Hi
I drive over 40,000 miles per year, my car has 152,000 miles and is a 2003. it’s serviced about every 6-8 weeks. It was serviced last week and I was told it was over 2 quarts low on oil. This was a first. I thought this car would last beyond the normal life of a car. I’m concerned about the oil burning is this normal for a auto with this amt of mileage? The dealer says the engine is tight. Should I think of trading this car in? I’m concerned about a major repair. The last repair cost over $1500.00. What are your thoughts on the oil burning?
How do you know it’s burning?
Your post makes it sound as though you never check the oil level in the engine, so it’s possible the oil was not at the correct level the last time it was serviced, and has been two quarts low all along.
At 153K miles it is entirely possible for the engine to be leaking or burning a small amount of oil. This does not mean the engine will self-destruct any time soon. You might be able to drive another 100K miles like this, as long as you maintain the correct oil level in the engine.
Start checking the oil regularly to determine the rate of oil loss (if any). Once you know how many miles it takes for a quart of oil to disappear you will have better information on which to base a decision.
There are some manufacturers who consider oil use of a quart per 1,000 miles, give or take, to be acceptable, even in a new car.
I agree with MC. It does not sound like you have a problem, other than not checking the oil on a regular schedule.
I would not purchase a new vehicle simply because it consumes some oil.
The prudent thing to do is check the engine oil maybe every two-three fuel fillups. Top off as necessary. Burning two quarts if you really did burn that much over I am guessing 5000 miles is not extraordinary. Purchasing quarts of motor oil is far cheaper than fixing this engine. A cause of major concern is when your burning 1 quart every 1000 miles or less.