Question about high-mileage 100’s and their reliability (1 Viewer)

[GTV]

Block, body, frame, trans and drivetrain last a long time. However everything else, start to go at around 150k-200k. If you don't know how to DIY or aren't doing the labour yourself, the 100 series is a very expensive proposition.

Are they reliable? Yes
Does that mean its cheap to own? Hell no
Does that mean it doesn't need more than average amount of servicing? No

Does that mean it’s worth it? Yes.

 

[lxj1]

If I dumped as much maintenance money into my honda civic it would also probably last as long as my cruiser will.

Interesting theory. I wonder if Cruisers rack up mileage because it is a truck and being old and beat up is part of the allure and the owners continue to put money into them.

Civics or Corollas, on the other hand, that are beat up just make you look like a meth head and maybe prematurely end up in the salvage yard

 

[Mike NXP]

Interesting theory. I wonder if Cruisers rack up mileage because it is a truck and being old and beat up is part of the allure and the owners continue to put money into them.

Civics or Corollas, on the other hand, that are beat up just make you look like a meth head and maybe prematurely end up in the salvage yard

Yeah and why bother dumping money into a less desirable vehicle .the cruiser on the other hand is worth the maintenance and money spent since a well maintained 100 series is one solid piece of equipment that is highly capable.

All high mileage rigs need maintenance , I get concerned when I see operators telling people 200k is nothing to worry about , it is . All the parts that have been spinning and fluids that have been flowing for that long will require maintenance. Rubbers dry out and things just wear down over time .

I'd rather put $3-5k into my cruiser every year than a leasing a new SUV for the same cost with half the capability and quality.

 

[Pz10420]

I was in the same boat as you with my 93fzj. I picked up a 98 one owner rust and accident free 100 with 325k miles on the clock. The miles did not scare me because the car has been well looked after and these things will run forever if you keep up on it. The 100 is so much smoother and better as a daily driver but IMO could never replace the 80 for most other activities.

 

[ramangain]

I was in the same boat as you with my 93fzj. I picked up a 98 one owner rust and accident free 100 with 325k miles on the clock. The miles did not scare me because the car has been well looked after and these things will run forever if you keep up on it. The 100 is so much smoother and better as a daily driver but IMO could never replace the 80 for most other activities.

Towing, diesel notwithstanding

 

[kgrove]

Yeah and why bother dumping money into a less desirable vehicle .the cruiser on the other hand is worth the maintenance and money spent since a well maintained 100 series is one solid piece of equipment that is highly capable.

All high mileage rigs need maintenance , I get concerned when I see operators telling people 200k is nothing to worry about , it is . All the parts that have been spinning and fluids that have been flowing for that long will require maintenance. Rubbers dry out and things just wear down over time .

I'd rather put $3-5k into my cruiser every year than a leasing a new SUV for the same cost with half the capability and quality.

Are you really putting $3-5K annually? That seems high, at least based on my own experience. I could see spending that kind of burn rate for maybe 18 months to rehab a 200K LC that had not yet had any major compents touched, but from there I would think it would drop down to a lower level of mostly replacing consumables - fluids, filters, brake pads, tires, etc - with maybe the occasional (ever 18-24 months) $1K surprise repair. That said, I can easily see spending $3-5K per yer if you start adding in modifications after you've already tackled baseline maintenance, like sliders, roof racks, bumpers, etc. Unless the LC in question was fundamentally flawed to begin with, once you've spent $6-8K on fixes and preventative maintenance, there isn't all that much left to break or replace that isn't already new again. If one does end up spending that much, it could also be a case of bad decisions - e.g., you're doing a timing belt anyway and choose not to replace the associated water pump or associated pulleys, then 6 months later you end up basically doing it over again to fix a bad pulley bearing or water pump.

 

[Mike NXP]

Are you really putting $3-5K annually? That seems high, at least based on my own experience. I could see spending that kind of burn rate for maybe 18 months to rehab a 200K LC that had not yet had any major compents touched, but from there I would think it would drop down to a lower level of mostly replacing consumables - fluids, filters, brake pads, tires, etc - with maybe the occasional (ever 18-24 months) $1K surprise repair. That said, I can easily see spending $3-5K per yer if you start adding in modifications after you've already tackled baseline maintenance, like sliders, roof racks, bumpers, etc. Unless the LC in question was fundamentally flawed to begin with, once you've spent $6-8K on fixes and preventative maintenance, there isn't all that much left to break or replace that isn't already new again. If one does end up spending that much, it could also be a case of bad decisions - e.g., you're doing a timing belt anyway and choose not to replace the associated water pump or associated pulleys, then 6 months later you end up basically doing it over again to fix a bad pulley bearing or water pump.

You're right, I looked at my spreadsheet and I haven't gone over 5k a year, and have been as low as 1400.

Total Cost in 2017	$1,453.00	Miles Driven in 2017	5,303
Total Cost in 2018	$4,436.00	Miles Driven in 2018	18,616
Total Cost in 2019	$4,927.00	Miles Driven in 2019	14,500
Total Cost in 2020	$1,888.00	Miles Driven in 2020	16,499

Also to be fair I am accounting for aftermarket goodies like bumpers, necessities like tires ( and snow tires ), brakes, and I also double down on my fluid maintenance as I have done many flushes between 150k-200k on all fluids. I have also replace the timing belt and water pump twice, since the first go around we neglected the fan bracket and idlers, DOH! Alternator, radiator, and other high dollar items have been swapped. Sway bars, suspension, etc. Just about everything has been gone over and replaced if needed. So some years cost more than others.

So this is a good example of an above average cost to get a 150k -200k mile 100 series to a really good place maintenance wise.
>> Also further proves the point that if you like the 100 series it pays to keep it alive VS a new lease on a less capable vehicle

 

[kgrove]

Somebody has a much more robust personal accounting system than I do!

Taking a look at those numbers and your description of what you've done, one would think your next few years of maintenance expenses should be much smaller as it sounds like you've tackled most of the big stuff. I would assume the most likely way you'd go over $1K in any of the next few years is if you choose some kind of fun mod or you need new tires.

This seems to fit what I expected... Somewhere in the 175-250K range, LCs might need $4-8K in maintenance to reset (or at least mostly reset) the clock, but after that, maintenance costs should drop to relatively low levels for a number of years. I guess you're experience the next few years will be a good data point to help prove that right or wrong. In a perfect world, you would be able to pull out the cost of the "goodies" from more purely maintenance and upkeep costs.

 

[Mike NXP]

Somebody has a much more robust personal accounting system than I do!

Taking a look at those numbers and your description of what you've done, one would think your next few years of maintenance expenses should be much smaller as it sounds like you've tackled most of the big stuff. I would assume the most likely way you'd go over $1K in any of the next few years is if you choose some kind of fun mod or you need new tires.

This seems to fit what I expected... Somewhere in the 175-250K range, LCs might need $4-8K in maintenance to reset (or at least mostly reset) the clock, but after that, maintenance costs should drop to relatively low levels for a number of years. I guess you're experience the next few years will be a good data point to help prove that right or wrong. In a perfect world, you would be able to pull out the cost of the "goodies" from more purely maintenance and upkeep costs.

I agree with you for sure, the concept was spend the money on it now while I can to ensure a relatively lower cost in the 200-250k mile range. If this was another vehicle my mindset would have changed, for example I have a similar mileage highlander that gets neglected. Knowing the 100 series is built to last it makes sense to replace things that are destined to fail.

On the flip side, I could have put $0 into this rig and I am confident it would still be running without any major issues. It should be noted all money put into this rig was maintenance not repairs. This is a rare occurrence for me with all of the vehicles I have owned, typically I am fixing broken parts, but the with the 100 series I am maintaining to ensure a long life.

I go pretty deep into the woods with just my dog and girl so I need to know the rig will start when I turn the key, especially in the harsh winter months.

 

[ramangain]

I go pretty deep into the woods with just my dog and girl so I need to know the rig will start when I turn the key, especially in the harsh winter months.

Carry the medtro-designed relay bypass kit and spare fuel pump to bump up your odds even more

 

[Mike NXP]

Carry the medtro-designed relay bypass kit and spare fuel pump to bump up your odds even more

Good call, I go back and forth on how much extra parts I want to carry and I try to limit myself on carrying a rig full of spare parts. My solution has been maintenance, pre trip checks, and always carry the Garmin GPS with text and SOS capabilities.

I will check out that relay bypass kit as I have seen some noted failures on the forums.

Happy wheelin'

 

[JunkCrzr89]

My solution has been maintenance, pre trip checks,

That’s the best solution.

 

[RPLX470]

Whatever you end up with, budget $3-5K to sort it. From there you can repair whatever is left, if anything, at your pace/budget.

Good luck in your search.