What Is Good Mileage for a Used Car?

Good mileage for a used car is about 13,500 miles or less for each year of its age, but a car with full service records and high miles can be a better buy than a neglected car with low miles.

Start With Miles per Year

The number on the odometer means little on its own. What matters is how it compares with the car's age. The Federal Highway Administration puts the average driver at about 13,476 miles a year. Round that to 13,500 and you have a fair yardstick.

Here is how to use it. Take the miles and divide by the car's age in years.

• A six year old car with 80,000 miles works out to about 13,300 a year. That is average.
• A six year old car with 45,000 miles is about 7,500 a year. That is low.
• A six year old car with 120,000 miles is 20,000 a year. That is high.

High is not the same as bad, and low is not the same as good. The yardstick just tells you which questions to ask next.

Why Highway Miles Count Less

Not every mile wears a car the same way. A car that cruised on the highway spent most of its life at a steady speed, in top gear, with the engine warm. A car that did short trips in town started cold more often, stopped at every light and shifted gears all day.

That stop and go life is harder on brakes, the transmission, the starter and the engine oil. So a high mileage car that a sales rep drove between cities can be in better shape than a lower mileage car that only did school runs.

Ask the seller how the car was driven. Then look for proof. Brake wear, the tires and the service records should match the story.

How Many Miles Is Too Many?

There is no single cutoff. Cars last longer than they used to. S&P Global Mobility put the average age of cars and light trucks on U.S. roads at 12.8 years in 2025. A lot of those are well past 100,000 miles and still going.

What makes a car high mileage is not a round number. It is how close the car is to its next big expense. Before you buy anything with six figures on the odometer, find out where it stands on these.

• The timing belt, on engines that have one. The owner's manual gives the interval, and it is a big bill if it is due.
• Transmission fluid service, and any sign of slipping or hard shifts on the test drive.
• Water pump, radiator and hoses.
• Shocks, struts and suspension bushings.
• Tires and brakes, which are cheaper but add up fast.

Some models also have known weak spots at certain miles. Our model guides list the common problems for the most bought used cars, so you know what to check on the one you want.

When Low Mileage Is a Red Flag

Low miles sound great, but a car that sat for years can come with its own problems. Rubber seals and gaskets dry out and start to leak. Tires age even when they are not used, so check the date code. Our post on checking tires shows how. Batteries die, and old fuel can cause rough running.

Low miles can also be fake. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that more than 450,000 vehicles are sold each year with false odometer readings. Digital odometers can be changed too.

Check the odometer readings on a history report against the number in the car. A reading that goes down, or a long gap with no readings at all, needs an answer. Our guide on reading a vehicle history report shows what to look for. Then look at the wear. Worn pedals, a shiny steering wheel and a sagging driver's seat do not fit a car with very few miles.

Records Matter More Than Miles

A thick folder of receipts is worth more than a low number. Ask the seller for service records and look for these.

• Oil changes at a steady pace, close to what the manual calls for.
• Big services done on time, like the timing belt or transmission fluid.
• The same shop over many years, which often means someone cared.
• Repairs that line up with the history report.

No records does not mean a bad car. Plenty of owners never kept paper. It just means you know less, so an inspection matters more.

Use Mileage When You Talk Price

Mileage is one of the biggest things that sets a used car's value. When you compare listings, match the miles as closely as you can, along with the year and trim. If a big service is due soon, that cost is a fair reason to offer less. Our guide on how to negotiate a used car price shows how to bring it up.

Let a Mechanic Read the Miles

The odometer tells you how far the car went. It does not tell you how it was treated. Our used car inspection covers 122 points, a full OBD-II scan with readiness monitors, a road test, and tire and brake measurements, with photos of anything we find. It shows whether the wear on the car fits the miles on the dash. We go to the car, you do not need to be there, and the report comes the same day.

Common Questions

Get the Car Inspected