Dear Car Talk:
I have a 2010 Chevy Tahoe approaching 125,000 miles. It runs great. Doesn’t even rattle.
I had it checked out and serviced at 100,000 miles. Does it need a 125,000-mile service? — Steve
Heck yeah, it does, Steve.
If you went to the doctor and got a clean bill of health at age 65, do you think you’d still need another check-up at age 75?
Of course, you would. In fact, you’d be wise to get one at 66, right? And the same is true for your older car. At minimum, you should keep doing the recommended maintenance.
Even if the maintenance chart at the back of your owner’s manual only goes to 100,000 miles, you should extrapolate and keep going. So, for instance, if your Tahoe calls for an oil and filter change every 7,500 miles, then you’d be due at 97,500, 105,000, 112,500, etc. The same would be true for brake fluid, coolant and everything else.
Maintenance aside, it’s important to get someone to put their eyes on your car as it gets older. Like us, when cars get to more advanced ages, parts are more likely to fail.
For example, if your mechanic spots a small leak from a transmission cooler line, he can fix that for $150. If it went undetected, you could be looking at a $2,500 transmission rebuild.
Or he could spot some rust on one of your brake lines. That’s rarely an issue with cars that have 25,000 miles on them. But it sure can be with 125,000. Catching something like that could keep you from plowing into a turnip truck.
Hopefully, you have a mechanic you trust, Steve, who’s interested, who can service the car, and give it a careful inspection every time you go in for maintenance. So, make an appointment with him.
And while you’re at it, sign up for an annual physical, too.
Got a question about cars? Write to Car Talk write to Ray in care of King Features, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803, or email by visiting the Car Talk website at www.cartalk.com.
