Have you owned a vehicle for 15 years without internal engine problems

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I came across this description of an engine warranty from Pennzoil for 15 years or 800,000 km. (Roughly 500,000 miles)
It’s not so much the warranty, but have you owned a vehicle for 15 years without any internal engine problems?

My 2008 Chev Suburban 3/4 ton with a 6.0 LS engine is now 15 years old and has not ( knock wood) had any engine problems except for worn out engine accessories not dependent on oil lubrication. It has just short of 250,000 miles. I used mostly Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 and for the last few years have been using PP Euro 5w40 and PP Euro LX 0w30 in the winter. It’s only a coincidence that I used mostly Pennzoil products. ( or not). I was attracted to the Pennzoil rebates mostly, but it looks like Pennzoil has served me well. Perhaps others can chime in with their 15 year experience.

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Almost every car I have owned was for atleast 15 years. I run them till they go no farther. The only engine I had to open up was a Buick series two 3800. The engines I never had to open up were mostly Fords. They were a 4.9L, several 3.8L, a 3.3L inline 6, a Vulcan 3.0, a 2.3L four, a Plymouth 318 and a Dodge 2.5 four.
 
I came across this description of an engine warranty from Pennzoil for 15 years or 800,000 km. (Roughly 500,000 miles)
It’s not so much the warranty, but have you owned a vehicle for 15 years without any internal engine problems?

My 2008 Chev Suburban 3/4 ton with a 6.0 LS engine is now 15 years old and has not ( knock wood) had any engine problems except for worn out engine accessories not dependent on oil lubrication. It has just short of 250,000 miles. I used mostly Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 and for the last few years have been using PP Euro 5w40 and PP Euro LX 0w30 in the winter. It’s only a coincidence that I used mostly Pennzoil products. ( or not). I was attracted to the Pennzoil rebates mostly, but it looks like Pennzoil has served me well. Perhaps others can chime in with their 15 year experience.

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That is a brilliant marketing strategy! How many of us have actually stuck to the same oil for one year, let alone 15?
 
Owned a fair number without engine problems (although most weren't bought new, so the first few years any issues would be unknown). These "warranties" are kind of a well known joke-the percentage of payouts have to be microscopic, not many people keep their vehicles that long, and maintained ones generally DON'T have oil related failures.
 
I haven’t owned them since new, but most of my vehicles are well over 15 years old, and I have owned them for 15 years.

None* have ever internal engine problems.


*We will exclude the Packard from this as it had a no.1 rod bearing failure, the result of an overheat when it was in Colorado. Babbitt metal is very susceptible to temperature related softening. I doubt Pennzoil is offering the warranty on pre-war cars anyway.
 
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owned a Dodge PowerWagon for 17 years - the valve stems leaked a bit but ran good otherwise …
It went for a few more years as a ranch truck after I sold it …
 
Almost every car I have owned was for atleast 15 years. I run them till they go no farther. The only engine I had to open up was a Buick series two 3800. The engines I never had to open up were mostly Fords. They were a 4.9L, several 3.8L, a 3.3L inline 6, a Vulcan 3.0, a 2.3L four, a Plymouth 318 and a Dodge 2.5 four.
I’m not familiar what exactly the series two 3800 is, but usually the older GM 3.8 liters were about as good as it gets. They did have an intake manifold gasket problem at one time though - the EGR valve tube would go right through the intake and distort the gasket - then coolant would come rushing right on in.
 
Does cracked head count as internal engine?
Certainly not oil related.
Also popped the engine oil cooler.
But no bottom end problems.
16 years and 230k miles.
Still running good but definitely showing it's age.
 
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I guess I would ask, what’s the definition of engine internal problems? Because manufacturers will try to skirt actual oil consumption, and call it “normal”.

But yes, I made it 17 years with a 1999 Honda Accord 4 cylinder. By the time it reached 280,000 miles it was drinking around a quart every 700-800 miles. But I never had the thing opened up replacing something. I did have an EGR valve failure, a VTEc solenoid failure, several valve adjustments, the usual leaking gaskets. I replaced the idle air control valve (because it was stalling too often).

But no head gaskets, broken camshafts, actuators, holes through a piston, burnt valves, etc.

But nowadays??? I’d be worried about three things...oil control rings, timing chain wear/tensioners/guides, and valve timing actuators.
 
2004 Dodge Neon

Bought brand new, drove it daily for 4 years, drove it occasionally for 7 years, drove it daily again for a couple years then gave it to a friend with about 160k on it. He drove it daily and a year ago was at 225k. Not sure the current status.
 
2000 VW Jetta. 2.0. 5 spd. Bought new 220K/14 years. Sold to friend's mom. ~5 more years under her use. No internal issues ever. So >15 years and likely ended up near 300K. 10K M1 oil changes over a large chunk of it.
 
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