how high is high miles
Thread Starter
3rd Gear
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
how high is high miles
looking for a C-5 what is considered too high miles to buy ? looking for a 2001 to 2004 auto trans coupe found lots with 70k plus on them most have service records but am wondering what the cut off miles are
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 4,346
Likes: 755
From: Greensboro Nc
I have owned my C5 for almost a decade now. I’ve been working at an auto parts store for 7 years. I have dozens of customers who come to my store based on my c5/c6 knowledge. I’ve inspected forum member C599’s 550k mile corvette personally, and I’ve inspected 40K mile corvettes as well.
I can tell you that mileage means absolutely nothing for these cars. All that you really need to worry about is the condition of the car. Is the exterior good, is the interior good, does it drive well, and are there any history/current codes.
I can tell you that mileage means absolutely nothing for these cars. All that you really need to worry about is the condition of the car. Is the exterior good, is the interior good, does it drive well, and are there any history/current codes.
Last edited by dbgoodwin; Apr 18, 2021 at 08:15 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 4,308
Likes: 3,455
From: Somewhere, Florida
St. Jude Donor '20-'21-'22-'23-'24
Just rolled over to 277k miles on the chassis of mine yesterday.
Mileage doesn't kill cars. Neglect does. And neglect also comes in the form of NOT driving your car, too. Low mileage isn't always a good thing.
Inspect it closely and use your best judgement.
Mileage doesn't kill cars. Neglect does. And neglect also comes in the form of NOT driving your car, too. Low mileage isn't always a good thing.
Inspect it closely and use your best judgement.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 755
Likes: 142
My mechanic told me before that since Corvettes are Fiber glass and many aluminum parts unlike regular cars ,maintenance means a lot more than miles! You talk to many mechanics and they never care about miles on a Corvette, Mostly if it is straight chassis, good shape, body panels line up correctly then your good!
No Hostility Be Happy
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 10,080
Likes: 7,398
From: South Hill Wa
2022 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2021 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
If you want to be in the club it's sub 50k. 
That being said there are many like Stingroo that have hundreds of thousands of miles on these cars and they keep on trucking.
That being said there are many like Stingroo that have hundreds of thousands of miles on these cars and they keep on trucking.
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 368,339
Likes: 24,781
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
I prefer to stay well under 100K miles, but as others have pointed out, there are many C5s here on the forum that have well in excess of that many miles on them and they are still running strong. If the car has been well maintained and not abused, it can be very reliable for a long time.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 5,602
Likes: 3,321
From: Virginia
2021 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
St. Jude Donor '21-'22
I bought my '04 with 69K on it in 2013 I've since supercharged it, and it has about 97K on it. Going VERY strong. As most others have said. It's all about how well maintained the car is. Think about it this way. An '01 - '04 with 70k miles has been driven roughly 3.5K-4K miles a year. That's exactly what you want. It's been driven enough to avoid the issues that arise when these cars are allowed to sit too long, but they're still driven a lot less than the average car in the US that goes 13K a year.
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 34
Likes: 10
From: Yorba Linda, California
2021 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
I would tend to agree with the others that mileage doesn't really matter as long as the car is maintained properly. I bought an 01 4 yrs ago with 65k on it and now have well over 137k. Runs and drives perfectly.
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 69
Likes: 18
Yesterday I joined the corvette club with my first vette, a beautiful 1999 with 100k miles on it. It looks like it came out of a time warp, something that feels like 7-10 years old, garage kept. I took a month to find mine, I had to drive 3 hours to get it, and rent a you haul trailer to being it back. It was inside an Infinity dealer that is how nice it looks. The cars seem to sell very quickly in Florida. My last Chevy v8 went 250,000 miles, sold it fully functional. Hoping this toy will bring years of life.
Banned Scam/Spammer
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 4,004
Likes: 3,929
From: Philadelphia PA (Birthplace of the USA, UNESCO World Heritage City)
Last edited by ArmchairArchitect; Apr 21, 2021 at 09:11 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 3,297
Likes: 398
From: Raleigh Suburbs
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 4,308
Likes: 3,455
From: Somewhere, Florida
St. Jude Donor '20-'21-'22-'23-'24