5 Vehicle Maintenance Secrets of Million-Mile Car Owners

What maintenance does a car need? Should you change the oil every 3,000 miles? Are there certain parts you should replace on a schedule? Two car owners managed to nurse their automobiles past one million miles; learn their vehicle maintenance secrets.

Meet two Million-mile Cars

The Journal Sentinel reports on a 1989 Saab 900 SPG with 1,001,385 miles. Owner Peter Gilbert finally donated the vehicle to a museum. AutoWeb previously noted that a 1966 Volvo P1800 coupe made it into the Guinness Book of Records as the car with the highest mile count. Owned by Irv Gordon, the car received this honor at 1,671,000 miles. Did these car owners get lucky with their rides, or can they attribute the longevity of their automobiles to solid vehicle maintenance? Fact is, both owners are clear that maintenance on these cars is what kept them on the road.

What Maintenance does a Car need for a maximum Lifespan?

1. Use original car parts. Mr. Gordon swears by genuine Volvo parts for his ride. While manufacturers of generic parts certainly work to meet the genuine parts’ measurements and performance specifications, there is nothing like the factory part. Handy Chevy agrees; although genuine parts are more expensive than generic versions, they “often yield the best fit, durability and overall quality.”
2. Opt for high-end synthetic oil. Mr. Gilbert changed his Saab’s oil religiously. He used only synthetic oil. Mobil Oil concurs; “synthetic oils will provide better protection than conventional oil,” the company states.
3. Schedule vehicle maintenance. Women schedule their mammograms, moms schedule play dates for their toddlers, anglers schedule fishing trips, and students schedule spring break vacations. Circled on the calendar, these events take priority. Yet who sits down at the beginning of the year and marks the oil change and tire-buying dates? The Saab owner did; he changed the vehicle’s tires every 45,000 miles.
4. Fix what is broken. The Saab needed three engine head gaskets over the course of its million-mile run. Spending the money to fix what breaks — when it breaks — decreases the risk of having secondary systems go bad or become over-stressed.
5. Protect the car from Mother Nature. Parking your vehicle in the baking heat of Death Valley’s high noon is bound to create some damage. Leaving the vehicle outside during a Mammoth Mountain ice and hailstorm also has the potential to affect the automobile — and not for the better. Consider garaging, covering, or otherwise protecting your vehicle from heat, cold, and elements.

Treat your Car with Love

“I treat my car with love,” the Volvo owner explained. While vehicle maintenance accounts for the details of keeping the car in mechanically sound running condition, little extras do matter. Checking and topping off battery fluids, cleaning out the air filter, and going easy on the engine degreaser are just some of the tips the AAA offers. Who knows, if you chose wisely and purchased a reliable car from a manufacturer renowned for vehicle longevity, you, too, may soon have a million-mile car in your garage.