Originally Posted By: zerosoma
How much money do you usually stick into a vehicle over its lifetime before you say, enough's enough? This was the first major bill we've had for it - we had one $300 bill for a tow and p/s flush and CEL diagnostic.
The only time we've been faced with this was with a 2007 minivan we bought brand new. This was going to be our "forever" vehicle; only car we've ever bought new. We bought the particular brand we did because the list of features for the money paid was much longer than the competition. In the end, we paid for the more expensive brand anyway in repairs to ours (in either time or money), so hindsight says we should have ponied up and bought the better brand to begin with.
Most of the repairs to ours were under warranty. But they were happening with enough regularity that I had no confidence in the van after the warranty was up. I did some repairs myself, even while under warranty, because the dealer was such a pistol. We had it in for a week-long stay at the dealer once, and I called the 800 number to request a loaner; we can't keep relying on others to help us out when our van was down. They gave us one, but it was through Enterprise and I had to pay up front and request reimbursement. They stiffed me one day on the rental because I turned it in the day AFTER our van was done. But here's the thing: the dealer didn't fully repair our van; I had to finish their repair that weekend. The reason we turned it in late was because the folks on the 800 number told us to wait until the next day so they could get up with the service manager at the dealership.
It was a horrible experience, one I'd never wish on anyone else. But, we had resigned to grin-and-bear-it. The van was paid for. The depreciation on it was horrible; we'd lose a ton of money going out and buying something else.
But then my folks told us in passing on the phone one night that they were selling their Acura MDX, and the rest is history. We sold our minivan to Carmax, for basically KBB 'trade value', and bought the Acura. Aside from about $400 in parts for the timing belt and spark plugs I recently did (and other consumables like brakes, tires, fluids), we haven't had to repair the Acura since we bought it. And I suppose the timing belt and spark plugs (certainly the spark plugs) to be consumables also, not quite fitting in the "repair" category.
It's such a burden lifted from your shoulders to know your vehicle has your back. For a few years there, it was a constant struggle and worry.