when to repair/when to replace
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On an older vehicle I use a 24 month look back for all repairs, and calculate the monthly cost.
I figure that with the time invested (either doing it yourself or waiting while it is done), I came up with the figure of $125 a month. If the vehicle starts requiring more than that in repairs, then it's time to replace.
This doesn't include routine stuff like brakes, tires and fluids but rather the more major stuff like clutch, transmission, head gaskets, water pump etc.
I figure that with the time invested (either doing it yourself or waiting while it is done), I came up with the figure of $125 a month. If the vehicle starts requiring more than that in repairs, then it's time to replace.
This doesn't include routine stuff like brakes, tires and fluids but rather the more major stuff like clutch, transmission, head gaskets, water pump etc.
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If the cost of repairs is less than the cost of a new vehicle, repair.
If the repairs will cost more than a new vehicle, replace.
If the repairs will cost more than a new vehicle, replace.
2.5 years ago I dumped about $4k into my car. It was worth more than that, well if not broken. Regardless, it's run decent since then. Probably has a couple more left. Lots of rust repairs ahead though I think, and I think some noises are getting bad. I don't drive it much beyond the 50 miles to get to work anymore.
Went to a VW get-to-gether a couple of days ago. I had renewed my for-sale ad, and someone there had some interest in it. Wife offered to drive the hour plus to pick me up if he wanted it! "No honey, he isn't going to buy it on the spot like that." "Well, just in case, I can drive down and bring the title... maybe you you should bring that just in case?"
Couple days this week I'll wind up driving my truck as I will need a nice(r) vehicle for some work functions.
Went to a VW get-to-gether a couple of days ago. I had renewed my for-sale ad, and someone there had some interest in it. Wife offered to drive the hour plus to pick me up if he wanted it! "No honey, he isn't going to buy it on the spot like that." "Well, just in case, I can drive down and bring the title... maybe you you should bring that just in case?"
Couple days this week I'll wind up driving my truck as I will need a nice(r) vehicle for some work functions.
I tend to keep my cars for a long time. The sled is currently 17 with ~ 205,000 on the od. I've owned her since 11,000mi. She's in great shape however, save for the front seats. I do most of the wrenching.
The previous sled was a SAAB 900T that I kept for 14 years and amased 256,000mi before selling.
Your older car is a known quantity. Your insurance is cheaper than a new one by far. Depends if you plan to buy brand new or used.
On the other hand, a 3% car loan is very cheap money..if you can get it.
Why is the spouse so angry? Does she drive it? Does she resent you driving it or having to drive it or being seen in it? I suspect something else is behind this. If so, a new/newer car won't fix that. Obviously, I don't know. Women are hard to diagnose!
The previous sled was a SAAB 900T that I kept for 14 years and amased 256,000mi before selling.
Your older car is a known quantity. Your insurance is cheaper than a new one by far. Depends if you plan to buy brand new or used.
On the other hand, a 3% car loan is very cheap money..if you can get it.
Why is the spouse so angry? Does she drive it? Does she resent you driving it or having to drive it or being seen in it? I suspect something else is behind this. If so, a new/newer car won't fix that. Obviously, I don't know. Women are hard to diagnose!
You're supposed to support the economy by listening to the marketing. If the latest car has more features than your car then you should upgrade. Imagine the social disgrace of driving last year's car especially if it's paid off? You'r banker will gladly write you a new loan to start the process over or to continue it. Look at how much of the money you spend on a new car goes right down the drain. It's called depreciation. It was invented by people that wanted to make more money than the profit on the sale or the interest on the loan. That way everyone gets a cut of your dollars. You should create a budget and commit it to paper. Look at how much you will actually spend on interest and lose on depreciation so you can appreciate how much you are supporting the economy. Then show it to your wife. Tell her you'll give her some of the difference for her to spend in any way she likes. All she has to do is suffer the embarrassment of driving that same car for a while longer.
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
When the neighbors need impressing.
Very True. lol. Maybe we need a section called "Keeping up with the Joneses" on BITOG.
Can you do the repairs yourself or are you at the mercy of a mechanic/stealership? If you are doing the repair yourself then what is the real cost of the repair?
I have a 98 Sienna and a 97 civic and they do need repairs once and a while, but no car payments and cheaper insurance are always nice. As mentioned by other members, cars always need maintenance.
What is the condition of the body of the car? Does almost everything work, or are a lot of little things broken (lights, switches, power windows).
If the car is going to need a lot of major repairs in the next 12-24 months and you cannot do it yourself, then maybe it's time to think about a replacement.
Regards, JC.
When the neighbors need impressing.
Very True. lol. Maybe we need a section called "Keeping up with the Joneses" on BITOG.
Can you do the repairs yourself or are you at the mercy of a mechanic/stealership? If you are doing the repair yourself then what is the real cost of the repair?
I have a 98 Sienna and a 97 civic and they do need repairs once and a while, but no car payments and cheaper insurance are always nice. As mentioned by other members, cars always need maintenance.
What is the condition of the body of the car? Does almost everything work, or are a lot of little things broken (lights, switches, power windows).
If the car is going to need a lot of major repairs in the next 12-24 months and you cannot do it yourself, then maybe it's time to think about a replacement.
Regards, JC.
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All the formula's in the world are useless if something major fails, and at 18 years that's like trying to predict that you will still be alive tomorrow.
If safety is compromised due to age, you will regret when someone dies or is crippled because frugality took precedent over common sense....I'm talking about blatant issues, not fate.
Having only ONE car in your household factors in also. What additional expenses are incurred if your car is out of commission for a week, such as rental/lease?
How much could you sell the car for currently vs. next year? Maybe $2,000 vs. $0? You can only guess about next year, but keep in mind selling when you think the car might take a dive.
Good luck. We also save $$$$ by only maintaining one vehicle, but reliability factors into our replacement time decision. Good luck!!
If safety is compromised due to age, you will regret when someone dies or is crippled because frugality took precedent over common sense....I'm talking about blatant issues, not fate.
Having only ONE car in your household factors in also. What additional expenses are incurred if your car is out of commission for a week, such as rental/lease?
How much could you sell the car for currently vs. next year? Maybe $2,000 vs. $0? You can only guess about next year, but keep in mind selling when you think the car might take a dive.
Good luck. We also save $$$$ by only maintaining one vehicle, but reliability factors into our replacement time decision. Good luck!!
do some of ya'll really worry that much about safety features? If so then stop driving like idiots and give yourself plenty of room on the road. I have driven for 25 years now, all in a major city and have not had one single wreck. I don't need airbags, sensors, crumple zones, or Volvo's marketing team. Since I know what some of you will say let me inject this: I lost a family member (3 years old) in a terrible car wreck 2 years ago. She was in a brand new large sedan, the sedan was going too fast and lost control. Went sideways into oncoming traffic where a F250 tboned it. No safety feature in the world would have saved them, well except for the one between your ears.
To the OP, if you can get by with less than $1000 per year in repairs I vote to keep the car. Maintenance doesn't count into this number.
To the OP, if you can get by with less than $1000 per year in repairs I vote to keep the car. Maintenance doesn't count into this number.
Does your wife have to drive it? If not, why does she even care? If the car you drive makes you happy and isn't costing a fortune, keep driving it.
Some people think it's new car time as soon as a windsheild wiper blade needs to be replaced.
New cars break too, sometimes catastrophically. Even if covered under warranty, there's still the time inconvenience. I have seen 2013 model cars get new engines and transmissions. My 13 year old truck has never needed that, and has never put me on the side of the road save for one tire blowout (caused by metal in the road, not the tire's fault), which could happen on a brand spanking new car.
Having to repair a 17-18 year old car about once a year sounds pretty good to me. That's a solid track record, assuming you aren't talking an engine or trans every year. A new car only buys you about 3 years of not having to do anything but oil changes assuming the car doesn't have a warranty issue.
A simple way to calculate is: what will a new car cost per month vs. what will the old car cost per month (including time)? If the old car still costs a lot less, the new car is a want, not a need.
Some people think it's new car time as soon as a windsheild wiper blade needs to be replaced.
New cars break too, sometimes catastrophically. Even if covered under warranty, there's still the time inconvenience. I have seen 2013 model cars get new engines and transmissions. My 13 year old truck has never needed that, and has never put me on the side of the road save for one tire blowout (caused by metal in the road, not the tire's fault), which could happen on a brand spanking new car.
Having to repair a 17-18 year old car about once a year sounds pretty good to me. That's a solid track record, assuming you aren't talking an engine or trans every year. A new car only buys you about 3 years of not having to do anything but oil changes assuming the car doesn't have a warranty issue.
A simple way to calculate is: what will a new car cost per month vs. what will the old car cost per month (including time)? If the old car still costs a lot less, the new car is a want, not a need.
My wife gives me a hard time. We recently had to have the alternator replaced on her car (under warranty) and she started looking at new (used) cars. She loves her car, but hates having things not follow her plan. She would rather pay more money than have something need work when she isn't planning it. I just bought her a set of tires because hers were too worn for me to feel safe with her and my kids driving around in the rain. Her plan was that the tires would be replaced in March. She doesn't understand that car work does not follow her schedule.
Just go give an idea of her insanity, she was thinking of selling her paid in cash '08 BMW with 77k miles to buy an '00 Infinity i30 because she thinks it would be cheaper to maintain long term. Granted, I agree that there are cars that are less expensive to maintain than a BMW, but a 15 year old Nissan? In those 77k miles the only money spent out of pocket has been a few oil changes, tires and a set of plugs and coils.
She also thinks I should sell my old car because it is old. My car, despite having 160k miles on it, is 100% reliable. On the rare occasion that she rides in my car, she remarks on what good condition it is in and how well it drives!
I won't say that wives are crazy, but sometimes thsy just don't understand.
Just go give an idea of her insanity, she was thinking of selling her paid in cash '08 BMW with 77k miles to buy an '00 Infinity i30 because she thinks it would be cheaper to maintain long term. Granted, I agree that there are cars that are less expensive to maintain than a BMW, but a 15 year old Nissan? In those 77k miles the only money spent out of pocket has been a few oil changes, tires and a set of plugs and coils.
She also thinks I should sell my old car because it is old. My car, despite having 160k miles on it, is 100% reliable. On the rare occasion that she rides in my car, she remarks on what good condition it is in and how well it drives!
I won't say that wives are crazy, but sometimes thsy just don't understand.
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She loves her car, but hates having things not follow her plan. She would rather pay more money than have something need work when she isn't planning it.
I literally chuckled out loud a little bit. Mine is exactly the same.
Her PT-GT had a cam position sensor problem. It never died. But it would occasionally cut-out on acceleration and the Check Engine Light was on. Easy fix for me. 5 minutes and $50. But not for her. The car had 100,000 miles on the odometer and had shaken her confidence. It was not like doing the brakes or getting new tires. She could not plan ahead for that and the car was not worth it anymore.
She doesn't mind driving my 170,000 mile car. She complains about the steering being too "sensitive" but otherwise is okay with driving it. Afterall, it's not her car. If it breaks down it's my car.
ls1mike
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My wife would keep a car forever. "You can fix it why get rid of it?" "I am tired of it woman"
The old Nox, nothing wrong with it, but they gave me 9,200 for it on trade with close to 100,000 miles on it. We only paid 19,000 for it with 16,000 miles on it. It was paid for and the new one was 25000 out the door. We put some down and financed 12,000 at 0%. I couldn't say no. I like a new car every five years. Just how I am, but I buy used and usually under 10,000 bucks. Plus the new Nox and is leaps and bounds better than the old one.
The old Nox, nothing wrong with it, but they gave me 9,200 for it on trade with close to 100,000 miles on it. We only paid 19,000 for it with 16,000 miles on it. It was paid for and the new one was 25000 out the door. We put some down and financed 12,000 at 0%. I couldn't say no. I like a new car every five years. Just how I am, but I buy used and usually under 10,000 bucks. Plus the new Nox and is leaps and bounds better than the old one.
People who don't turn wrenches on their own car should reconsider having a car more than 5 years old; labor costs get expensive quick.
Get her a certified Pre-owned luxury model car that is a one owner, has not been to auction and is being sold by the dealership that sold it new and did the maintenance. It should have < 40,000 miles and be coming off a 36 month lease. You will save at least 33% off the price of the same new car and get a 100k warranty if you choose Honda or Toyota.
Your wife will get the same WOW factor and enjoyment as a brand new model. Then drive it 100-150,000 miles.
Your wife will get the same WOW factor and enjoyment as a brand new model. Then drive it 100-150,000 miles.
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Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
Which is less expensive... a divorce or a newer car?
If he gets divorced over a car it was going to happen anyways. just saying..... now back on topic.
Which is less expensive... a divorce or a newer car?
If he gets divorced over a car it was going to happen anyways. just saying..... now back on topic.
Its getting up their in age, I'd start thinking about replacing it. If you take longer trips and are not mechanically inclined enough to go threw a vehicle lots of stuff can fail.
To me when to replace is if you think the rest of the car is worn out as well (i.e. if you have a bad head gasket when the struts, the axles, the transmission, the AC are all bad plus a window leak and moldy interior, faded paint, dent in the door and misaligned bumper).
Or if you just need a different vehicle because your commute distance change (have a Crown Vic but need to get an EV for single passenger carpool lane access plus free electricity for charging at work) or your family grew bigger (have kids and need to get a 4 door car or van).
Or you have a mid life crisis, or you got divorced and you want a cool car to pick up women.
Or if you just need a different vehicle because your commute distance change (have a Crown Vic but need to get an EV for single passenger carpool lane access plus free electricity for charging at work) or your family grew bigger (have kids and need to get a 4 door car or van).
Or you have a mid life crisis, or you got divorced and you want a cool car to pick up women.
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