Average U.S. car 11-plus years old

By The Numbers for Week 8 of the Prep Football Season
October 28, 2015
Lafourche, Terrebone Halloweens moved to Friday
October 28, 2015
By The Numbers for Week 8 of the Prep Football Season
October 28, 2015
Lafourche, Terrebone Halloweens moved to Friday
October 28, 2015

The average age of cars and light trucks on American roads is a record 11.5 years, according to a report released in July by IHS Automotive.

That means the cars in most Americans’ driveways are likely not running like they did when they were new and need to be maintained or repaired.


The average has risen gradually over the years because, simply put, manufacturers are making better cars every year. But during the recession following the economic crisis of 2008, drivers held off on buying new cars and the average age of cars and trucks rose even faster.

Between 2008 and 2013, the average increased at five times the traditional rate because of the recession, said Mark Seng, global aftermarket practice leader at IHS Automotive. Since then, he added in the release, the growth has plateaued and is looking more like it did before the recession.

New car sales are near where they were right before the crash, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.


Also, registrations for vehicles has reached a record level of 257,900,000, up 2.1 percent to last year, according to IHS, and new car and truck registrations have outpaced cars being scrapped by more than 42 percent, the highest rate since IHS began tracking the rate.

That means that Americans are driving now more than they ever have and their cars are lasting longer.

The number one thing a driver can do to maintain his engine is change the oil. Kevin Helms, who has rebuilt numerous engines and is the racer with the highest points in the NHRA Stock Eliminator class of the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, said neglecting the oil causes more engine failures than anything.


Motorists need to change the oil in their cars every 3,000 to 5,000 miles, said Ralph Curole of Ralph’s Auto Repair in Cut Off. He said drivers should follow the recommended interval between changes outlined in the vehicle’s manual.

Curole said some cars have synthetic oil in them and are instructed to change the oil after more than 5,000 miles, but he still recommended changing the oil in shorter intervals.

“The book usually tells you every 7,500 miles, but I think that’s too much,” he said of the mile count.


Curole also said motorists need to follow their manual’s instructions on maintaining coolant in the radiator. Usually it requires half antifreeze and half water. That fluid needs to be changed every three to five years.

Brake fluid ought to be changed every two years, Curole said.

He said cars usually need repair around 50,000 to 75,000 miles. By that point, motorists need to have their car checked out by a mechanic.


Curole said the most common repairs to older vehicles are to the brakes, front end and air conditioner.

“It’s because those are wearable parts,” he said. “So you use it a lot.”

So drivers need to have those parts inspected when their cars begin to age.


But drivers, he said, know their own vehicles and should bring their cars into the shop if they notice something is off.

If tires are wearing unevenly, it probably means the struts or shocks need to be replaced or they need a front-end alignment.

Maintaining the engine is critical to ensuring a car drives for a long time, but one of the parts people neglect the most is the transmission. When it comes to older vehicles, though, maintaining the engine is an important part of maintaining the transmission, according to Marcus Reddoch, owner of High Tech Transmission in Houma.


“What we see with older cars here is a cause and effect,” Reddoch said. “If your engine’s not properly maintained, if your cooling system is not properly maintained, it all has an effect of your transmission.”

Coolant from the radiator flows through the transmission to keep it cool, so problems in the front of a car can lead to problems underneath it. Also, a bad running engine will place added stress on a transmission and lead to breakdowns.

Transmission fluid needs to be changed every 20,000 to 25,000 miles, said Felton Authement, transmission mechanic at High Tech Transmission.


Reddoch said the average transmission rebuild job costs up to $2,000 for older vehicles. He said many drivers start feeling their transmission acting up, like a gear may slip, and immediately change the transmission fluid.

But that is a bad idea, he said.

“That’s the worst thing you can do,” Reddoch said. “If it has an issue shifting, get it scanned and checked out first. Don’t go waste a $100 to $200 changing your fluid when all its going to do is break it quicker.”


The rear differential is another neglected area of a car.

Helms said the rear differential oil needs to be changed every couple of years and drivers ought to look out for the tell-tale red drip from the rear axle onto their driveway.

“You get a little couple of drips, you don’t worry about it on the driveway, right?”, Helms said. “But five years from now, those couple of drips turn into a gallon.”


Preventive maintenance is key to maintaining a good running vehicle, Curole said. But that starts at the pump.

Curole recommends drivers only buy gas from mainstream gas stations that include a number of additives that help maintain the many seals, gaskets and moving parts of the engine. It may cost a little more, but the cheaper gas stations don’t include those additives that could extend the life of the car.

The most important thing to do when a car is not running like it should, Curole said, is to get it checked out immediately. Problems can snowball if not taken care of soon.


When deciding on a mechanic, Reddoch said, drivers should look for a mechanic shop that has been around for a while.

“Look for someone that’s been there for a while,” he said. “A mechanic’s shop won’t be around very long if they perform poorly.”