<br><div><aside class="gnt_em gnt_em__fp gnt_em_vp__tp gnt_em__el" aria-label="Video - 4 car maintenance issues and how to fix them yourself"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">The average <a target="_blank" href="https://www.spglobal.com/mobility/en/research-analysis/average-age-of-light-vehicles-in-the-us-hits-record-high.html" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a" rel="noopener">American car is a dozen years old</a>, and getting older. </p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Many consumers are balking at buying automobiles, new or used. Prices hover near historic highs. Auto-loan interest rates have soared. </p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">But a well-tended car or truck can last longer than ever, maintenance experts say. The secret is, well, maintenance. </p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">“The 100,000-mile marker, and the idea that the vehicle’s value is going to fall off a cliff, that the engine is going to grenade itself, none of that is true anymore,” said Ivan Drury, director of insights at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.edmunds.com/" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a" rel="noopener">Edmunds</a>, the automotive consumer site. </p><aside aria-label="advertisement" class="gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">The average age of America’s automobile fleet reached 12.5 years in 2023, and the figure has crept up for six straight years, according <a target="_blank" href="https://www.spglobal.com/mobility/en/index.html" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a" rel="noopener">to S&P Global Mobility</a>. </p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><strong>Learn more:</strong> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":body nav (pl)|e|auto spike click:6|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a" href="https://www.usatoday.com/money/blueprint/personal-loans/best-personal-loans/">Best personal loans</a></p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Sales slowed in the pandemic, first because of supply-chain kinks and, more recently, over soaring prices and interest rates. </p><figure class="gnt_em gnt_em_img"><img class="gnt_em_img_i" style="height:495px" fetchpriority="high" data-g-r="lazy" src="https://www.usatoday.com/gcdn/presto/2023/09/20/USAT/632db63e-82b6-40a6-ab5b-a56dda0faea7-Colonial_Ford.jpg?width=660&height=495&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp" srcset="https://www.usatoday.com/gcdn/presto/2023/09/20/USAT/632db63e-82b6-40a6-ab5b-a56dda0faea7-Colonial_Ford.jpg?width=1320&height=990&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp 2x" decoding="async" alt="Cars for sale on the lot at Colonial Ford in Marlborough, Massachusetts. The average American car is a dozen years old, and getting older. But a well maintained vehicle can last longer than ever, maintenance experts say."/></figure><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">New vehicles <a target="_blank" href="https://mediaroom.kbb.com/2023-09-12-New-Car-Prices-Virtually-Flat-Year-Over-Year-in-August-Due-to-Declining-Electric-Vehicle-Prices,-Tesla-Price-Cuts,-According-to-Kelley-Blue-Book" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">cost $48,451 in August</a>, on average, according to Kelley Blue Book. That compares with $38,635 <a target="_blank" href="https://mediaroom.kbb.com/2020-09-01-Average-New-Vehicle-Prices-Jump-Nearly-4-Year-Over-Year-in-August-2020-According-to-Kelley-Blue-Book" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">just three years ago</a>. Used vehicles sold for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/surging-demand-in-q2-2023-used-car-market-unfazed-by-rough-conditions.html" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a" rel="noopener">an average of $29,472</a> in the second quarter of 2023, according to Edmunds, a 46% increase over the same time in 2018. </p><aside aria-label="advertisement" class="gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">New-car customers now face an average interest rate of <a target="_blank" href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/RIFLPBCIANM60NM" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">7.8%</a> on a five-year loan, according to the Federal Reserve. As recently as February 2022, the figure was 4.5%. </p><h2 class="gnt_ar_b_h2">How do I keep my car on the road?</h2><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Suddenly, that 12-year-old car is looking more attractive. </p><aside class="gnt_em gnt_em_anc" id="gnt_atomsnc" data-g-r="lazy" data-gl-method="loadAnc" aria-label="Newsletter signup form"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">“The best car is one that’s safe, meets your...</p></div> <style> .wrapper { text-align: center; } </style> <div class="wrapper"> <a class="button" href ="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2023/09/26/how-to-keep-an-old-car-running/70932404007/">Read more <span>➤</span></a> </div>
