The Dona Ana County (N.M.) Sheriff's fleet of patrol vehicles has reached a "crisis" point due to peeling paint and high mileage on the odometers, the sheriff told the Las Cruces Sun-News.

Sheriff Enrique "Kiki" Vigil, who took office in January, said he's concerned that many of the vehicles have been driven past 100,000 miles and pose a risk to deputies. The agency relies on parts from retired sedans for repairs. The high-mileage vehicles may not be reliable during a higher-speed pursuit, said Steve Dunn, the agency's fleet manager.

"If they get into a pursuit, they can shear a drive shaft off or rear axles," Dunn told the media outlet. "A transmission could seize. An engine could seize."

About 56 percent of the 230-vehicle fleet has reached 100,000 miles. Of those, about 23 percent have reached 150,000 miles or higher.