Get $3,000 for your 300,000-mile beater

Nevertheless, auto manufacturers want to sell new cars, not have people see how long they can keep them running.

Quaker State points out in their new Cash Back Bonus program the average age of vehicles on the road today is over 10 years, according to a post today by Dale Buss on the BrandChannel.com. Further, a full eight percent of the cars now in service have an odometer reading over 200,000 miles. In a related statement Chris Hayek, Quaker State’s global brand manager, stated some Americans view high mileage as “a badge of honor.”

“With the yearly cost of owning and operating a vehicle in the U.S. increasing more than 3% from last year, many consumers are looking for ways to help keep their vehicles running smoothly longer, as a way of saving instead of springing for a new vehicle,” he added.

The brand is somewhat generous as to what defines eligibility for both cars and owners. Consumers must document use of a Quaker State product in the vehicle no later than the 75,000-mile mark – after what was once considered the lifetime of a vehicle. The person applying for the program doesn’t have to be the original owner, but the car has to be less than 6 years old when you register.

That’s really a good thing – unless you’re a traveling sales rep with a seven state region, it could take a long time to rack up 300K miles.

You also have to register online, perform all manufacturer suggested maintenance using the Quaker State product, keep receipts for all service and update your online records at least once per year.

If the maintenance is something you’d do anyway, $3,000 is nothing to sneeze at these days.

For more information on the program, click here.