12 years and 256,780 miles to be exact......
Driving home on the interstate under full electrical load on the hottest day of the summer when all the gauges freaked out and the entire dash went dark. The van was still running but would not down shift. Made it to the top of the off ramp and it died, I got a jump start and made it the 7 miles home. Took the alternator out and brought it to NAPA to confirm my suspicions, it was dead. $202 w/tax for a new (reman) one and off I went. took about an hour getting it out and 1/2 hour to get it back it, complicated slightly by having to take out the PS fluid reservoir.
Now you know.