Recently, Saab made an announcement that a new vehicle would be given to any original Saab owner in the U.S. that drove their vehicle 1 million miles. Peter Gilbert of Wisconsin just won the challenge in his 1989 Saab 900 SPG. Now, his car is in a museum with its original turbocharger and engine.

In the past, it was a big deal if a car was still running at 100,000 miles. At this point, there was major transmission and engine rebuilding required, not to mention, a lot of road service calls. A vehicle in the ‘90’s lasted to approximately 150,000 miles.

According to The U.S. Department of Transportation, the life of a vehicle on average is approximately 128,500 miles or 12 years. These numbers are low because many drivers don’t maintain their vehicles. People neglect to do simple maintenance, which cuts down the life of their car and has them calling for emergency roadside assistance.

People who buy cars today should easily expect their car to last 200,000 miles. This is assuming that you do the necessary maintenance that is required. You can find this information in your owner’s manual.