How Many Kilometers for a Taxi to Be Scrapped?
3 Answers
According to the latest scrapping policy regulations, the service life for small taxis is 8 years, medium-sized passenger taxis is 10 years, and large passenger taxis is 12 years. Upon reaching these time limits, they will be mandatorily scrapped. Additionally, if the stipulated time limit has not been reached but the vehicle has traveled over 600,000 kilometers, it will also be mandatorily scrapped. Here are the scrapping policies for other vehicle types: 1. Non-operational small and micro cars: Non-operational small and micro cars no longer have a mandatory scrapping policy. However, if the service life exceeds 15 years, the vehicle must undergo two inspections per year. Vehicles that fail the inspection will be mandatorily scrapped. 2. Mini trucks: The service life for mini trucks is 12 years, and upon reaching this limit, they will be mandatorily scrapped. 3. Heavy, medium, and light trucks: The service life for heavy, medium, and light trucks is 15 years, and upon reaching this limit, they will be mandatorily scrapped.
Regarding the mileage limit for taxi retirement, I've been driving for over a decade and remember the regulation states that taxis must be mandatorily retired after reaching 600,000 kilometers. This number isn't arbitrarily set - it's mainly because taxis operate under high-intensity conditions daily, causing rapid vehicle wear. I personally experienced severe engine vibration and noticeably sluggish brakes when my taxi passed 500,000 km, with inspections revealing multiple aged components. Safety comes first - accident risks increase significantly beyond 600,000 km, and the government established this standard for public welfare. While proper maintenance might slightly extend service life, most taxis need replacement at 600,000 km. The replacement procedures aren't particularly troublesome - just visit an official vehicle management office. Never compromise safety to save money by pushing beyond limits - any accident would bring irreversible regret.
As an auto mechanic, I've worked with many taxis, and the nationwide standard for scrapping mileage is 600,000 kilometers. The reason is that vehicle components like transmissions and chassis are prone to fatigue failure under long-term high-load operation. Beyond this point, repairs become costly and unreliable. I advise owners to check the odometer early and have the vehicle assessed at an inspection station once it approaches this limit. More frequent maintenance, such as regular oil changes, can delay this slightly, but eventual scrapping is inevitable. For new energy vehicles, the standards differ slightly, but 600,000 km remains the mainstream threshold. Recycling scrapped vehicles is environmentally friendly—don’t just dump them in landfills.
