How Many Kilometers Should a Vehicle Be Driven Before Scrapping?

[RuthMarie]

Non-commercial vehicles and commercial vehicles have different scrapping periods, as detailed below: Scrapping Regulations for Non-commercial Vehicles: For household 5-seat sedans and 7-seat SUVs, as well as non-commercial small and mini vehicles, there is no usage period limit. When the normal mileage reaches 600,000 kilometers, the state will guide the scrapping. In addition to the above vehicles, small and mini non-commercial passenger vehicles, large non-commercial sedans, and wheeled special-purpose machinery vehicles also have no usage period limit. Common Scrapping Regulations for Commercial Vehicles: Small and mini taxi passenger vehicles have a scrapping period of 8 years, medium-sized taxi passenger vehicles have a scrapping period of 10 years, and large taxi passenger vehicles have a scrapping period of 12 years. Public bus passenger vehicles have a scrapping period of 13 years, other small and mini commercial passenger vehicles have a scrapping period of 10 years, and large and medium-sized commercial passenger vehicles have a scrapping period of 15 years. Mini commercial trucks have a scrapping period of 8 years, light and large commercial trucks have a scrapping period of 10 years. The vehicle scrapping process is as follows: The vehicle owner applying for scrapping and renewal must fill out an "Application Form for Vehicle Modification, Transfer, Alteration, Suspension, or Scrapping" and affix the owner's seal. The registration office will accept the application and issue a "Vehicle Scrapping Notice" for vehicles that have reached the scrapping period. For vehicles that have not reached the scrapping period, the vehicle inspection office will determine if they meet the scrapping standards and issue a "Vehicle Scrapping Notice" if applicable. The vehicle owner can choose a qualified recycling company to dismantle the vehicle with the "Notice". The recycling company will dismantle the vehicle and take photos after verifying the "Notice". The engine must be separated from the vehicle, the engine block must be broken, and the frame (chassis) must be cut. The vehicle owner must submit the "Modification Form", "XX Province Vehicle Renewal Technical Appraisal Form", "Scrapped Vehicle Recycling Certificate", and photos of the dismantled vehicle to the vehicle inspection office for verification and signature. The license plates will be reclaimed, and the application will be submitted for approval according to regulations to complete the scrapping registration. Special Notes: According to Article 30 of the "Regulations on the Registration of Motor Vehicles", if a vehicle cannot be driven back to the registration location due to damage, the owner can submit the scrapped vehicle to a local recycling company. If a commercial vehicle is converted to a non-commercial vehicle, it must be scrapped according to the original commercial vehicle's scrapping period. According to Article 43 of the "Regulations on the Registration of Motor Vehicles", after completing the transfer or cancellation of a motor vehicle, the original owner can apply to use the original license plate number when registering a new vehicle. The application must meet the following conditions: (1) The application must be submitted within six months after the transfer or cancellation; (2) The owner must have owned the original vehicle for more than three years.

[Greg]

I've always been interested in car topics. Our country no longer has mandatory scrapping年限 for private cars, but they will be guided for scrapping after reaching 600,000 kilometers. This number sounds huge, but in reality, few family cars actually reach that mileage. My previous car was driven for eight years and only clocked 120,000 kilometers before I replaced it. After all, as cars age, various parts deteriorate—like cracked rubber components in the chassis or engine oil leaks—and such problems become more frequent. The annual maintenance costs almost caught up with the insurance fees. Later, I realized the repair expenses alone could cover the down payment for a new car, so replacing it outright was clearly more cost-effective. For daily-use vehicles, hitting 200,000 kilometers already qualifies as an old car, with wear-and-tear parts like brake pads and shock absorbers needing frequent replacements. It’s better to trade it in sooner rather than later.