Ontario man's van has travelled nearly 1M kilometres. Here's his secret
An Ontario man who has nearly 1 million-kilometres on his car is sharing his secret of how he did it.
Mark Intihar said the 2000 Toyota Sienna van belonged to his dad, who took great pride in maintaining the vehicle properly, especially in changing the oil and transmission fluid.
“It sounds good. It starts up every time even in the dead of winter. It's all about maintenance. Don't go past the oil changes, if you need an oil change get one,” Intihar said. “She has been given the nickname Betsy and the kids just love her."
The family purchased the van when it was brand new and Intihar said his parents drove it extensively to Florida and throughout the United States.
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
“At 930,000 kilometres, I think it’s just getting broken in. The transmission level looks good and we just had it flushed after its last 100,000 kilometres,"Intihar said.
Not only does the van have 930,000 kilometres, it still has the original engine and transmission.
Consumer Reports says that making a car last this long is not only a point of pride, it’s a cost saver as you don’t need to buy or lease another vehicle.
“To make a vehicle last stay on top of problems and follow the maintenance schedule for your car and don’t delay routine oil and filter changes, belt replacements or tire rotations,” said Mike Quincy, auto editor with Consumer Reports.
How often you should service your car varies depending on climate and other factors, because if you live where weather is extreme or drive in a lot of stop-and-go traffic, shorter service intervals may be necessary.
Follow your owner's manual schedule and don't cheap out when buying replacement parts.
“Make sure to always buy original equipment or equivalent parts, like belts and hoses from name-brand suppliers. You don’t have to buy from the dealer, but make sure you're buying quality parts,” said Quincy. “Using the wrong oil or transmission fluid could wreak havoc on your car, or even void your warranty.”
To get a vehicle to last at 300,000 kilometres or more researchers at Consumer Reports said it’s best to start with a vehicle that has a proven track record of reliability.
“Our data shows you can't go wrong with a Toyota Camry or Prius or a Honda accord,” said Quincy, adding that other good used car options include, “the Honda Civic, Mazda 3, Nissan Altima, and Subaru Legacy.”
As for Intihar, he said he plans to keep driving Betsy until the van reaches 1 million kilometres.
"If it gets to 1 million I’m going to keep going and see how far she will go," said Intihar.
Another way to make your vehicle last longer is to not ignore indicator lights on your dashboard. If the engine light is on, or the service light, find out why because your vehicle is trying to tell you something.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Adopted daughter in the Netherlands reunited with sister in Montreal and mother in Colombia, 40 years later
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Michael Cohen: A challenging star witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial
He once said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump. Now Michael Cohen is prosecutors' biggest piece of legal ammunition in the former president's hush money trial.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
As Israel pushes deeper into Rafah, Hamas regroups elsewhere in ungoverned Gaza
Israeli forces were battling Palestinian militants across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, including in parts of the devastated north that the military said it had cleared months ago, where Hamas has exploited a security vacuum to regroup.
4th Indian national arrested, charged with murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Homicide investigators in B.C. say murder charges have been laid against a fourth Indian national in connection to the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey gurdwara last year.
Balancing act: Canadian North’s first Inuk CEO juggles Arctic airline challenges
With carriers' flight volumes above the 60th parallel hovering below pre-pandemic levels, Canadian North’s first Inuk CEO now bears the task of balancing those financial and logistical challenges with the needs of communities for which she feels a deep affinity.
Thousands of civilians evacuated from northeast Ukraine as Russia presses renewed border assault
Thousands more civilians have fled Russia's renewed ground offensive in Ukraine's northeast that has targeted towns and villages with a barrage of artillery and mortar fire, officials said Sunday.