposits and improve engine performance. Other break-in matters for new cars: Avoid full-load driving: New cars during the break-in period should avoid full-load driving, as excessive load will increase the burden on the engine and transmission, causing the engine's output power to be too high and leading to excessive wear of components. Therefore, owners should understand the maximum load capacity of their cars to avoid full-load driving during the break-in period, thereby extending the service life. Avoid prolonged use of low gears: Owners should pay attention to avoiding prolonged use of low gears and should intentionally allow each gear to undergo the break-in process. For automatic transmission models, although the manual gear shifting break-in process is eliminated, under good road conditions, owners should accelerate continuously to allow the transmission to shift up smoothly, avoiding a lack of break-in for high gears.

[AryaAnn]

I also wondered about this when I first bought a new car. Generally, it's recommended to drive around 1,000 kilometers before taking it on the highway to give the engine components time to break in properly, which helps avoid excessive wear at high RPMs. For the first 500 kilometers, it's best to avoid prolonged high-speed cruising because there might be metal particles in the engine that need to be expelled—high speeds could cause them to get stuck in gaps and damage parts. 'Breaking in' on the highway doesn’t mean driving fast; it means maintaining a steady speed of 60 to 90 km/h for a stretch to help with cylinder sealing and carbon buildup removal. It’s safer to do a check after the first maintenance before pushing the car on the highway, and avoid long trips too soon to prevent unexpected breakdowns. Personally, I wait until around 1,300 kilometers before testing highway speeds—I find the car accelerates more smoothly then. Safety first—no need to rush into risky high-speed driving with a new car and risk unnecessary repairs.

[TannerAnn]

As someone who has driven for several years, my experience is that it's best to take a new car on the highway for a high-speed run after 800 to 1,200 kilometers. By then, the engine has adapted to daily driving and can handle high RPM stress. A high-speed run can improve performance by clearing carbon deposits, but don't gun it right away—take a short test drive first to check the car's condition. In the early 500 kilometers, drive gently, avoiding sudden acceleration or prolonged high-speed driving, as this could shorten engine life. Wait until the tires and braking system have also broken in and stabilized before hitting the highway for peace of mind—otherwise, unstable tire grip or delayed braking at high speeds can be dangerous. I've also researched and found that modern cars don't require strict break-in periods, but it doesn't hurt to be cautious. For example, combining the first maintenance check at 1,000 kilometers with a high-speed run will make the car much smoother to drive.

[VanParker]

From a technical perspective, how many kilometers should a new car run before going on the highway? Modern engines are much more precise, unlike older cars that required a 500-kilometer break-in period, but for safety, it's still recommended to wait until after 1,000 kilometers before driving at high speeds. By then, the parts will have settled in more tightly, and maintaining a steady speed like 70 km/h on the highway can help clear carbon deposits and optimize combustion. Driving at high speeds too early, such as within 300 kilometers, may cause components to overheat and get damaged due to high temperatures and RPM. High-speed driving isn't a mandatory step, but doing so has benefits like improving fuel efficiency. The key is to avoid aggressive driving—try maintaining a moderate speed for about half an hour, and don't follow some drivers who take their new cars on the highway for high-speed racing, which shortens the vehicle's lifespan.