200K car care

Get out the cleaning products periodically. Regular cleaning inside and out can make the car a more pleasant place to be as you roll up the miles, and washing and waxing can help preserve the paint and keep the sheet metal below it from rusting. Vacuuming sand and dirt out of carpets and seats can minimize premature wear that leads to tears and holes.

If you buy a used car, there's probably no way to know how well the previous owner cared for it. Even a model with excellent reliability can become a clunker through neglect. But that doesn't mean a used car can't make it to 200,000 miles.

Before buying any used vehicle, take it to a diagnostic shop not involved in the sale and have it inspected. The shop can often spot signs of premature wear. Also, inspect the car yourself. Look for incidental signs of abuse such as a mold or mildew smell (which often means water damage), paint overspray on body panels (which might indicate damage repair), and heavily worn carpet near the brake and throttle (which can indicate that the car was driven hard). Also, a dirty interior typically signals a car that wasn't cared for.

If you own a used vehicle, it's never too late to start taking care of your car because it will extend the life of any vehicle and make long term car reliability a greater possibility. Be especially watchful of wear items, such as belts and hoses, that may have approached or exceeded their life expectancy before you bought the vehicle.