How much do you fix before you declare a car officially dead?

[DawnM]

This is always the question.

 

When do you declare a car dead and not deal with it anymore? When you say, "I will drive it until it dies" what does that mean? What is dead?

We have a 1996 Saturn. Honestly, it has been a fantastic car. Every repair has been something that is typical for repair at that time.

 

In the last 4 months we have put about $300 into the car. Nothing major.

 

Now it needs $400 in repair (DH will do the work). Still nothing major, but unplanned for sure.

 

DH keeps reminding me that this is still WAY CHEAPER than buying a new car. He says even if this $400 fix gives us only a few more months, it is still cheaper than a car payment.

 

I agree.....but at this point it is a 15 year old car that will just keep having issues IMO.

 

Dh's big beef? He bought these tires last year and they have 40,000 miles left on them dog gone-it! :tongue_smilie: And yes, he is an accountant.

[Pam Wilhelm]

We have always had older cars....husband is a mechanic and has always fixed them. Our van is a 98 and needs repairs...he will, eventually, fix it.

 

Our determining factor for when to replace an older car has always been the availability of decent replacement parts. Our old Subaru finally had to be trashed because we could no longer get quality water pumps for it. ...it also had other problems, but when you can't get good parts, what is the point.

 

We will probably always have older cars...it has gotten to be a running joke with us. Even if we had to replace an engine...it would still be cheaper then a new car.

[TKDmom]

I've had a couple of cars that the repair shop told me not to bother fixing. On the first, we were taking it into the shop every other month. We put almost $2000 into it in one year. When it started having electrical problems and being totally unreliable, the shop told us to get a new car. We traded it in and got a whopping $300 credit for it. I couldn't have sold that car to anyone else in good conscience.

 

Our next car got to the point where it guzzled oil and I had to put 4 quarts in every month. When we took it into the shop, they told us it would cost $3000 to repair, which was more than the car was worth. We traded that one in too.

 

I know what you're saying about the tires. I feel like getting new tires has been the death knell for our cars. But if it's costing more to repair than the car is worth, or if you're spending a car payment on repairs, I'd get a new car. Otherwise, I'd keep doing repairs and try to save up for a new car.

Edited May 17, 2011 by bonniebeth4
typo

[plansrme]

I calculate (roughly) the number of additional miles I am likely to get out of the car if I do the repairs. My 180,000-mile car now needs about $3,000 in repairs. They are not critical, but to be comfortable driving the car for another 6 or 8 months, they need to be done. I figure that $3,000 will get me 20,000 more miles (10% of the life of a $35,000 car, so worth $3,500) out of this car, plus it will save me from putting 20,000 miles on my next car (another $3,500-$4,000). The second part of this equation is what I think people often forget--keeping this car longer saves my next one.

 

When putting new tires on your car doubles its value, though, even I would have to say it's time to go. ;)

 

Terri

[Jyniffrec]

We have a 1996 Saturn and it has been incredibly dependable! Well, until last week. :rolleyes:

 

Our rule for buying a new car is this: is it cheaper than making a car payment every month? If it averages out then we hang on to the car. (That being said, we would really like to pay cash for our next car.)

[lionfamily1999]

I agree with your dh. If it's cheaper than replacing the car, keep fixing it.

 

My parents' Toyota needs about $500 worth of work. Their mechanic said it's more than the car is worth, but they can't replace their car for $500. We talked about it and, imo, that means that their car is worth as much as they would save repairing rather than replacing.

[cat]

I'd put the money to fixing it again..... and try to get a few more months out of it....and while doing so, keep my eye out for a good deal on a new car. You are more likely to spend more money on a car right now, as you need one.... you can get a better deal if you are not pressed for time.

 

I'd be willing to fix it if the repair cost was under $500.00 and see how long it goes...... I'd make another decision when it needs the next repair....hopefully the tires will be worn out by then.

[Guest jab300]

I agree with your dh as well. If it were a head gasket or timing belt or even transmission issue, then maybe go for another car. Otherwise you are really getting your money's worth out of the Saturn. Believe me, newer cars are much more complicated to fix on your own (most have many computer components that only a dealer can handle) and just not built to last.

[DawnM]

How many miles do you have on yours?

 

DH just told me it is a 1997. We bought it in 1996 so I think that is why I keep thinking it is a '96.

 

Dawn

 

We have a 1996 Saturn and it has been incredibly dependable! Well, until last week. :rolleyes:

 

Our rule for buying a new car is this: is it cheaper than making a car payment every month? If it averages out then we hang on to the car. (That being said, we would really like to pay cash for our next car.)

[Sebastian (a lady)]

This is always the question.

 

When do you declare a car dead and not deal with it anymore? When you say, "I will drive it until it dies" what does that mean? What is dead?

We have a 1996 Saturn. Honestly, it has been a fantastic car. Every repair has been something that is typical for repair at that time.

 

In the last 4 months we have put about $300 into the car. Nothing major.

 

Now it needs $400 in repair (DH will do the work). Still nothing major, but unplanned for sure.

 

DH keeps reminding me that this is still WAY CHEAPER than buying a new car. He says even if this $400 fix gives us only a few more months, it is still cheaper than a car payment.

I agree.....but at this point it is a 15 year old car that will just keep having issues IMO.

 

Dh's big beef? He bought these tires last year and they have 40,000 miles left on them dog gone-it! :tongue_smilie: And yes, he is an accountant.

 

The bolded is how we operate. When the repairs reach the point that we were repairing the same thing more than once or the repair was a major item that would cost more than what we'd replace the car with (either a monthly car payment or a new to us used car).

 

We had one used car that we bought hoping to just get a couple months of use out of it (while we considered what else to buy). DH drove it for over a year before we had it towed away.

 

FWIW, we've bought our last two "new to us" cars from rental sales outlets. Hertz (which might not still sell cars) and Enterprise. In both cases we got cars that were part of a rental car fleet before coming to us. We're pretty confident that the periodic maintenance was done while they were in the fleet and we didn't have to pay a new car cost that depreciated right away.

 

Plus, I think we were treated far better at Enterprise than we were at the car dealership for the same brand we purchased. The Enterprise sales rep was actually more knowledgeable and helpful than the sales rep that Kia stuck us with (or the Kia dealership's manager for that matter).

 

I like driving cars into the ground. On the other hand, look at operating cost, especially the difference in gas mileage between the Saturn and what you might replace it with. And you might also think of having operated the Saturn for so long as paying forward for the car you will now buy to replace it.

[ConnieB]

I agree with your DH about the repairs being less than a car payment and therefore worth doing IF....and for me it's a HUGE IF....if those repairs are not something that left the driver stranded. Or that it's not rapidly headed in that direction. To me that is simply unacceptable for either me and the kids or my spouse to be put into a potentially dangerous situation by a vehicle breakdown.

 

If the repairs didn't involve it stopping running then if your husband has the skills and time necessary to do the repairs cheaper than the costs of a car loan and the higher insurance, then yes, I'd probably keep repairing it. Now-a-days another consideration is gas mileage....obviously you're not going to save $400 a month in gas, but some of those old clunker types get half what the newer cars do, so that's simply a number your accountant hubby would be plugging into the equation too.

 

As for the tires....if when you decide that the old car has breathed it's last.....remember that used tires especially ones with loads of tread left can boost the price you may be able to get for it from a junk yard. Or they can be sold by you without the rest of the car attached and the dead car donated to charity for the tax write off (they don't car about the condition of the car, they take the old clunks and sell them to a junk yard or may be running a junk yard themselves).

[Pippen]

We usually have at least one older vehicles and figure there are going to be some repair costs along the way--still way cheaper than payments.

 

One or two reasonable repairs is par for the course but when it gets to a big repair bill (like a transmission in the thousands) or a bunch of those like you just had we start looking. Also consider reliability--we just got rid of an 1989 Buick that we thought would have died years ago, but since we got it used from family it has outlasted two of my vans. That Buick is still running while my 2004 van is in the shop for repairs to the tune of $1600--go figure. And yes, we're having them do only the minimum and we'll be replacing ASAP.

[Lolly]

For me, it isn't so much a matter of the repair costs vs "new" car cost. It is a matter of how much time the car spends not available to drive. I need to have a vehicle available to me. One that stays in the shop monthly is not a car I can have.

[Alenee]

My dh is a mechanic but that is only his side job so he takes his time into account, as well as parts availability and cost. If the repair is going to cost more than $1,000 and might only be the beginning of endless fixes, he'll typically let it go.

[Lady Florida.]

We drive cars almost to the ground. When it goes beyond normal wear and tear replacements, and the repair costs start averaging more than monthly payments on a good used car, we know it's time to let go.

[Lady Florida.]

For me, it isn't so much a matter of the repair costs vs "new" car cost. It is a matter of how much time the car spends not available to drive. I need to have a vehicle available to me. One that stays in the shop monthly is not a car I can have.

 

This too. We live in an area with no public transportation and where everything is spread out too far to walk. Also, dh works on a secure AF base (badged entrance only), so I can't bring him to work and keep the car. We both need reliable vehicles.

[prairiewindmomma]

We consider the cost of repairs/new car payments, the amount of time spent in the shop/time spent driving, the significance of the repairs (less likely to do a new transmission), and our overall financial picture. I'd love to get to the point of where we could just have the cash on hand to pay for a new vehicle when the time comes. We haven't gotten there yet.....but if we were close, I'd be more inclined to nurse a car along a bit longer.

[Mejane]

We finally ditched our van (120,000 miles) when the brakes and the A/C went. The two repairs would've cost $2000 and dh didn't want to spend that much on an 11yo car.

[mama2cntrykids]

I have to say that I've never run a vehicle into the ground, BUT with a growing family who costs more $ to run as they get older/bigger, we'll be running our van into the ground and praying something comparable (that we can afford outright) comes along.

[lionfamily1999]

I agree with your dh as well. If it were a head gasket or timing belt or even transmission issue, then maybe go for another car. Otherwise you are really getting your money's worth out of the Saturn. Believe me, newer cars are much more complicated to fix on your own (most have many computer components that only a dealer can handle) and just not built to last.

:iagree: For a lot of the newer cars if something is repaired then the codes have to be cleared from the computers, otherwise the car will run wonky until those problems (or new problems) arise. And the computers you need to clear those codes are ex.pen.sive.

[Unicorn.]

Dh's big beef? He bought these tires last year and they have 40,000 miles left on them dog gone-it! :tongue_smilie: And yes, he is an accountant.

 

You can always transfer tires to a newer car- unless you are buying totally new, then it doesn't matter. However, what I would do... I think I would start putting away the money for a new car now- make a car payment to yourself each month, and then if you can make this car last another 4-5 yrs, you can pay cash, or mostly cash for a new one.

 

Dead to us means just won't run anymore, cracked body, rubber seals that no longer seal, etc.

[Tarreymere]

We just finally declared our 1986 Dodge Omni officially dead since it would cost about $1200 to fix it enough for our state inspection, assuming we could even find the parts we need. Personally, I think keeping that car alive this long went way past frugal into insanity.

 

I'm almost afraid to commit to our next car, since it will most likely be the last car I will ever own :glare:. I have the most frugal husband on the planet.

[DawnM]

We do have some $$ set aside. Of course, DH wants his mid life crisis car! :lol: He knows he can't really get it, but he is dreaming.

 

I really don't see this car lasting 4-5 more years.....I think it is months or two years at best.

 

Dawn

 

You can always transfer tires to a newer car- unless you are buying totally new, then it doesn't matter. However, what I would do... I think I would start putting away the money for a new car now- make a car payment to yourself each month, and then if you can make this car last another 4-5 yrs, you can pay cash, or mostly cash for a new one.

 

Dead to us means just won't run anymore, cracked body, rubber seals that no longer seal, etc.

[DawnM]

Quite a few varying ideas here. Good to get others' perspectives.

[vonfirmath]

2 years ago, we bought a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am hoping it would last 5 years

 

Now we are starting to think it MIGHT limp to 3 years :( We'll see. We just replaced the van because of "$1200 to see if we can figure out what is going wrong" problems. And are planning to run this one into the ground, literally, if we can, to buy time before buying another new-to-us car. (Bought the van out of savings but it really wiped us out more than we are comfortable with).

[Tarreymere]

oh, btw, the 1986 Dodge Omni still runs........just can't pass PA inspection. We are keeping it to sneak to the grocery store in the dead of night until we get another car. Anyone in a non-inspection state interested in a great deal on this zombie car? I kind of hate to junk it when it has hung in there so long......:tongue_smilie:

[lllll]

...

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

Just wanted to say I also own a 1997 Saturn.

I bought it when I was pregnant with my first child. I am hoping to own the Saturn long enough for said first child to learn to drive on it, darn it!!!

[KidsHappen]

When the costs of repairs would be higher than a monthly payment. My last van (2000 Chevy Astro) died about a year after it was paid off in 2007. It was only six years old and had right at 100,000 miles on it. I expected it to last at least twice as long but it had some kind of major malfunction that would have required us to replace the engine. The total cost was going to be around $3600 and the mechanic couldn't guarantee that it wouldn't have more problems after that. That would have equalled $300 a month for year. So we bought the Town & Country (2005 bought in 2007) for slightly more. Hopefully, we will have better luck this time around. Our car before the previous van was a '96 Taurus which is still on the road as far as I know. We replaced it because we outgrew it. The one before that was a GMC Safari (same as Astro). I don't remember how old it was but it had 210,000 miles on it when it died and I think it would have lasted longer if I hadn't let my brothers work on it.

[Elisabeth in IL]

I haven't read any of the other responses but I'd say when you spend more then $1200 over the course of a year (12 month period), then it is time for a new car.