So I have an 06 Chevy Aveo. It has had some problems but they’ve been fixed with new products (wheel bearings, shift release, leaking break, dull break pads) it due for an oil change and a new set of tires which would be done before I left. But so my question is, I’m moving for college and I want to take my car with me (unfortunately can’t find a decent car in my price range here). I would be going from Portland Oregon to Cedar Rapids Iowa with is just under 2000 miles. The miles right now are about 135000. Is it safe for my car to go that far? My parents say it won’t make it but I figured I’d ask people who didn’t feel like getting a new car everywhere they go is a necessity.
If you need anymore information I’d be happy to supply it.
The answer is: “maybe”. Stuff happens with brand new cars just like it does with older cars.
It sounds like you’ve done (or plan to do) the required regular maintenance. How are the tires? How is the transmission fluid?
If it were me, I’d take the car on the trip. Have a cell phone with you, and charger for the phone. Also have a plan in mind BEFORE you break down. That means perhaps a AAA membership for towing, an emergency kit, that sort of thing.
Most important is an inspection of the cooling system.Too many engines failed because they overheated and you don’t want that to happen If you go on such a long trip .
That’s a drive.
You plan on ever driving home for visits?
Take 80 thru Laramie? Not a fun drive
Then you have exciting Nebraska.
My kid lived in Ogden for awhile.
Ogden to Evanston is fun.
I have a 16 year old truck with 140K miles and I’d drive it across country today. With an extra quart of oil, my jump pack, a tire pressure gauge, a properly inflated spare tire, my credit card and my smart phone to call for help.
It isn’t the number of miles on the car or the number in the trip. It is vehicle condition, period.
Do all this before you leave. Drive the vehicle for at least 30 minutes up and down the highway. Make sure it doesn’t overheat.
Once on the trip… Check your oil level at each gas stop. Add oil if needed. Look for any leaks. Look at the tires, check them if they look the slightest bit low. Add air if needed. If feel vibration or hear noises, stop and have the vehicle checked out BEFORE bad things happen.
This 14 year old car should have had its timing belt changed twice already. (GM specifies every 60k miles.) If not, it is dangerously overdue, and the OP should be aware that when a timing belt snaps it gives no prior warning and will result in such extensive damage to this engine that it would not be cost-effective to repair it. Additionally, it should be noted that these engines have a history of broken timing belts even when they have not passed their normal replacement interval.
OP: Unless you can verify from hard copy maintenance records that the timing belt has already been replaced w/in the last 60k miles, you really need to have this done before setting out on that long drive.
Get the car looked over by a trustworthy mechanic.
We on this forum can’t see it and can only speculate.
Some things just can’t be done over the internet.
Same for your parents or anyone else not mechanically savvy.
+1
In many–perhaps most–parts of The US, a vehicle traveling under the speed limit is likely to be cruising anywhere from 10-15 mph slower than prevailing traffic speeds, and–like it or not–that vehicle is more likely to wind up being in a collision than if it simply kept up with most of the traffic.
If somebody insists on driving under the speed limit on an expressway, the best thing that they can do to preserve life and limb is to travel exclusively in the right lane. However, in my experience, most of the people traveling under the speed limit insist on placing themselves in the center lane or the left lane, thus creating a MAJOR traffic hazard.
I see pick-up trucks and full size SUVs traveling at 85-90 MPH on the interstates in the west. I’m not going to join these dare devils in the interest of safety, 75 MPH is fast enough for myself and there are plenty of commercial trucks traveling the speed limit. I’m not going to push my vehicles at these high speeds for hours at a time.
People are interested in saving time when crossing great distances however each time there is a roll-over/fatality, the highway patrol closes the road for 4 to 8 hours for investigation delaying travel for thousands of motorists.
Just because there are only two choices (it will break down or it won’t) does not make them equally likely. If winning the powerball lottery was as likely as not winning it, I would buy tickets. I would guess thet the likelyhood of breaking down is less than 20% providd it does not overheat in the first hour. Check your oil every time you stop and check your coolant lever every day before you start the car but never take off a radiator cap if the engine is warmed up.
I have a slightly different take.
Get a good inspection done on your car and then definitely take the trip.
If something goes wrong with the car, it will mean a new experience, meet some new people (nice or maybe not so nice), and hopefully an adventure. You’ll come out of it having learned a thing or two along with great stories.