Brilliant Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 In 2011 we owned two older high mileage cars. We paid $6k in car repairs that year. In 2012 we added a 3rd car - old, but low miles. It turned out not to be such a great deal - we've spent $7k in car repairs so far this year. And one car needs new tires, and another needs an expensive oil leak fixed, so if we got those things done in December we'll be up to $8k this year. I am so tired of these expensive repairs. I am really baffled at Dave Ramsey's advice to everyone to buy a beater to save money. We definitely could've made a car payment for what we paid in repairs. And did I mention the number of times I've been stranded because of a non-operational vehicle? So it's not just the money. Dh wants to go out & buy a new truck this weekend and I am trying to think of reasons to say "no" but honestly I think we need to trade all the beaters in and start fresh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 We buy new or fairly new and keep a car forever. Right now we have one with 220,000 miles and one with 100.000. I can't wait for next year to get rid of the older one. We only manage because it stays close to home. It sounds like yours aren't working out as planned. I would be ready for something new. But can you live with only one vehicle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyOR Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 We are in the same boat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I was pondering this today, too. In the last two months, my car (which we bought used a little over a year ago and has only 62,000 miles on it) has needed: - a clutch, which blew me away with so few miles on the thing. I've been driving manual transmissions since I was a teenager and have never needed a clutch at under 100,000 miles. Anyway, that was $1,300. - a battery. I don't remember the exact cost, except that it seemed really high, maybe about $100. - two tires, $300. (It actually needed all four, but I'm stalling so it doesn't hurt as much.) - front brakes, $200. It also had repairs related to two recalls, which, fortunately, didn't cost us anything. It seems like a lot when I have to keep pulling out the credit card. But, we've had the car for a year. And, although we did finance it, our payments on it are significantly less than the last new car we purchased. Even that total of $1,700 is only $158 per month, less than the difference between the new car payments and used car payments. And, now that it's been checked out by two different garages and the dealership and no one has found anything else imminently wrong, I'm hopeful we can go another year with minimal repair expenses. It doesn't stop me from looking longingly at those shiny new cars at the dealership, but, so far, for us, we have saved money buying used. The way I figure it, even your $8,000 works out to only $222 per month, per car. That might be equivalent to a monthly payment on a new car if you made a big down payment, but I'd be surprised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 We buy new or fairly new and keep a car forever. Right now we have one with 220,000 miles and one with 100.000. I can't wait for next year to get rid of the older one. We only manage because it stays close to home. It sounds like yours aren't working out as planned. I would be ready for something new. But can you live with only one vehicle? This is what we do, or buy a certified pre-owned. We have been burned a couple of times buying used. The money saved wasn't worth the expense or the downtime associated with getting the repairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 We buy new or certified pre-owned and then drive them into the ground. My dh traded in his pickup when it was 15yo and had over 150,000 miles on it. The A/C had gone out and the radio stopped working and it had just gotten horribly dinged up by a hailstorm (baseball sized). He got his Honda Fit 4 years ago. I traded in my van last month. We were sinking about $2000 into it every 4-6 months to keep it going. It was 14.5yo with 184,000 miles on it. I got a Hyundai Elantra GT. We shouldn't have any repairs for a very long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant Posted November 30, 2012 Author Share Posted November 30, 2012 We apparently drive ours into the ground, too. We joked about leaving the keys in our van, hoping it would get stolen - but the gear shift isn't working right and we don't think a thief could figure out how to put it in reverse! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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