Most car owners realize two main factors influence the value of their vehicle – namely, its age and its mileage. If you’re in the market to buy a used car, these should be the two primary factors you consider before parting with your hard-earned cash – but just how are the effects of mileage worked out, and what would be considered acceptable for a used car?

Read on for advice about the influence mileage can have on a car’s value, as well as other warning signs you should look out for when buying a used vehicle.

An average, acceptable, annual mileage

Most industry experts suggest the average mileage for a car should be between 10,000 and 12,000 miles per year. So, in other words, if, after five years, a car has done less than 60,000 miles, this would be considered low (likewise, considerably more miles would be seen as excessively high).

Reasons why low mileage often isn’t a good sign

While you may think buying a low mileage car should automatically mean less wear and tear; actually, a car needs a certain amount of time ticking over to stay well maintained (e.g., to keep the battery healthy). Also, low mileage can be a sign of mostly stop-start journeys (for example, in city traffic) that can damage the brakes, clutch, etc.

Also, if you see a car that has suspiciously low mileage, it might be a sign of ‘clocking’ or artificially adjusting the car’s mileage, so be wary and look out for excessive wear on a supposedly low mileage model that doesn’t correlate with its apparent low use.

The pros and cons of higher mileage cars

Buying a higher mileage car may well save you money upfront, but you could be opening a potential can of worms when it comes to servicing, maintenance, and repairs bills. That extra money you save on the car’s purchase price could quickly be eaten up when the vehicle develops problems further down the line.

You should also be aware that cars are becoming increasingly less economical to repair these days – mostly due to the use of complex onboard technology and computers. If you’re looking at a car that has done more than 100,000 miles, most key parts will have already had to be repaired, such as brake pads, clutch, and tires, so be sure to ask to see a full service and repair history to check the work was performed diligently and successfully. You should also do a free HPI Check to be sure of the car’s history.

On the subject of repairs . . .

While all cars are different and the need for repairs or replacement parts can vary considerably between models, as a rough guide, the key components in a car need to be replaced after the following miles have been completed:

Brake discs: every 40,000 miles
Brake pads: every 20,000 miles

The clutch or flywheel: every 100,000 miles

Tires: every 20,000 miles

Using the above estimations will allow you to compare a typical repair schedule against the car’s service history – however, do bear in mind all models are different, so factor in the chance of anomalies.