11 High-Mileage Vehicles That Can Last Well Over 300K Miles

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For many, cars and trucks are a necessity of modern life. Although public transportation serves millions, most of us living in North America can’t really depend on it. This leaves us relying on our various personal vehicles to get where we need to go. This means we also have to deal with vehicles that eventually wear out. And thanks in large part to Alfred P. Sloan, CEO of General Motors in the 1920s, cars don’t last forever. Back then, Sloan realized that consumers buying cars that lasted an extraordinarily long time would have no need for a new model, thus decreasing GM profits. So he devised the concept of planned obsolescence, which continues to plague buyers of goods from smartphones to light bulbs to cars to this day.

Fortunately, some manufacturers do better than others. Some automakers actually try to make durable cars. The Japanese brands bucked this trend somewhat when they entered the American market, and consumers reacted enthusiastically, quickly sending their sales to the top. However, these days the longevity of new cars is a mixed bag and it can be hard to know which one will go the distance. Some cars are much more likely to make it to 300,00 miles than others, and some are known to go for far more than that. Regardless, these 11 cars of various eras are well-known for regularly making it to 300,000 miles and beyond.

Toyota 4Runner

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Since 1984, Toyota’s 4Runner has blazed trails around the globe, offering the perfect mix of ruggedness, comfort, and capability. Furthermore, buyers have come to know and trust its reliable nature, flocking back to the brand for repeat purchases. Debuting as not much more than a Toyota truck with rear seats and an enclosed bed, it morphed into the full-fledged SUV we know today. While the robust V6 option is no longer available for the 2025 Toyota 4Runner, its four-cylinder options are more powerful than any before. However, with a no option starting price of $40,705, any claims of being affordable quickly dissolve.

No matter what year of 4Runner you consider, it should last a very long time. Toyota maintenance requirements fall well below the median with one of the lowest costs. Provided that you acquire a 4Runner, new or used, for an acceptable price, ownership should be smooth sailing. Many people trade cars every few years, but this could be a good choice if you tend to hold on to your vehicles for a long time.

4Runners from 2003 to 2009 merit additional inspection as Toyota had issues with rusting frame rails. If a frame recall has been performed, they should be otherwise reliable. Those built from 2010 to 2013 are said to be the most trouble-free, but practically all 4Runners made, especially in the last 20 or so years, should have no problem making it to 300,000 miles or more with regular maintenance.

Mercedes-Benz W123

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Production of the Mercedes W123, a chassis designation for a range of gasoline and diesel models, ended many years ago, but you probably wouldn’t notice in some parts of the world. In Africa, for example, the W123 continues to rule the streets as private cars and regularly as in-service taxis. 40 and 50-year-old Mercedes taxis can still be hailed today, although the state of the cars may range from surprisingly well-kept to shockingly still running.

These cars are way overbuilt, and everything about them feels solid from the clunk of closing a door to the click of the wiper switch. Attention to quality is evident with every component, and the car’s longevity is a testament to that. A further testament is a Teneriffa News report from 2023 of a stretched 240D on Gran Canaria used to ferry up to eight passengers around the island as it has done since 1988, astoundingly racking up about close to 4.3 million miles (7 million kilometers). It gets weekly oil changes and has only had its engine replaced once.

The 240D is a notoriously slow car, however. For better performance, many buyers have opted for the Mercedes-Benz 300D (or 300TD wagon), featuring a stout five-cylinder turbo diesel that will run forever. Bring a Trailer sold one in 2021 with 782,000 miles for $9,123. 300,000 miles is no problem for these tank-like cars. By then it’d probably just be considered broken in.

Volvo 240

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Someone looking for a high mileage car may want to check into Volvo. After all, the record holder for the highest mileage one-owner car is a Volvo P1800 with an astonishing 3.2 million miles. However, while the P1800 is a sports car from the ’60s that’s hard to find these days, the Volvo 240 is far less rare, though it is also long out of production.

Long thought of as the perfect professor’s car, the Volvo 240 exudes a distinctive aesthetic suggesting the designers had a particular love affair with the right angles and straight lines. From 1975 to 1993, Volvo sold this car with modest aesthetic changes while being powered by the legendarily robust Volvo B230FT Redblock engine, both turbocharged and naturally aspirated. Recent examples of high mileage 240 cars have been reported by Hemmings, 1 million miles, Autoweek, 626,476 miles, and The Drive, 480,000 miles.

These old bricks are still available in good supply, but prices are rising. Being incredibly reliable helps keep older cars on the road for years, and the Volvo 240 is no exception. Should you find one well maintained but with 270,000 miles, you can count on it going at least another 30,000 or more.

Ford F-250 Powerstroke

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For about half a century, a Ford pickup has been the best selling vehicle in America. Its dominance in the market remains unquestioned today as millions of people rely on their truck to get work done on the farm, on-site, or on the road. A few things can explain why Ford has held such a lofty position within the market, but rugged dependability is key to its success.

The best-selling model has been the half-ton F-150 as it presents the right combination of capability, size, and economy. For those who need a little extra to get stuff done, the Super Duty, covering models F-250, F-350, and F-450, feature heavy duty frames and suspensions for larger payloads. Ford introduced the F-250 in 1953 and all heavy trucks became Super Duty in 1999. But the most significant change came in 1994 with the International-built Powerstroke diesel.

With the Powerstroke, Ford Super Duty trucks gained a direct-injected and turbocharged powerhouse with an electronically controlled fuel system. This meant more power and efficiency, and it has also translated into long life and durability. 200,000 miles should be a breeze, and most Super Duty trucks aren’t considered high mileage until they hit 350,000. Even then, they aren’t worn out and it is not unreasonable to think you could get a million miles out of a Powerstroke. That said, the most reliable Powerstroke diesels are the debut 7.3-liter model through 2003 and the current 6.7-liter since 2011.

Ford Crown Victoria

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Built on the rear-wheel-drive full-size Panther Platform, the Ford Crown Victoria sedan has become one the most recognizable cars in North America. Driven by police, cabbies, and g-men for years, the Crown Vic was one of the most common service vehicles of its era, in addition to being a genuinely comfortable family cruiser.

Initially the upscale trim of the Ford LTD, the Crown Victoria became a stand-alone model with a full redesign matching the smoother Euro-inspired design of the Taurus in 1992. With it came the all-new 4.6-liter Modular V8, the first American full production OHC V8 and one of Ford’s best engines ever made.

Simplicity is one of this car’s greatest traits. Using a stiff body-on-frame platform with rear-wheel-drive makes it easy to repair and maintain, and the low-stress V8 can run for miles on end with little more than an oil change. As late as 2023, The New York Times wrote about a 2011 model in service as the last taxi in New York on this platform, and its mileage exceeded 550,000 miles. Some consider the Crown Victoria the most reliable car on the road. Most models are expected to make it to 200,000 miles, but 300,000 is reasonable as long as your kids don’t wear out everything else first.

Toyota Prius

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Any list of cars that can attain high mileage is always going to have a couple of Toyota models, including the pioneering Toyota Prius. Upon its debut in 1997 — 2001 in the American market — the Prius was in a market segment of one. Honda sold the hybrid Insight, but it was inferior in many ways, leaving Toyota to nearly corner the market for a decade.

The thing about driving a Prius is that it is made for efficiency, so the driving experience is not its forte. However, its fuel mileage averaged nearly 50 mpg, and it is an extremely reliable car, with Consumer Reports rating it 5/5, and CarComplaints noting just two common problems in 2011 and not much else. A high rating for safety rounds out the package as an all around good buy.

In addition to being reliable, the Prius is known for longevity. Shortly after its introduction, taxi services started putting them in service, noting the incredible saving in fuel as a significant benefit. However, once in service, they prove even more economical by needing few repairs, affordable maintenance, and lasting upwards of 500,000 miles with regular use. A new Prius is expected to make it at least 200,000 to 250,000 miles, but owners regularly report more than 300,000 miles of use, and sometimes well over 500,000.

Toyota Hilux

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Sadly, one of the most legendarily durable and reliable Toyota vehicles is not available for Americans to buy, although they once could. Toyota enlisted Hino Motors to build a truck it designed in 1968, releasing it as the Hilux. It then sent the truck around the world to conquer farms, outback, and country roads in all corners, including the United States. However, it left the American market mid-way through 1994 to make way for the domestically produced Tacoma, thus avoiding the “chicken tax” tariff of 25%.

As Americans started driving Tacomas, the rest of the world continued getting successive generations of Hilux as it continued to receive updates along with the rest of Toyota’s lineup. Jeremy Clarkson demonstrated just how incredibly tough these trucks are when he put one through a series of grueling tests like letting it float out into the surf and being atop a highrise as it came down in a demolition, only to see it start and continue to run in an episode of ” Top Gear.”

In addition to being rock solid tough, these trucks are also incredibly long-lived. Vehicle Score U.K. estimates the lifespan of a Hilux to be 522,000 miles, based on mileage of scrapped vehicles. Other anecdotal stories seem to back this up as Australian Jack Morris’ 1983 Hilux hit 650,000 km in 2018, and Australian Ian Moreland made it to one million in 2017. This makes 300,000 miles look like child’s play.

Honda Accord

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When breaking into the American market, Honda worked hard to overcome a prevailing attitude that Japanese products were inferior and cheap, ensuring the quality of its products were of the highest caliber while offering more affordability to win over skeptical customers. The efforts paid off as Honda grew quickly, introducing an increasing number of models and eventually establishing manufacturing in the United States itself.

The Honda Accord became the first Japanese car manufactured in an American facility, and it has continued to be a top seller ever since. It has been the best-selling car in America for much of the last five decades and landed on the Car and Driver 10Best list 38 times. This only happens when a company builds a good product people want to buy.

The lifespan of a Honda Accord is estimated to be between 200,000 and 300,000 miles, depending on who is estimating. It’s not hard to find multiple listings for sale in excess of 200,000 miles, and some people have taken them to an extreme. The Truth About Cars found one in a junkyard recently with 475,113 miles, and The Drive showcased a 2003 model with nearly 1 million miles. Something you will find in all of these stories about extremely high mileage cars is that the owners performed meticulous maintenance. When you do that, making 300,000 miles should be an easy goal post to reach.

Volkswagen Jetta TDI

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The overall reliability of Volkswagen vehicles generally strays from the highest echelon of auto manufacturers. It makes some good cars that are largely dependable, but some models occasionally lower its overall reputation.

The Jetta is the mid-size car in VW’s lineup, though it might be considered a small car by American standards. It began as a sedan version of the Rabbit in 1979 as a sort of experiment that took off and became a regular model. VW introduced diesel engines to its Golf in 1976, but it wasn’t until in 1991 that the direct-injected and turbocharged TDI engines made diesel competitive with gasoline for the first time. The TDI continued to be a mainstay for the company until Volkswagen seriously sabotaged itself with the Dieselgate scandal. In 2016 the company announced it was phasing out diesel engines altogether.

Although they have not been at dealers as new cars lately, there are plenty of Jetta TDI models available on the used market. They get great mileage and the engines produce plenty of torque. Furthermore, with meticulous maintenance, they can go for a very long time. You can find reports from owners on Reddit of Jettas with 500,000 to 600,000 miles and some dealers estimate engines last up to 500,000.

Ford Escape Hybrid

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Some might be surprised to hear that one of the cars expected to last 300,000 miles would be a Ford hybrid. People unfamiliar with the technology may fear that the batteries won’t last long enough, but new data shows that batteries are actually outlasting expectations, making hybrids a rational choice for long-term ownership.

Ford’s smaller Escape SUV has been around for some time, and the hybrid version was first offered in 2005 advertising mileage of up to 36 mpg city thanks to its 2.3-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine and 75-kW motor. Curiously, they drew the attention of many American politicians, who showed up for photo ops and many even owned them, including President Barack Obama.

At some point, Escape Hybrids began being picked up by taxi companies, taking advantage of the excellent fuel savings along with the extra cargo space available for passenger’s bags. They also proved their worth by continuing to serve as taxis for extraordinarily long lives, racking up as many as 493,936 miles. The Detroit News once road tested an Escape Hybrid taxi with 400,000 miles, finding that while it was well-worn and beat up, the original drivetrain operated flawlessly. If you are curious whether one can do 300,000 miles, ask a cabbie (if you can find one today).

Chevrolet Suburban

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While trucks have been Chevrolet’s bread and butter since 1918, its truck-based Suburban remains the longest-running nameplate in America, since 1937.

Much has changed in the nearly 90-year history of the Suburban, and the models of today are grand luxury palaces compared to the spartan and austere cabin of the original. But one thing that has been consistent is build quality and toughness. Suburbans have always been built on rugged truck platforms and capable of doing heavy work, even if they are often used today to get to soccer practice.

Many past Chevy truck owners will likely tell you they can go for a long time. But according to statistics gathered by iSeeCars, the Chevy Suburban has one of the longest potential lifespans of any vehicle, ranking third in the study and well ahead of the Silverado pickup. Furthermore, a report from WGAL news showed a man with a 500,000-mile Suburban at one time and The Lincoln Journal Star reported a 1994 model with more than a million miles, making it totally plausible an average Suburban could make it 300,000.

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