How many kilometers should a car generally be driven before it needs to be replaced?

[CamillaDella]

How long a private car should be used before replacement depends on the specific condition of the vehicle. If the car is in good condition, it can be used for 10 years before replacement. Generally speaking, a car needs to be scrapped after running about 1 million kilometers. If the car's age reaches 5-8 years, mechanical wear and tear will lead to a sharp increase in maintenance costs, and the depreciation rate of the car's value will also be higher. At this point, replacing the car is the best choice. In reality, the frequency of car replacement still depends on personal preferences for the car and financial capability. Methods to determine whether a car is new are as follows: 1. Check the manufacturing date: The manufacturing date of the vehicle should match the date on the certificate of conformity, and it is usually difficult to alter. If the manufacturing date exceeds 15 days, then it is considered an old car. 2. Inspect the brake discs: Most small passenger vehicles nowadays use disc brakes (at least the front brakes are disc brakes), and examining the brake discs is a very reliable method. Generally, after driving more than 200 kilometers, the brake pads will leave obvious marks on the brake discs. There is usually a distance of 1-2 mm between the brake pads and the outer edge of the brake discs. After driving a certain distance, a so-called "step" will form on the outer edge of the brake discs (the "step" on a new car is very low).

[LaLila]

To be honest, this really depends on the car. My neighbor's old Crown has over 500,000 kilometers and is still running. Professionally speaking, most mainstream cars today can easily handle 300,000 kilometers without major engine issues - the key factor is maintenance costs in later years. I've seen some German cars that start needing repairs worth a set of new tires after just 150,000 km, while Japanese models might only need shock absorbers at 300,000 km. Stick to 5,000 km service intervals, don't skimp on full synthetic oil, and replace tires/brake pads when needed. Economically speaking, most family cars reach a point around 8-10 years or 200,000 km where maintenance costs exceed residual value - that's the smartest time to replace.

[StAriel]

When I changed my car last year, I did careful calculations. The first five years see the fastest depreciation for a new car - it loses 40% of its value after reaching 60,000 kilometers. For regular family cars, driving up to 150,000 kilometers is most cost-effective: you can enjoy the full warranty period worry-free while maintaining about 30% resale value. If you frequently take long trips, pay attention to these three points: transmission fluid must be changed at 60,000-80,000 km, belts need inspection at 100,000 km, and the catalytic converter tends to fail after 150,000 km. I've seen ride-hailing drivers specifically choose Toyotas retired at 300,000 km - spending 20,000 yuan on an engine overhaul can get them another 200,000 km of service. That's what I call truly smart budgeting.

[McRuby]

With my 20 years of car repair experience, I can tell you that mileage alone shouldn't determine when to change cars. A car that's frequently driven on highways with 200,000 km might be in better condition than one with 80,000 km driven mainly in the city. The lifespan of chassis rubber bushings is about 120,000 km - replace them when the steering wheel starts shaking. For automatic transmissions, gearshift hesitation lasting over 3 seconds is a warning sign. Older cars most fear electrical system aging, especially vehicles over 10 years old that tend to stall in rainy weather. If you want your car to last, remember: check all electrical connectors during each maintenance, replace coolant every two years, and change all vehicle fluids every five years.