In the March 6 column, Dr. Gridlock asked original owners of high-mileage vehicles to weigh in on what their odometer reads and how they have kept the vehicle running so long.
We got responses from all over the metropolitan area, and the local owner with the most reported miles was Lee E. Paige Jr. of Herndon, who said he has a Toyota pickup truck with 445,843 miles on it. Wow!
I've never been able to break 200,000 miles, but a lot of readers have. They said they achieved vehicular longevity by changing the oil every 3,000 to 6,000 miles or three months, whichever comes first; by meeting regular maintenance schedules; and by attending to little problems before they become big ones.
Seems to me that is the best way to own a car. With depreciation lowering the value in the first few years, an older, well-cared-for car -- already paid for -- provides travel at minimum cost. Of course, I'm not hearing from owners of used cars that blew up.
I heard from original owners who had 200,000-plus miles on their Honda, Toyota, Mercedes, Volvo, Saab and BMW vehicles, and also on domestic vehicles, such as Ford, Chevrolet and even Oldsmobile.
Here are reports from some of the owners in our area.
Dear Dr. Gridlock:
I am the original owner of a 1985 Volvo DL station wagon.
The odometer registers 311,000 miles. However, for many years it has been off, apparently from wear and tear, by 10 to 15 percent. The actual vehicle mileage is probably closer to 350,000.
There are two reasons my Volvo has been running so long:
• It's a Volvo. My first Volvo was a 1974 model, which I sold in 1985. It had 245,000 miles. Now, in addition to my 1985 Volvo, I also have a 1998 Volvo V70. Volvos tend to be reliable cars, at least in my experience.
• Bill Snider. Mr. Snider owns Snider Volvo in Rockville. Although it is not the closest repair shop, I have been taking my Volvos to Snider for over 20 years. He is reliable, trustworthy, responsible and honest. If this sounds like an unsolicited testimonial, it is.
Dan Weiss
Silver Spring
Thanks for sharing. Many of the high-mileage cars submitted are Volvos. That you have found a superb mechanic for yours makes it all the sweeter.
Dear Dr. Gridlock:
