what is the average life for a motor (in milage and years) if you take good care of it, like maintainance?

I do not know if there is a published average, but in my experience most engines built since 1990 are certainly capable of between 150,000 and 250,000 miles before a major wear related failure. I do expect them to require a replacement cylinder head gasket and one or two timing belt replacements in that time frame, but those routine services, in addition to the regular oil and filter services are about all that should be needed to get that kind of longevity from any automotive engine, American, European or Japanese.... ( my current beater is a 96 Saturn 1.9 L 4 banger with 230+ thousand miles - as far as I can tell it has not had anything more extensive than the timing belt replaced! )

some of the American made cars now last just as long as the others do,generally a good engine if taken care of will last twenty years or more,i got a 87 Nissan that has around 165 thousand on it and its still runs as good as it did the day i bought it,and still does start as soon a you turn the key over,and some other cars will also,i got a truck that's 13 years old and never had a bolt turned on the engine yet,not even a valve cover gasket has been replaced and it still does real good,and its a Chevy and i got a dodge with 90 thousand miles that still runs good,so taking care of one will make it last,sooner or later any engine will need gaskets ad seals replaced,but they should last pretty good if you take care of them,d say the average life span of a good engine is around ten to fifteen years,or more,mileage plays a big role also,you can put 100 k on an engine in less than 2 years ,it all depends on how its been treated and taken care of, good luck

Look at it this way. I am driving a 1996 Nissan Maxima with 80,000 miles. Cross my fingers but it runs well. I maintain the car with ongoing express lubes. I think you could have a car for 15 years with good regular maintence. I salute you on taking care of the car. I have had a company car for 20 years on top of my own car and if there is anything i've learned it is that basic maintenance can avert a LOT of trouble with a car. Just a regular lube job can make a HUGE difference. P.S. I am rare though. Most folks like the idea of a new flashy car but it doesn't matter to me. My Nissan has been great for the last 12 years. My friend's car is the same age as mine and he has over 100,000 miles and it's raring to go. The trick is in the basic maintenace. That is how to keep a car going with little problems.

I think 250,000 miles is reasonable enough for most modern engines. The car will start nickel and diming you before the engine becomes a major problem. However, there is more than just basic maintenance like was mentioned by a previous poster. Intake gaskets on GM and Ford products, timing belts/chains on overhead cam stuff, water pumps, alternators, that sort of stuff will also need replacement. Modern oil, gasoline, fuel injection, and engine design (roller lifters and rockers, etc) have made a huge difference.

a car will last for ever if it is taken good care,and it depends what kind of engine,gas or diesel you start having trouble with gas motors around 100,000 miles and a diesel a couple thousand miles. their are a lot of things that can happen to a car you just have listen to your car most of the time it will tell you if somethings wrong.