Average Car Miles Driven Per Year in the US (2024)

FAQs

Average Car Miles Driven Per Year in the US? ›

On average, Americans drive 14,263 miles per year according to the Federal Highway Administration.

How many miles do Americans drive each year? According to the Federal Highway Administration, US drivers average 14,263 miles annually. That's nearly 1,200 miles per month – the equivalent of driving from Los Angeles to Oklahoma City.

On average, a car should have around 10,000 miles per year. So, for an easy way to calculate how many miles on a used car is too much, just multiply its age by 10,000. For example, a five-year-old car would ideally have 50,000 miles or less on its odometer.

A wary buyer should use as a general rule of thumb that most cars are driven 12,000-15,000 miles per year. If a vehicle is 10 years of age, it should have between 120,000 miles and 150,000 miles on the odometer.

Now, you can expect a standard car to last around 12 years or about 200,000 miles.

In general, most modern cars can cross 200,000 miles without any major issues, provided the vehicle is being well-maintained. Considering that an average person drives 10,000-20,000 miles per year, this will account for roughly 15 years of service. Here are some factors to consider when assessing used car mileage.

Drivers reported an average of 30.1 miles driven daily in 2022, less than the 32.7 miles reported in 2021 but more than the 28.6 miles reported in 2020.

#1 Irving Gordon: 1966 Volvo 1800S

Irving currently holds the Guinness World Record for the highest vehicle mileage on a personal car, with over 3,000,000 miles on his 1966 Volvo 1800S!

Interesting question. A back of an envelope calculation gives me a figure of the total mile driven worldwide to be somewhere around 10 trillion miles.

What vehicle has the longest life expectancy? ›

The average mileage a car accrues per year is 12,000 miles. Given that number, the average 10-year-old car should have roughly 120,000 miles on the odometer. You can use these numbers to determine if the car you're looking to buy is considered to have high mileage or low mileage for the age of the vehicle.

Over the decades, cars have become less vulnerable to rust and corrosion. Parts are now machined with greater precision and lubricants are more durable, reducing wear and tear. Even exterior paint fades less, interior fabrics and materials better withstand normal use, and headlights last longer.

Between 60,000 and 100,000, with most cars out of warranty, suspension parts such as shocks, struts and bushings will become suspect. A four-wheel alignment should accompany any significant front-end work. This is the tipping point where estimates begin to get high enough for many owners to defer maintenance.

Depending on the car's value, repairing it might be worth the money to keep it going for a few more years. However, most modern gasoline-powered vehicles will start to struggle after the 200,000-mile mark. Electric cars can usually make it up to 300,000 miles before they're considered well used.

The average American drives 14,263 miles per year. So someone who drives 30,000 miles a year drives more than double the average American — which is a lot. How many miles can a car last before it breaks down? Some cars easily last a decade or more on the road while others may fall apart well before then.

The average mileage a car accrues per year is 12,000 miles. Given that number, the average 10-year-old car should have roughly 120,000 miles on the odometer. You can use these numbers to determine if the car you're looking to buy is considered to have high mileage or low mileage for the age of the vehicle.

There's an old maxim that applies to assessing a used car that goes: “It's not the years, it's the mileage.” How many miles a car has been driven is a better indicator of wear and tear than its age. A 4-year-old vehicle with 25,000 miles may have a better projected lifespan than a 2-year-old car with 50,000 miles.