Average age/mileage of vehicles on the road?

"Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
11/04/2015 at 16:38 • Filed to: None

Today, the ADAC which has been through a storm of scandals recently released its annual TÜV report. Which cars fail the least/most at inspection, what do they get failed for etc... You can’t really trust anything from them anymore, but what they don’t have any reason to “massage” the facts about, is the average age and mileage of the cars that were inspected this year. According to them the average car with a valid inspection (give or take a little here, as cars only have to pass every two years) is 9 years and 102k kms . Sounds plausible to me, cars are getting more and more durable. But the question is whether this is rather high or low? Do you have similar data from your country or state?

DISCUSSION (21)

HammerheadFistpunch > Klaus Schmoll
11/04/2015 at 16:42

WE don’t have a unified system of inspections across the states, so data like mileage is going to be hard to come by. However, this study suggests its about 11.4 years here

http://www.autonews.com/article/201308…

DasWauto > Klaus Schmoll
11/04/2015 at 16:42

That would almost certainly be low for North America. I don’t have a daily commute and I expect to go over 100k km in under 5 years. For western Europe though I’d say that’s probably a reasonable average.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Klaus Schmoll
11/04/2015 at 16:42

Average vehicle age in the US is widely reported at somewhere between 10-11 years.

duurtlang > DasWauto
11/04/2015 at 16:44

Cars from Western Europe, especially youngish yet high mileage cars, are frequently exported to Eastern Europe or Africa. It keeps used car prices high, and mileage of available used vehicles low.

Ash78, voting early and often > duurtlang
11/04/2015 at 16:46

Certainly better than our collective scrappage/Cash-for-clunkers debacles, right?

duurtlang > Ash78, voting early and often
11/04/2015 at 16:48

Everything is better than that. We had similar attrocities here.

duurtlang > Klaus Schmoll
11/04/2015 at 16:53

Did you pick a wrecked (diesel) 205 on purpose to taunt me? :)

I did experience something extrodinary this evening. I went to a somewhat local ‘wrenching club’, where some people store/wrench on old cars. Just to check it out and to look if I should join. I quickly came to the conclusion that I should. The spot where I’ll park my 205 is directly next to, wait for it, an NSU Ro80 and a Citroën SM. Directly next to those two. Absurd. I had to try my best contain my tongue.

MultiplaOrgasms > Klaus Schmoll
11/04/2015 at 16:56

Wait a minute. Two of our three cars are 9 years old. And of of them has done about 110k kms #SoAverage

And both are Renault-Nissan products incidentally. #conspiracy

Klaus Schmoll > duurtlang
11/04/2015 at 17:06

Well, I googled “Schottkarre” which I probably don’t even have to translate for you. It was among the first results and even though it is from GB I picked it because it might get more interest than the trashed Seat Marbella with German plates which was further down. If you were to accuse me of using clickbait my defense would be weak.

This car wrenching club sounds interesting. With older cars it’s all about knowing someone who knows someone!

Do you remember the problem my mum had with her E39’s radio? A guy who frequents the same bars as my boys do back home has an independent BMW shop.... Looks promising, will post more once this has worked out or not.

Klaus Schmoll > MultiplaOrgasms
11/04/2015 at 17:13

102k kms in 9 years/10-15k a year sounds like pretty much like what I put on my cars in the past.

#dons tinfoil hat

Disclaimer: I just moved, so it is much higher this year, and will probably stay a bit higher, but that’s just the exeption that proves the rule.

#puts second layer on tinfoil

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Klaus Schmoll
11/04/2015 at 17:19

I live in a pretty depressed area, I’d bet the average age of vehicles is over ten years old. mileage probably something like 100,000. could even be closer to 15 years I mean 10 years ago is only 2005.

Hiroku > Klaus Schmoll
11/04/2015 at 17:35

12 years old in my country, according to the latest stats. Hell, looking at the parking lot outside my window at work, if I had to guess, I’d say maybe 4-5 years older than that.

Klaus Schmoll > Hiroku
11/04/2015 at 17:38

Where is that?

Klaus Schmoll > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
11/04/2015 at 17:42

That’s a problem with personal experiences! I was born in 78, my car is from ‘99. A car from 2005 still is somewhat new-ish or at least normal to me.

Some folks around here talk about 2005 or so cars as has having “aged with/or without grace” etc.. To me, the verdict is still out way in the future.

Hiroku > Klaus Schmoll
11/04/2015 at 17:45

Portugal. Guess we’re hanging on to our old clunkers a lot more since the crisis hit.

MultiplaOrgasms > Klaus Schmoll
11/04/2015 at 18:18

Dank Gott dass der andere neun Jahre alte Wagen meinem Vater gehört, welcher jährlich um die 50.000km fährt.

#removes second layer off tinfoil hat

505 - morphine not found > Klaus Schmoll
11/04/2015 at 18:45

Exactly, it is ALL about knowing the right people when it comes to wrenchable cars. I drove a 1990 Nissan Patrol today, TD with 7 seats (yeah those are turning classic now, and I’m getting old it seems). The owner just happened upon it, never looked for Patrols and didn’t know a thing about them before. Then one day after the buy he sees a similar Patrol in yellow, goes to greet the driver, turns out he has 6 of them, and is in a club of sorts, which imports parts from GB, for a fraction of the price you would get at a normal parts dealer here. The sheer degree of luck this guy had with that car is mind-boggling.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Klaus Schmoll
11/04/2015 at 18:45

In Canada, the average age is between 7.7 and 10.2 years. It varies by province:

http://thechronicleherald.ca/wheelsnews/321…

And the overall average age is about 9.3 years in Canada:

https://www.td.com/document/PDF/e…

pip bip - choose Corrour > Klaus Schmoll
11/04/2015 at 19:10

we don’t have inspections at all.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Klaus Schmoll
11/05/2015 at 10:38

Same here. I mean I was born in 90, but still anything newer than 2000 seems new to me. But i think being an enthusiast effects that as well. I’m not concerned majorly with safety, or then best tech, and I’m not at all scared of having a car I may need to work on. Plus I love big windows.

Hoccy > Klaus Schmoll
11/08/2015 at 05:48

For Norway, a country with the same inspection rate than Germany (but higher prices):

Avg age: 10.5 years
Oldest avg age: Saab (13)
Youngest avg age: Kia (4,9)
Avg age when wrecked: 18.5 years
Oldest when wrecked: Volvo (22.4)
Youngest when wrecked: Skoda (14.9)
Highest wreck %: Chrysler (25.3)
Lowest Wreck % : Skoda (1.9)

Data for 2013 and 2014, if you want statistics for other manufacturers I can provide that as well.