What is the longest period of time, you kept a vehicle as your main vehicle?

I’m on 9 years and counting with my PT Cruiser. (I bought it new)

I have a 2000 Z71 Tahoe that just keeps running and running. It has ~160k miles and seems indestructible. I tend to keep them until the wheels fall off.
I got it in 2009 from a friend who was moving and needed to get rid of it.

I’m on 19 with my Dakota and it had it’s first real break down last week ,the fuel pump failed not bad for 19years.

I tend to keep my Hondas for 14 years. My first Civic is still on the road, 34 years after I drove it off the lot. My mechanic bought it for his son – and now he works on it with his grandson. It’s always fun to see it on the road – I live about 2 blocks from the Honda dealership and the mechanic lives just on the flip side so I see it a few times a year.

I’ve only ever owned one car, but I’m a pretty new driver. It’s an ‘09 Ford Focus. I bought it from my mother 2 years ago. Her name is Caroline. :)

26 years. I bought my 69 Chevy pick-up when it was 10 years old. 1 new engine (replaced the 307 with a completely rebuilt 350 bored .030 over) 1 in-frame overhaul of same engine, replaced Turbo 350 auto trans with a turbo 400, many brake jobs, u-joints, added power steering and power brakes, complete front suspension rebuild. When I sold it, it had been fully painted but had some major body rust issues, engine needed a short block, and front suspension needed rebuilding again.

@LuckyGuy My answer is the same as yours except mine is a 2000 Explorer Sport 5-speed manual with 145K miles. I love Eddie (my car). I cannot stomach a new vehicle with all of the “help” features. I hope Eddie just keeps on trucking.

I can’t believe you and I agree on something @MollyMcGuire I really dislike all the gadgets that come with todays vehicles, just something to fail and cost money to get working again, my 98 Dakota I bought new and is still going, I have started looking at new trucks but having great difficulty finding anything I like.

@SQUEEKY2 I dislike the many of the convenience and entertainment features too. Any technology on the market today will look like a fossil in 5 years. Think of phones or TVs or music players. 10 year old electronics looks silly and positively quaint. My 17 year old Z71, top of the line, Tahoe has the CD changer in the back! I have a friend who paid a fortune to get a Navigation system in his 2005 vehicle. The display resolution is so poor and the maps are hopelessly outdated.
The car commercials show 20 somethings sitting in the new, fancy car and saying things like “And it has Bluetooth!” They are too young to realize that in 5 years there will be “Purpletooth” that is 50 or 100 times faster and only retired grandparents in Florida will still use Bluetooth.

Another thing I see is LED headlights with dozens of high powered elements and fancy patterns. They look great. But one tiny fender bender or a pebble thrown up from the car in front and you are looking at ~$700 to $1000 for a replacement light assembly. A headlight for my Tahoe costs about $8. In 10 years people will be scrapping vehicles because the replacement headlights cost more than the car is worth.