How many kilometers does a car normally run in a year?
4 Answers
A car running 10,000 kilometers a year is normal. The routine maintenance items for cars and precautions for 4S shop maintenance are as follows: Routine car maintenance items: Check whether the liquid level of the car coolant meets the regulations; check the liquid level of the brake and clutch; check whether the oil level of the power steering oil tank meets the regulations; check whether there is oil leakage at the oil pipe interfaces of the system; check the liquid level of the battery and the windshield washer tank; check the tightness and aging of the belts of the generator, air conditioner, water pump, and power steering pump; check whether the front and rear lights of the car are complete; check the tire pressure and wear condition of the car. Precautions for 4S shop maintenance: The address of the 4S shop is written in the vehicle maintenance manual. Generally, maintenance is done at the 4S shop where the owner purchased the car. If you need to go to another shop for the first maintenance, you need to bring all the relevant procedures, including the first maintenance voucher and the vehicle maintenance manual.
I mainly drive to commute and go shopping on weekends, which adds up to about 15,000 kilometers a year. My friend who lives in the suburbs and works downtown drives even more, covering 30 to 40 kilometers every day just for the round trip. There's a guy in our neighborhood who drives his SUV for business every day, and his maintenance records showed 25,000 kilometers last year alone. Actually, there's no universal standard for this number—it depends on commute distance, weekend activity frequency, and whether you take long trips. Some people only use their cars to pick up kids or go grocery shopping, logging less than 8,000 kilometers a year. Like my neighbor who rides an electric bike every day, his gas car sits in the garage barely moving, covering only 5,000 kilometers in two years. I remember during a service visit, the technician mentioned that people are driving less these days, with many getting used to remote work after the pandemic.
I've been driving a lot of long distances in recent years, averaging about 18,000 kilometers annually. There's quite a difference among my friends - office workers typically hover around 12,000 kilometers, while my sales buddy easily exceeds 30,000 kilometers yearly as he constantly drives to neighboring cities. Location matters too - when I was in Beijing, severe traffic congestion actually reduced my mileage, but now in a smaller city with smooth traffic, my distance driven has increased. It's worth noting that frequent short trips can damage the battery, so it's best to take a long drive every two or three weeks. With current high fuel prices, many people around me have switched to carpooling for work commutes.
Everyone in our unit who owns a car keeps a mileage log. Last year, the average mileage was around 13,000 kilometers. Personally, I drive a fixed 50 kilometers daily for commuting, plus weekend trips and visits back home, totaling just over 11,000 kilometers. A friend who works in management at a ride-hailing company mentioned that their new cars can cover more than 35,000 kilometers in the first year. Don't assume new cars can handle unlimited mileage—my brother's car, for example, racked up 8,000 kilometers in just the first three months after purchase, resulting in unusually fast tire wear. Before buying a car, calculate your estimated monthly mileage to choose the right fuel tank size and maintenance package.
