Keep the clunker or buy something "new"?

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Mario17

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Nov 26, 2006
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I have a 99 Toyota camry with 165,000 miles. I have a check engine light on, o2 sensor, which I replaced both and the light still comes on. Also, the break lights light is on, even though they work fine. Finally the e-brake light is on even though it's disengaged. My mpg is about 24-27, which is very typical. Finally I have a small oil leak and suspect it's the o ring to the oil pump... Meaning a big bill because a lot of labor. I just put new tires on it a couple months ago for 500. I don't know if I should throw more money at this and run it to 200-250k or trade it in and take on some monthly payments. My question is... I'm open to suggestions and opinions. Camry a are great cars but I'm ready for an upgrade but don't want payments. If I spend 1000 to 1500 to fix it, I need another good year or two to make it worth it for me.

On a side note, I am looking at 2012-2013 Nissan Altimas. Anyone have one or hear reviews? I'm seeing 30k miles for $15k.
 
Originally Posted By: Mario17
On a side note, I am looking at 2012-2013 Nissan Altimas. Anyone have one or hear reviews? I'm seeing 30k miles for $15k.

I had a 2013 as a rental. I hated the CVT in it. Other than that, it was a nice car, but due to the trans, I would have never bought one, and I think Nissan stopped offering the manual trans option on these. Shame.
 
1999 camrys are better built than those nowadays. JMO of course.

I'd check out the brakes asap though.
 
Over the last few weeks I've seen two on flat bed tow trucks and a third one with a sign across the back glass that read, this Altima is a lemon or something to that affect. I like their looks but wouldn't buy one.
 
Fix it. the new to you option is attractive, but it not garenteed reliable, plus insurance and payments. just got of payment with my moms car, 36months and 220k later we put $700 in repairs and three sets of tires.

the one you have was is and probably will be reliable for yrs to come.
i would keep the toy. think of it as a car payment.
get the brakes checked and light dianosed and repaired. check repair ecm code and clear computer.
Have oil leak fixed.
tune-up
and the blood ol' w**th will tick along for great many miles.

you will find when the ownership of a car gos 200-300+k that many repairs are routine. struts, brakes, cv shafts, clutch, timing and waterpumps and the alike parts are built with inherent design life.
They are like tires.
 
FWIW, the Altimas were the absolute worst (and by a wide margin) out of all mid-sized cars in Consumer Reports. Basically everything beat them, Koreans, Americans, and the Germans.

I personally would keep it. I would also consider that you "might" have to take it to the sealership if the "fixes" are not working. Those late 90s/00s Camrys *might* be the best of the entire Camry line (although the late 80s are up there too), and I would expect that it easily has 300K in it if it was kept up to par. I do not think that putting money into the car will be a lost cause. However, I would chase the o2 problem a bit more than throwing the o2 sensors on... that might be a bit more serious.
 
Mario, I feel your pain. Have a 1998 Volvo S70 that has lots of 15 year type things (timing belt, tires, etc) that need some money to solve. Test drove a 2013 Altima; nice fit for me, big trunk, EPA MPG "looked" good. Real world MPG reports on Edmunds are unimpressive. The Dec. CR panning of it ("lousy debut"... "wind noise"... "squeaks and rattles") killed that idea. Reviews and my research on Accord, Camry, Fusion, Passat and even the highly regarded (on BITOG) Mazda 6, all bring up a few things to turn me off.
May just go down to my local credit union home office and find some repo a few years old on the back lot.
 
How is the frame & body rust wise? That would be the clincher.

Transmission?

Have you verified that all the brake light bulbs are working. There might be 2 per side. Did you replace with identical bulbs.

Did you use quality O2 sensors or some cheap aftermarket ones?

The ebrake light can wait. However are you sure its only an ebrake light, not a combined (anything) brake light. Brake fluid level?

You should be able to go to 225K easily, probably 250K.
 
I bought oem o2, denso ??
The body is fine, for a Minnesota car, there are only a few small rust spots on the body. The trunk clear coat is flaking but no rust yet there. The frame is perfect.
I'll check the break fluid, didn't think of that. I'll also check the brake lights.
Transmission seems fine, no issues yet and I've kept up in fluid replacements since I've owned it and know it was well taken care if by my grandparents as they did more than required preventative. Thanks everyone for the ideas. I needed someone to talk sense into me. A new vehicle is appealing but not economical if I can get several more years for a little tlc. I consider myself a slightly above average home mechanic so I might be able to do some stuff on my own. I also want to keep my new Cooper tires!
 
keep it, do some work on it. Monthly payments come EVERY month! lol....while everything is getting more expensive, avoid them. Fix up what you have and be proactive from then on and it will run and run.

Your list doesn't sound that bad but thats coming form me, Id do that stuff myself.
 
Originally Posted By: JR
Fix it. the new to you option is attractive, but it not garenteed reliable, plus insurance and payments. just got of payment with my moms car, 36months and 220k later we put $700 in repairs and three sets of tires.

the one you have was is and probably will be reliable for yrs to come.
i would keep the toy. think of it as a car payment.
get the brakes checked and light dianosed and repaired. check repair ecm code and clear computer.
Have oil leak fixed.
tune-up
and the blood ol' w**th will tick along for great many miles.

you will find when the ownership of a car gos 200-300+k that many repairs are routine. struts, brakes, cv shafts, clutch, timing and waterpumps and the alike parts are built with inherent design life.
They are like tires.


6000 miles a month?!?!
 
I vote, "keep it." Update us on the fixes. Regarding the o2 sensors I second clearing the codes via obdII scanner.
 
Like anything cars have a useful life, their comes a point when its just done. You have to look at the overall picture to see if your at that point.
 
I've asked myself this several times as well. I am currently driving a 1998 Grand Cherokee that just hit 186k. I have my ABS light on, have a small leak due to a rear main seal (fixed it twice but it always comes back) and I just pulled the driveshaft to have it rebuilt.

The little things do add up but it is a lot cheaper than a car payment for the next 3-4 years. I'd guess I drop $300-$500 a year on the jeep on minor repairs (brakes, sway bar links, fluid changes etc).

If you can easily afford it and want something new, that is different. No need to stay with your car if you don't want to. I have said I was going to buy new for the last two years or so but keep waiting for a catastrophic failure in my jeep. However, it hasn't come so I'm still in the jeep!
 
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