melissel Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 And it was more out of your savings than you were really comfortable with (long story, too many details), what would you do? Would you put it on your CC and just scrimp and save to pay it off as quickly as possible rather than risk not having the liquid savings when you need it? Would this make you wonder whether you might need a new car? This car (Kia Sedona) only has 72,000 miles on it, but we put $1,200 into repairs on it last year, and now $3,500--I'm afraid we're about to start pouring money into it :( This was totally unexpected--I thought I'd just need new tires, but DH just called with the bad news from the mechanic. I'm totally :willy_nilly: DH is talking about trading this car in and buying a new economy car that gets better gas mileage anyway. I have no idea what to do. I didn't expect to start facing these kinds of repairs until the car had far more mileage on it :crying: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alenee Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 My dh is a mechanic and I'm near positive he would suggest getting a second opinion. What do you need to have done that it will cost you that much money? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 (edited) What on earth do you need done? ETA: I would definitely get a second opinion on this, for this amount of money. Edited July 25, 2011 by kiana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mynyel Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 I would pay for it then if I *needed* it I would charge only then. Better to not have to pay interest unless absolutely necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 1. What repairs does it need? 2. Is there a reason to drive the van instead of trading for a cheaper car? I drive a Sedona, & I can't imagine paying that gas mileage if I didn't have to! Of course, mine's higher because it's stuck in 2nd gear... Anyway, we bought ours used, but it's cost at least twice that since then in repairs, & now it's more expensive to fix than it's worth AND the a/c has gone out. (We sold ours this weekend.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 I wonder what needs doing too. DH does most of the work on our cars and I am thankful, but $3,500 would have me thinking of trading it in too, esp. if I had planned to do that anyway. BUT, if you are in financial straits I would have to weight all the options carefully. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiddenJewel Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 I would be looking at purchasing a different vehicle. If I had to pay for the repairs, I would use savings before using our credit card. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 That would be the last time I put that much money into that car. I would start looking at new (used) cars just in case you need to buy one in a hurry. I started pouring money into my last car at about 80,000 miles. It went on till 110,000 miles when I finally got a new car. I won't make that same mistake twice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mynyel Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 I just realized that you said new tires... did you go to a place like Tire Kingdom? We went there last April and got tires on the van. They told us we needed, this, that and the other thing too. It cam out to over $2000. That was what had paid for the vehicle 2 years earlier. It has been over a year and we haven't gotten anything they recommended done... except the brake pads and shoes... which cost us a tenth of the quote they gave us, which basically stated we needed a whole new brake system among things. I would definitely take it somewhere else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted July 25, 2011 Author Share Posted July 25, 2011 My dh is a mechanic and I'm near positive he would suggest getting a second opinion. What do you need to have done that it will cost you that much money? 1. What repairs does it need? 2. Is there a reason to drive the van instead of trading for a cheaper car? I drive a Sedona, & I can't imagine paying that gas mileage if I didn't have to! Of course, mine's higher because it's stuck in 2nd gear... Anyway, we bought ours used, but it's cost at least twice that since then in repairs, & now it's more expensive to fix than it's worth AND the a/c has gone out. (We sold ours this weekend.) It supposedly needs struts, brakes/rotors, tires, and more having to do with the front end. I really want a second opinion, but I'm so torn. These guys have been our mechanics for 7 years now, and they kept DH's old car running to nearly 200,000 miles. They've had opportunities to pretend to fix things that we were sure were broken or problems (and take our money), but instead would either give it back to us explaining why everything was fine or else do a small, inexpensive (or even free) fix for us instead of taking advantage of us thinking we had a bigger problem. So I feel like we should trust them by now, and we certainly don't know anyone else who could look at it that we would trust any more than we trust them. Aubrey, I haven't wanted to trade it in for something else because it's been pretty reliable until recently (it's 8 years old). The mileage is awful! But unless we traded in for a new car, it's sort of a "the devil you know" situation--I know the car's history, maintenance, etc., which I wouldn't with another used car. And at this point, anything else that was reliable would cost more than the van's worth, because it's older and not in the greatest physical shape (8 years, two kids, multiple vacations, carschooling--you know how that goes!). ARGH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alenee Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 (edited) And it was more out of your savings than you were really comfortable with (long story, too many details), what would you do? Would you put it on your CC and just scrimp and save to pay it off as quickly as possible rather than risk not having the liquid savings when you need it? Would this make you wonder whether you might need a new car? This car (Kia Sedona) only has 72,000 miles on it, but we put $1,200 into repairs on it last year, and now $3,500--I'm afraid we're about to start pouring money into it :( This was totally unexpected--I thought I'd just need new tires, but DH just called with the bad news from the mechanic. I'm totally :willy_nilly: DH is talking about trading this car in and buying a new economy car that gets better gas mileage anyway. I have no idea what to do. I didn't expect to start facing these kinds of repairs until the car had far more mileage on it :crying: Since you haven't replied yet, I'm trying to read into this a little more. New tires was all you thought it needed...so when you had it taken in, were the tires badly worn in one spot, indicating the need for an alignment? Even at a dealer, the tires and the alignment wouldn't cost $3500. Again, get a second opinion! eta: just saw your reply. If you can trust these guys, ask them for a step by step plan. Dh always makes sure to do this with customers who can't do it all at once. I'm not certain I would pay $3500 even to my own dh to fix a car... Some things aren't worth the hassle. Edited July 25, 2011 by Alenee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted July 25, 2011 Author Share Posted July 25, 2011 I just realized that you said new tires... did you go to a place like Tire Kingdom? No, it was our regular (private) mechanic. Which is not to say that they couldn't do the same thing--times are tough all over right now, and there are plenty of mechanics who wouldn't mind making an extra buck off someone who doesn't know anything about cars, unfortunately :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RahRah Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 We were faced with a similar dilemma a few years ago - after already spending about $1500 on repairs only months before, we again faced a $3500+ estimate on my car. We opted to trade it and buy a new *used* car for me instead of paying for the repair. The logic was that $3500 paid to repair = $300 a month to pay off the credit card we'd put it on for a year, so instead of paying $300 a month toward the credit card with the car still likely to be a sponge on wheels in the future, we'd get a new car and use the money toward the loan payment, which turned out to be less per month, so we paid more (the $300) and had that car loan paid off in 1/2 the time we originally took the loan out for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mynyel Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 It supposedly needs struts, brakes/rotors, tires, and more having to do with the front end. I really want a second opinion, but I'm so torn. These guys have been our mechanics for 7 years now, and they kept DH's old car running to nearly 200,000 miles. They've had opportunities to pretend to fix things that we were sure were broken or problems (and take our money), but instead would either give it back to us explaining why everything was fine or else do a small, inexpensive (or even free) fix for us instead of taking advantage of us thinking we had a bigger problem. So I feel like we should trust them by now, and we certainly don't know anyone else who could look at it that we would trust any more than we trust them. Aubrey, I haven't wanted to trade it in for something else because it's been pretty reliable until recently (it's 8 years old). The mileage is awful! But unless we traded in for a new car, it's sort of a "the devil you know" situation--I know the car's history, maintenance, etc., which I wouldn't with another used car. And at this point, anything else that was reliable would cost more than the van's worth, because it's older and not in the greatest physical shape (8 years, two kids, multiple vacations, carschooling--you know how that goes!). ARGH! Ours is a 1997 and we also "need" shocks and struts. You can get away without getting them. We haven't had those repaired since we got the vehicle over 3 years ago. They are only for the feel of how the vehicle rides, it won't make your car break down on the road. On the brakes and rotors though... how long has it been since they were changed? Rotors really should need to be changed unless the brake pad/shoes are so bad and thin that they are digging into the rotor/drum. Although you may have been taking it there for years I would still tell them, nah let me hold off, and then take it somewhere else. Just to check. It will be worth it rather than thinking you need to spend that ungodly amont of money. If it is true then I would seriously think of trading it in too, might be cheaper in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 You might also ask them which parts are necessary for safety and which are necessary for comfort and see what they say. When my radiator was leaking slowly and I couldn't afford to fix it, the mechanic told me to just check the coolant every 50 miles and make sure it stayed full. But when the subframe was going out, he said 'Frankly I wouldn't even drive it home.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 There's a possibility you could get away with doing part of the work now, and part later. It really doesn't sound like too much when you consider that good tires can cost you $200 each and then there is the labour to install and balance on top of that, so at least $1K there. Brakes AND rotors could be pricey depending on your vehicle, then labour on that takes a bit of time, so maybe another $600-800 for the brakes (all 4). Struts are not expensive per se, but the labour it takes to change them out is a lot of time, so cha-ching there again. You mention "other front end stuff." Like what? Without knowing the details, it's hard to say what else it could cost. That said, if you are in sticker shock, it never hurts to get a second opinion. And, then if it is the same diagnosis/price, ask them what is critical and what can wait. I wouldn't put it on a credit card. Just pay for what you can afford to have done now. If you are upfront and tell them you can't pay for the whole thing, they should work with you to do the most important work now, and wait for the rest. If they try to pull something like "we can't let you drive out of here like that" just get in the car and drive away anyway. They have no legal right to stop you from taking your own car (if you don't owe them money), but some irreputable places try to pull that kind of scare job on people. Don't let 'em get to you. With that kind of money, I would look at trading it in as soon as possible. At 72K miles, those kind of repair bills are signaling 'dud' to me. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted July 25, 2011 Author Share Posted July 25, 2011 (edited) But when the subframe was going out, he said 'Frankly I wouldn't even drive it home.' This is exactly what happened to DH that caused him to buy a new (used) car. This mechanic kept him going for a long time, but when the frame started to rust out, they told him the same thing. I called DH and told him to have them do the tires and hold off on the other stuff for today, until I can research a little more and talk to my dad. DH is going to have them fax over the itemized order so we can see exactly what is costing so much. I'm a tad skeptical of needing new rotors, frankly, because my dad checked my pads 6-8 months ago and I had plenty of pad left, so to need new rotors so soon would be weird. There's no way I've driven even 5,000 miles since then! Edited July 25, 2011 by melissel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 Check out the itemized statement and see what they are recommending. Take it for a second opinion -- you don't have to tell your long-time mechanic that you are doing that. You probably don't have to fix everything all at once. That said, there is no way that we would put 3500.00 into an 8 year old Kia that had that sort of mileage on it. We would buy a certified used car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 I'd be considering whether I needed that vehicle or not. Could I get something equivalent or better or with better gas mileage for that $3,500? If not, and I needed the vehicle and something else wouldn't suffice, I'd look into a second opinion and/or doing the work myself if possible. With the help of a Hayne's manual (and in one case, a more complex electrical manual), and the internet, my DH has saved us truckloads of money on car repairs over the years, which has allowed us to buy cheaper vehicles and drive them into the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kari C in SC Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 My dh is a mechanic and I'm near positive he would suggest getting a second opinion. What do you need to have done that it will cost you that much money? :iagree: My dh is a mechanic as well and he would say get a second opinion. Also, prices can vary greatly in this economy. If a shop is really slow on work, there may be wiggle room on the quote. Never accept a price without trying other things first. Also, check around with GOOD friends. Some mechanics do side work at half the cost of shops or dealerships. Obviously, you want great reviews though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 I thought Kias had a 100,000 mile warranty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kari C in SC Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 I thought Kias had a 100,000 mile warranty. Only on powertrain and only if you are the original owner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 Would this make you wonder whether you might need a new car? This car (Kia Sedona) only has 72,000 miles on it, but we put $1,200 into repairs on it last year, and now $3,500--I'm afraid we're about to start pouring money into it :( better gas mileage will help to make up for the car payment. And realize that the bill to repair the car will be nearly $300 in payments for the first year, minus the savings in gas. I'd never pour that much money into a car ever again. I did it with my Suburban because I was told that it would last FOREVER. We put several thousand dollars into it and THEN the 4WD went out. I was done. With OUR savings on gas, and the lg. expense of the repair, we definitely made out better buy buying a Honda Pilot. I've never missed my Suburban. ETA: I didn't word things right. If you take that $3500 in repairs and divide it by 12 months, there's almost $300 in car payments right there without even factoring in the savings in gas mileage. This is a no brainer to me. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PentecostalMom Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 ...eta: just saw your reply. If you can trust these guys, ask them for a step by step plan. Dh always makes sure to do this with customers who can't do it all at once. I'm not certain I would pay $3500 even to my own dh to fix a car... Some things aren't worth the hassle. :iagree: Do what *has* to be done RIGHT NOW, and then make a plan for the rest. If it needs new brake pads, the rotors may not have to be replaced right now. They have to measure them and they are possibly too thin to turn, but they could just put on pads. (Just a suggestion since I don't know details). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted July 26, 2011 Author Share Posted July 26, 2011 Thanks everyone. I got the estimate from DH, and we talked more, and I talked to my dad too. We decided the shocks/struts can absolutely wait. The big money is in the tires and my brakes, which they claim need a LOT of work (pads, rotors, one caliper in the front, rear wheel cylinders and shoes in the back). Now, why they checked the brakes when we brought it in for the AC and new front tires? None of us can figure that out. Anyway, DH is getting it back in the morning with just the AC fixed, and we'll get the tires and a second opinion somewhere else. As for buying a new car, my thinking is that I wouldn't trust any new car I could buy for $3500 any more than I trust my current one. What's to say that another used car wouldn't need just as much, if not more, work on it in the future? And it would have way more mileage to boot. And we can't afford any more than that right now, I think. 2012 is already looking really uncertain for us. The last thing we need is to add a car payment to our monthly outgo :( Right? Am I thinking about this correctly? I hate cars!!! For most of my young, car-owning life, my parents gave me cash for my birthdays and Christmas gifts, because it was virtually guaranteed that every July and every January, my car--whichever it was at the time!--would need some kind of work done. I bought this new car in 2003, and as of last year, the pattern has started repeating. My mom laughed at the memory of this when we spoke on the phone tonight--until I reminded her that my birthday was three weeks ago, and they gave me cash as a gift!!! :banghead: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra in FL Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 Can't think of any repair (unless there was an accident) that would cost $3500 except the transmission. If you're having this much trouble with this car (or it's the transmission), it might just be a lemon and maybe you should consider sinking the $3500 into another used car. Toyotas and Hondas are very reliable and highly recommended - this coming from 30 years experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted July 26, 2011 Author Share Posted July 26, 2011 So DH went this morning and they spent a half hour showing him around the car's underside. The right front brake caliper is freezing up, which wore the pad completely down and damaged the rotor. They're going to try to degunk and repair the caliper, but if they can't, it all needs to be replaced, and I'm due for brakes on the other side as well, so they'll replace all that. I also need rear brakes (which I've never had done the whole time I've owned the car), and all the associated stuff that goes with it all. I also need two front tires/alignment/balancing etc. After talking to my dad about costs elsewhere and applying a coupon we had, it seems the price on that is now in the normal range. Oh, and the right front axle shaft is busted somehow too, and leaking everywhere. I have no idea what the story is with my right front, but it has been EXTREMELY potholey around here this past winter and spring--the townships don't seem to be fixing even big, deep ones, so maybe I did something to the car that way? I don't remember any particular bottom-out, but I did just have to have the sub-pan under my oil pan replaced because it was smashed and leaking oil everywhere, and that was in the right front quadrant too. And if they're saying my suspension's shot, it makes sense that I'm riding lower to the ground and bouncing more, I guess... DH and I agonized over this all morning, but the bottom line is that we're taking a road trip in less than two days, and we're taking both our kids and someone else's kid. I couldn't justify not fixing the brakes knowing we're going to be doing some high-speed driving. The service manager is the guy DH gets an icky vibe off of, but the mechanics themselves (salaried guys) are the same ones DH has worked with for years, and it was the two mechanics who showed him around the car this morning. They agreed that although there are consequences to not fixing the shocks/struts long-term (uneven wear on the tires, which I HAVE noticed), they can wait awhile. The good news is that the coupon will get us 10% off, they lowered the price on a few of the labor costs...and, miraculously, DH reminded his boss about a reimbursement they the company agreed to pay him, and she said she'd have it put through right away. After taxes, it's almost exactly the amount we need to pay off the repairs *whew*. Disaster narrowly averted, but we're going to be watching the car carefully. The uneven brake wear seems to be a recurring problem in the Sedonas, based on what DH saw online this morning during a quick check, so it may be that we just need to stay on top of this. Thanks for the input, everyone. I have no idea what we'll do in the long term, but for now, at least we're safe to drive this weekend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 It does sound like pothole related damage. The good side of that is that it's probably not a lemon and hopefully you won't have any more issues. But, I hope your parents get you a sweater for Christmas.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 if you are able to, now might be the time to start to put a few dollars a week away into a "car account".... cause it sure sounds like you will be needing one at some point soon... a hundred a month would give you 1200 in a year, which is at least a start.... :grouphug: ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted July 26, 2011 Author Share Posted July 26, 2011 if you are able to, now might be the time to start to put a few dollars a week away into a "car account".... cause it sure sounds like you will be needing one at some point soon... a hundred a month would give you 1200 in a year, which is at least a start.... :grouphug: ann Ha! We do, if you can believe it! But between my oil pan repairs, DH's scheduled maintenance and 4 new tires, and the $140 we just put into renewing registrations and license renewals...we've kind of depleted that fund with the exception of the money set aside for car insurance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted July 26, 2011 Author Share Posted July 26, 2011 It does sound like pothole related damage. The good side of that is that it's probably not a lemon and hopefully you won't have any more issues. But, I hope your parents get you a sweater for Christmas.:D :lol::lol::lol: Seriously! In the meantime, we're doing some serious belt tightening here. The trip we're taking is very low key, but we'll still need a little cash. We're bringing food for all meals except for one dinner, and I'll be turning in our change this afternoon for boardwalk funds! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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