Car Replacement

[medicmster]

To those with take home cars...when does your agency replace your vehicle? I understand after a major incident when it is cheaper to replace than repair, but what about normal wear/tear. Is it after so many miles or hold old the vehicle is?

Thanks.

[JPSO Recruit]

Mileage for us.

[mavriktu]

When it falls apart completely,mine is in the motor pool as we speak(type),for a/c repairs,again.I have had it over 4 years(a 2003 CVPI),has a 150k or so,but still runs like a scalded dog,just starting to nickel and dime us to death.

[DARE_SUPPORTER]

I had a 01 Crown vic, and she finally let me down 4th of July night, It had 122,XXX miles on her and blew the motor, which it had been nickel and diming us to death also, it was the 4 time me being stranded in that car, the time before this breakdown it shot a spark plug out of the head.

Dept usually replaces around 130K, just depending though on the shape of them at that mileage, my sarge had a impala with 112K on it and it was replaced with a brand new NO miles Charger.

When my Vic bit the dust for that last time, they gave me a 06 Trailblazer with 79K on it.

[StudChris]

When the city allows us to buy new cars. We were promised plenty of new cars for last years budget (Oct 1, 2008), and we're still waiting on them. Even with the new cars, only 4 marked cars are going to patrol. Yeah... we need a few more than that.

[913]

Generally, we try to retire cars around 100k miles, regardless of age. Doesn't always work out that way due to poor planning, budget cycles, etc.

The average life of our patrol pool cars is 2+ years. They mile out quick. Often after a patrol rig is miled out, they may issue it to a Lieutenant or above, as they generally just drive them to/from lunch, shopping, etc., lol. It is nice that the guys that work for a living get the new cars and command gets their backwash. That's the way it ought to be.

As far as take home rigs, it's about the same, 100k. But, some go longer. For example, our SRO rigs often go longer, well over 100k. They are a bunch of retired on duty types who just park their cars in front of the schools, surf the net, and tend to their MILF herds all day. They rarely get on the highway, much less do any aggressive driving.

Other specialty units with takehome rigs like mine get new cars due to the assignment needs, and try to retire around 100k. I am on my 4th take home rig in the past 8 years.

[VA Dutch]

Car Replacement


Generally, 90k to 110k was the approximate mileage for replacement of our vehicles. Normal patrol units put on that much in 3 to 4 years, some took a bit longer (sergeants, etc.) to reach that point. The deputies who lived in one area of the county and patrolled another racked up the miles like crazy!


One of my friends who is still working there is driving a 2005 Ford CV, but he is first on the list for a new 2009 or possibly a 2010. He is right on the cusp of 100,000 miles - as his patrol beat is relatively small.

Some of the nicer cars we had were given to other county agencies (rescue squad, public schools, building inspector, driver education, etc.) when they were retired, and the rest of them went to the auction block. It seems as though taxicab companies from all over the state gobbled up as many as we had for sale, since they know our county's cruisers were "assigned" cars and our maintenance shop kept pretty good care of them.

I have seen some cars with 120 to 130k that still run and look excellent, but others with under 80k ping like a steel drum and spew blue smoke when accelerating. Likewise, some deputies keep the interiors clean as a whistle as others let theirs become a pig sty that stinks like a locker room.



P.S. A few lucky dogs got some of the new "Hemi" Chargers for patrol duty. I hear they are sick fast!

[stormz5192]

When I worked for DOD, it was 3 years or 70,000 miles. My current agency varies. We usually get 5-10 cars per year. I have a 2005 Durango with 59,000. We have several 2003 CVPI with around or just over 100,000. A handfull of 2005 CVPI with 50,000-70,000. And lastly a bunch of 2008 Chargers with less than 20,000. Usually when they are no longer worth servicing, we toss them.

[medicmster]

VA Dutch

Did "Tater" get one of the new Chargers?

[creolecop]

When we get to 75,000 miles you have to go to the motor pool for a final inspection. At that point they put you on the list for a new car and order you one. You'll usually get a new one in 6mo. The motor pool keeps brand new cars, chargers impalas, and CVPI's on hand. When I went to get my car washed This morning we were talking and I counted 12 new cars left from the purchase of 50 this year. We buy 50 every year. The remaining 12 are waiting to be rotated into service. Next year they will fill the lot back up with another 50 and start rotating those into service. I have an 06 impala police package, but I love my car. It runs great with mandatory once a week service inspection (on duty) and mandatory 3,000 mile oil changes (wrote up for going 1 mile over) they have held up great. My car is the oldest on my shift, but it looks brand new. Our body shop repaints them and restripes them every year and half. I just had a repainting and striping 6mo ago.

[VA Dutch]

Our body shop repaints them and restripes them every year and half. I just had a repainting and striping 6mo ago.

Wow! That sure seems like a lot of money to do that two or more times during the life cycle of the vehicle. Do you get a lot of door dings and road rash?

Seems to me it would make sense to keep up with the washing & waxing for the three or four years you had the car in service and then do a repaint (white, I assume) before putting it up for auction.

Then again, every place is different.

[OK PO-PO]

we typically run them 100kto 110k. if they are still in decent shape after being "unassigned" from an officer, they may be kept as a pool car. the pool cars usually have a lot of miles, but most are gone before 150k. sometimes we get new cars, other times we buy the used kansas highway patrol cars which are actually pretty nice. my 08 i just got had 48k on it and still looked and smelled like brand new. when our chief goes to the council for cars, all they want is a dollar figure. so depending on how many cars we need to replace and how much money they give him, determine if he buys used or new. he told me once that he can buy 2 kansas cars with all new equipment for the price of one new one with carryover equipment. i myself like the kansas cars. i get a new one every 2 to 3 years or when they hit 100k. my last one (2005 vic) was great and i never had a minutes trouble out of it. if you get a new one, youll run it all the way to 110k, maybe a little beyond before replacement, unless its just falling apart. the other thing nice, is kansas will pay for options like remote start, power seats, and cd players when our agency wont. kansas also puts better brake pads on thier cars than the oem. so my 08 kansas car is actually nicer than the two new 09's we just got. and i dont have to worry, its already got 40k+ and that first scratch, unlike one of my co workers, who scratched her front bumper on her 09 with 2k on it, while pushing another vehicle with her pushbars. admin takes damage to the kansas cars a lot easier. as far as rotation goes, it whoevers turn is up for a newer car, unless someones is just a piece. even then, the next up may get the new one, and the officer with the pos may get the outgoing car to get him/her by until thier turn comes around. admin tries to do it fairly. as anyone here who works for a small agency knows, it all depends on how much money is alotted. bottom line is, none of us can complain, admin is taking care of us, we all have newer cars that are safe and reliable. thats what matters.

[mikeymedic]

Run them to the ground, and hope we have a new one by then.

[Drummadude12]

A few years ago an officer said they replaced their take-home cars every 6 years, but that seems like way too long for what police officers put their vehicles through.

104 sworn officers in 2008 with take-home cars. In total, they drove about a million and a half miles last year, according to an advisor. Approximately 14, 423 miles per car per year? Does that seem about right?
According to that, they would retire them at around 86,000 miles, so I guess that's not as bad as I thought. I sure hate math but it helped here!