Costs of vehicle repairs/maintenance

[zzyzzx]

Great thought. This past winter I changed the thermostat on my minivan. I wondered how many others are driving inefficiently with a malfunctioning thermostat because they just don’t pay attention? I would not have noticed if I wasn’t watching the temp gauge and noticing it was not warming up fully.

There is a code for that when it's not warming up fast enough which is supposed to be a clue to change the thermostat.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Keeping all fluids clean and healthy does wonders. Oil,ps,pb,clutch,atf,coolant,rear diff,washer. Clean fluids will in most cases make those fluid dependent components last forever.

 

[ecotourist]

In 1967 I worked for a summer at a Pontiac Buick dealership. We had a customer who was shopping for a new car. His approach was that as soon as it needed a new muffler he traded it in.

In those days mufflers were not very durable so he was on a 2 or 3 year new car schedule.

I keep my cars almost forever. I had most of the work on my '86 Volvo done at a Volvo specialty repair place. Bought it new. Over 18 1/2 years and 285,000 Km it averaged $1150/year to keep it in good repair for everything - tires, batteries, oil changes, brakes, water pumps, various seals, etc. On its last day in my care I wouldn't have worried about just getting in and driving it 300 miles. I sold it to friends who drove it for 5 more years.

 

[radiometer]

I save by doing my own maintenance. I do oil & filter changes, brake work including fluid change, engine removal & replace for changing clutch plates, plugs and wires, transmission fluid changes, coolant changes, timing belt changes and other things that come up. I figure this is the way that I know for sure it's done right. I don't have to wonder about the quality of parts and labor.

 

[wpod]

I over maintain but I am getting to the point of doing minimal and trading in at 5 to 10 years .

 

[Accent Abuser]

Your typical car owner maintenance attitude;

View attachment 100116

Yeah even when their wheel is about to fall off because their ball joints have a full 1/4" of play.

 

[wpod]

Your typical car owner maintenance attitude;

View attachment 100116

If you turn the car over why maintain it? Most likely the next owner won't care is it was maintained.

 

[wpod]

Keeping all fluids clean and healthy does wonders. Oil,ps,pb,clutch,atf,coolant,rear diff,washer. Clean fluids will in most cases make those fluid dependent components last forever.

Clean fluids won't keep the parts from breaking but clean fluids help prolong the life of the components. Unless the components are low bid producer parts.

 

[Blackstack]

A couple of summers ago I watched a couple of doucheknuckles sit out along the outfield fence at my dotter's softball game in their suburban idling with the AC on for probably 5-6 hours throughout the day because it was too hot to sit in a lawn chair like the rest of us. A couple of nights ago I sat next to a woman sitting in her Lexus idling with the AC on for 90 minutes during my son's basketball tryouts because it was just a wee bit muggy out. I see this all the time. These are the vehicles I'd also be afraid of buying used just as much as one that didn't have proper maintenance done to it. Did I mention people are idiots?

 

[Blackstack]

For their personal finances, of course that's true. Unless something changes and you end up keeping them.
I may be the odd man out, but I have respect for my tools. I do the best I can to keep them in tip top shape.
Sometimes I pass my cars off to friends or family, but that's not really the reason.

But that's just me. Our TSX and Tundra each have about 210K and I never even check the oil. They are in excellent shape.
I did not imagine they would last this long. I frequently get offers for both, especially the Tundra.

Again, just my 2 cents.

Amen. I guess I also just have basic principles and will not bend to the I have no phucks to give attitude that is a bit part of the reason our country is currently circling the toilet in a downward trajectory. I have nice cars and I have crappy cars. My current daily driver is going to the scrap yard as soon as the engine or tranny goes south. It's a $1,500 car at best. I still do basic maintenance because it just might last me two more years, 75,000 miles or both.

 

[Silver]

Mechanics are being replaced by droids loaded with AI and corporate cliches. These droids are more expensive to maintain and update, so they cost you more to utilize. These same droids are being used by car manufacturers, from design and engineering to assembly. So, you must pay more for your droid built lego-cart.

CEO takes a limo.

 

[Elkins45]

I, nor anyone I know have ever changed the brake fluid on a vehicle with the exception of my 98 Chevy. In that case the line rusted thru and dumped all the fluid in a trail behind me all the way home. I’ve added a little as the pads wear but I just have to end up sucking it back out when I replace them.

 

[doublebase]

I usually just have a schedule that I use, and I perform everything myself. Oil every 5,000 (although I have dipped my toe into the 10,000 interval using Mobil1 EP), coolant first change at 100,000 (every 50,000 after), brake fluid every two years (although if a miss a year I don’t care), hoses (never), belts (I’m in no rush until 120,000 miles), tranny fluid once a year (I drive a lot), alignment (only if I feel I need it), brakes (as needed), tires (as needed), spark plugs (120,000 miles), air filter (every 25,000 miles), cabin air filter (once a year...although I haven’t changed it in two now), undercarriage rust proofing (every year).

In the end it only helps me if I can keep the car 10-15 years, 200,000-300,000 miles. Otherwise most people don’t care when buying used, certainly no one gives an ounce a **** when trading it in and you don’t get any awards for doing any of it. And most of it will not prevent major component failure in a poorly designed product. I’m not talking never changing your oil, but the coolant, the brake fluid, the tranny...most of those items will not fail anyway unless you’re planning on going 200,000 plus. And most aren’t. But I love maintenance. I love thinking that I can help a car get further than it was designed to...all while saving money by not buying a new one.

 

[DejaVue]

A couple of summers ago I watched a couple of doucheknuckles sit out along the outfield fence at my dotter's softball game in their suburban idling with the AC on for probably 5-6 hours throughout the day because it was too hot to sit in a lawn chair like the rest of us. A couple of nights ago I sat next to a woman sitting in her Lexus idling with the AC on for 90 minutes during my son's basketball tryouts because it was just a wee bit muggy out. I see this all the time. These are the vehicles I'd also be afraid of buying used just as much as one that didn't have proper maintenance done to it. Did I mention people are idiots?

Does idling a vehicle with the a/c on hurt it somehow?

 

[bunnspecial]

I'm big on PM, but at the same time I've gone to do tasks and just couldn't bring myself to replace the parts yet because they were in such good shape. Of course if there was a lot of work involved in getting there, I'll go ahead and do it, but if it wasn't I'll just put it back together.

One of the things that really surprised me-I'd been meaning to put a serpentine belt on my MKZ(a bit over 100K miles) for a little while even though it looked fine. When the alternator went out this summer I figured I should just go ahead and do it. I did end up changing it, but the original is hanging on a peg in the garage and in a pinch I'd have no hesitation using it(I did mark it as to which way it was installed). The P/S belt is a separate stretch to fit belt, and I didn't change it as again I saw no reason to as it showed zero signs of deterioration and I'd already bought enough tools on that job to not want to go out and buy the installation tool also.

 

[SeaJay]

In the 90,000 miles I owned my last car I did oil changes and replaced both brake pads and new rotors on both axles, twice (heavy traffic commuting miles) and two new sets of tires that still had a ton of tread left when sold. Nothing else. There were some other scheduled things that I didn't bother with.

As regards the transmission, it was a CVT with supposedly lifetime fluid, never had a problem with it. The manufacturer did not have a transmission fluid change as a maintenance recommendation.

 

[bullwinkle]

Got to realize the AVERAGE (NON-BITOG) car owner has the following:
(1) Couldn't afford a new car in the first place...
(2) Lucky they can figure out where the gas nozzle goes!
Therefore, they do nothing, trade it in at 100K or the first sign of trouble!
That's where all mine come from!!

 

[DweezilAZ]

I usually just have a schedule that I use, and I perform everything myself. Oil every 5,000 (although I have dipped my toe into the 10,000 interval using Mobil1 EP), coolant first change at 100,000 (every 50,000 after), brake fluid every two years (although if a miss a year I don’t care), hoses (never), belts (I’m in no rush until 120,000 miles), tranny fluid once a year (I drive a lot), alignment (only if I feel I need it), brakes (as needed), tires (as needed), spark plugs (120,000 miles), air filter (every 25,000 miles), cabin air filter (once a year...although I haven’t changed it in two now), undercarriage rust proofing (every year).

In the end it only helps me if I can keep the car 10-15 years, 200,000-300,000 miles. Otherwise most people don’t care when buying used, certainly no one gives an ounce a **** when trading it in and you don’t get any awards for doing any of it. And most of it will not prevent major component failure in a poorly designed product. I’m not talking never changing your oil, but the coolant, the brake fluid, the tranny...most of those items will not fail anyway unless you’re planning on going 200,000 plus. And most aren’t. But I love maintenance. I love thinking that I can help a car get further than it was designed to...all while saving money by not buying a new one.

Yes. Pre-emptive maintenance. Similar schedule, but I have replaced hoses, and belts at the 10 year mark on the newest one. Having something blow in the desert heat and dust is not something I want to chance.

The cars I own are 17, 36 and 59 years old. One I have had for forty years. One for 28. And the last since new.

With prices for new and used ones so high, I have no qualms about over-maintaining my cars.

The youngest still runs like a late model, looks as good and will last the rest of my lifetime I suspect.

 

[doublebase]

Yes. Pre-emptive maintenance. Similar schedule, but I have replaced hoses, and belts at the 10 year mark on the newest one. Having something blow in the desert heat and dust is not something I want to chance.

The cars I own are 17, 36 and 59 years old. One I have had for forty years. One for 28. And the last since new.

With prices for new and used ones so high, I have no qualms about over-maintaining my cars.

The youngest still runs like a late model, looks as good and will last the rest of my lifetime I suspect.

That’s amazing! You’ve had the 59 year old vehicle since new?? That’s a serious commitment. And inspirational. I wish I could do that, the most I’ve kept a vehicle is for 17 years.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

For a while now, I've wondered how most people afford just regular maintenance but after buying a few used vehicles in the last year or so, I have serious doubts that they even do/pay for real maintenance very much.

Outside of what seems to be this industry standard for new vehicles where you get 2 years/24k miles of "free" maintenance (based on the very minimal "normal" driving habit schedule), I don't think many people really pay attention to car maintenance outside of an oil change when they think about it. Even then, it seems a lot of shops, even those with 988 five-star ratings, seem to perform fairly shoddy work and the vehicles really aren't taken care of, at least not anywhere close to my level of maintenance. Dirty engine bays, oils/fluids spilled all over, dust/grime collecting on the underside, mangled up crush washers, oil pan drain plugs mangled or even new/replacements, oil filter brands I've never heard of, etc.

Things I never see performed-

Serpentine belt until it breaks
Brake fluid flush (not even when a brake job is done and it will take a measly 10 extra minutes to do ONE axle worth)
Transmission service (ohhhhh, don't touch it, it might blow up!!! )
Spark plugs
Coolant drain and fill
Gear/Transfer case oil service
Grease fittings on U-joints/slip joints
Proper brake service (turn/replace rotors, really clean the bits and pieces of calipers, slide pins, replace boots, springs/clips/etc. )
Power Steering Fluid flush

All of this stuff is cheap in the long run and with today's premium on used vehicles, it's being asked for (at least service records) more and more. There's even some people, like me, that will make a hard pass on a vehicle that does not have service records.... because I know what I'm getting in to - a POS.

Then there's minor/medium repairs. Just this weekend I replaced the VTEC Solenoid module/piece on the 2008 Honda CR-V I bought for my daughter a month ago. It was the best that I could find of that era, 165k Miles on it, some verifiable service history (I called the shop the PO said they always used), but still...... A brake fluid flush had never been done. Power steering fluid had never been done. Coolant - you guessed it, never been done. Spark plugs - no record and they appeared to be original. There had been transmission fluid drop-n-fills a few times and the PO said the oil was always changed at 3-5k miles.

I spent $280 on plugs, power steering fluid, transmission fluid, brake fluid, valve cover gasket kit, valve lash adjustment tool to catch all the maintenance up. I still have to do the valve adjustment. This weekend I spent $180 on that new VTEC Solenoid part, coolant, oil and filter. I won't count the $80 Honda/Acura software I bought for my Foxwell code reader. I diagnosed the lights on the dash/code, went to Napa to get the part and replaced it, oil change and coolant drain and fill. All of that at the Honda dealer would have been over $550, like I said, I have $180 in it and yes, my labor. But I know it was all done, all done right.

The Plugs, power steering flush, brake fluid flush, 2x Tras fluid drop and fill, valve adjustment deal would have been well over $1k at a Honda Dealer, same with an indy shop. All of this stuff is very do-able for someone that has some basic tools and has intent on maintaining their cars.

I have SERIOUS doubts, even at "GOOD" shops, that the oil and filter always gets changed when someone requests it and pays for it. Why? Because the vehicles I've bought lately don't look like the ones I've maintained since day one on a similar maintenance plan. We used to have a 2007 CRV, owned since day 1, had it for 100k miles until someone totaled it. I changed the oil in it with Motorcraft 5W-20 and either a Wix or Honda filter at 7500-10,000 miles and it was NEVER as dirty as the oil I dropped Saturday that had "5k miles" on it.....

Anyway, I know, I've gone way off in the ditch. But here's my assessment after doing 20+ years of maintaining my own vehicles from new and taking over one I bought used - most people that pay a shop to work on their cars/do the maintenance on them are getting ripped off IMO. They aren't getting near the attention to detail/service that one would give their own car, I promise that. I know why for the most part - top "A" techs are not doing maintenance at shops. It's usually the lowest paid person working there - because customers are CHEAP and want it done cheap.

We have a 2013 Lexus LX570. About the only known problem for this era Land Cruiser / LX is the radiator busting on the top. Yes, ours did recently, right on time, 115k miles. I lucked out and got an OEM radiator at a Toyota dealer near our house who was having an online parts sale (they have a strong online parts presence), upper and lower hoses and 4 gallons of coolant for $350 or so. It took me fooling with it for 3 evenings (1 to remove, 1 to replace and 1 to make some final adjustments after buying hose clamp pliers, then filling with coolant and bleeding the air out and then doing a transmission fluid service). For the radiator, hoses, coolant, transmission pan gasket, filter and 4-1/2 quarts of fluid, I have about $500 in that job. It would have been $1500+ at the dealer.

Most of the shop managers I have known + still know a few all tell the same sad story .... "no young men or women want these jobs anymore."
They even try to offer bonus sign up dollars and all the schooling one needs. Can not even get enough applicants. Lots of folks tell me these days It is very hard/scary for them to pick any place to do work these days. I am lucky to know (2) really good successfull local shops that I can use if / when needed. Local Ford dealership manager told me recently they had adds in paper for technician (entry level to train) with good pay and benefits. He said he got zero applicants for 3 months.