Wwyd? Car repair

[Scarlett]

Dss17's car, a 2006 VW with 145k miles, needs a new transmission . We paid 3k for it.  Then shortly after we got it the issues started. We spent $600 trying to fix it, but it didn't.  New transmission will probably be $3500....woukd you repair it? Junk it and start over? 

He has to have a vehicle.  That is an absolute.  

[Faith-manor]

We drive used vehicles here and do a lot of repairs because insuring newer ones is very expensive. But at 145K, $3500.00 would be more than we'd be willing to put in the vehicle.

[happi duck]

We always think through if we have the time to find a better car that will cost less than the cost of the repair.

[Scarlett]

I just fear getting another car that needs big repairs.  Plus the cost of taxes, tag ect...

i don't know.  Hard to know, it all seems a gamble. 

[Annie G]

Holy cow that’s a lot. Here a rebuilt transmission would be about half that price, and if the car is otherwise ok, we’d fix it. Are you pricing a brand new transmission? probably not necessary for that car. 

[Bootsie]

How does everything else on the car besides the transmission seem?  Will it need a new battery or new tires soon?  How is it in fuel efficiency?  

I tend to go with repairing a car that I know what the issues are rather than purchasing a similar car that is an unknown.  

[Lanny]

No way I would put a Brand New transmission in a car of that age and value... What is the condition of the Body? Rust? The Engine?   if that is the true mileage it has low miles, but will probably need a Valve Job or Major Overhaul before 200 K miles.  How is the Compression in the Engine? You need a trusted mechanic who is familiar with that model car and with your local wrecking yards. I would pay him (by the hour) to go to a reputable wrecking yard that had that model car with a hopefully good transmission.  I would possibly pay $350 for that transmission, plus the mechanics rate to install it.

It is very easy to throw good money after bad with a used vehicle.  today fix this, next week, fix that.  That is normal and typical.

 

 

[regentrude]

On a 12 y/o car with 145 k miles, I would not bother with a new transmission that quadruples the current value of the vehicle

[itsheresomewhere]

How about a rebuilt transmission?  It should be 1500-1800.  I would do a rebuilt if the car was still in good shape. And depending on what is actually wrong with the transmission, there is a thing as a soft rebuild.  That is less than the rebuilt but can only be done for certain parts.  I did that in one of my cars and got another 60K miles on it. 

[Lecka]

We got a new transmission in my vehicle for $2,000 and I continue to drive it three years later.  (Or maybe it was rebuilt — I’m not sure.)

Honestly we have looked at other vehicles, and we look at the payments, and ———— my husband has a truck picked out and we are saving for it, as it is obvious our vehicles don’t have a lot of life left in them, but at the time we weren’t ready to take on a payment, and we didn’t have money saved.

So we just looked at it as ———— putting things off until we could afford another vehicle.  

It would be really good for us to pay cash for a used truck whenever one of our vehicles goes out, and if my vehicle goes out, I will drive my husband’s current car and he will get a used truck.  

We have spent money on my vehicle two times since transmission, one time a few hundred, and one time almost $1,000.

But we have also saved up to try to buy a used truck with no loan.  That would not be possible if we had a car loan to pay in right now.

Anyway — in one way I don’t think it’s a good deal because we are putting money in my vehicle and it’s kind-of not worth it.  But on the other hand the cost-per-year has been much lower than a car payment and we are saving to buy cash for a used truck.  That will hopefully be better for us in the long run.  

As far as rust ——— we are living now in a place where road salts cause a lot of undercarriage rust in the winter.  It makes us not want to purchase a vehicle here that would get salt damage.  We plan to move back to a place where cars really don’t get any rust.  The first time I took my vehicle to a mechanic here, he really commented on our undercarriage looking really good for the age of the vehicle, and it made a big impression on us, and since we know we won’t be here longer than 2 years we would rather not drive a new-to-us vehicle on the salty roads.  

So really we are hoping to keep driving both vehicles two years while saving for my husband’s truck.  

Edit:  we have been able to pay cash for car repairs and we have never had a car loan, so we would rather have the flexibility in our budget to save for a vehicle every month but be able to miss a month, than have a car payment we can’t miss.  

[TravelingChris]

I am questioning in my head what we would do with my car right now if it needed a 3500 repair,  It is 12 years old and we have owned it for 7 of those years.  But my car is worth more than 3K right now too and has less mileage too.

My dh['s truck is 17 years old but I think with his we would definitely fix.  His truck has had maybe 2k worth of actually mechanical repair costs plus we had to replace running boards once. It hasn't had problems and a new replacement truck would be really expensive and I do not even think he would really like it.  For my car, I kind of would like a more modern car with even more safety features but it works well so I keep mine still.

[jen3kids]

We paid $1500 to have a rebuilt transmission put into our Honda Odyssey when it was at least 13 years old and had 160000 miles on it.  It made sense at the time because other than that, it was in pretty good shape and we didn't want to have a car payment.  

We drove the van for another 4 years and then gave it to a friend who uses it as her barn car - driving it around the farm.  At that time, it had a bunch of imminent mechanical failures on the horizon that her brother was able fix, but that we didn't want to pay for.    

[Scarlett]

It is a VW.  They are known to have transmission issues, but engines run great and will go a long time.  The price we are getting is for a rebuilt transmission......valve body and transmission. It is difficult to find anyone to work on VWs.  

Dss can't afford insurance on a new car even if he could afford the payment.  

I just can't wrap my mind around junking it and starting over.  I mean who will take it off our hands?

[TravelingChris]

I am questioning in my head what we would do with my car right now if it needed a 3500 repair,  It is 12 years old and we have owned it for 7 of those years.  But my car is worth more than 3K right now too and has less mileage too. (Oh I looked, it should go for well over 200K miles)

My dh['s truck is 17 years old but I think with his we would definitely fix.  His truck has had maybe 2k worth of actually mechanical repair costs (not recommended maintenance)plus we had to replace running boards once. It hasn't had problems and a new replacement truck would be really expensive and I do not even think he would really like it.  For my car, I kind of would like a more modern car with even more safety features but it works well so I keep mine still.

Scarlett, is the repair place in your town or in the much larger town that is further away?  And if in your town, can it be driven to the larger town for maybe a better price?  Given what you have said, I would keep the car.  You are not likely to get a car without any additional problems that would come up soon and then you would have a old car with more problems and more cost.  

[DawnM]

13 hours ago, Scarlett said:

Dss17's car, a 2006 VW with 145k miles, needs a new transmission . We paid 3k for it.  Then shortly after we got it the issues started. We spent $600 trying to fix it, but it didn't.  New transmission will probably be $3500....woukd you repair it? Junk it and start over? 

He has to have a vehicle.  That is an absolute.  

 

So you already paid 3500 for a new transmission and it has gone out again?  Is it under some kind of warranty?  Can you take it back to them and have them fix it since they gave you a bum one?  

If you are considering paying another 3000 for the same transmission in the same car, then no, I wouldn't do that.  No way......I think they should replace it for you without a charge if it has gone out that quickly.

How much is the car worth?  That is my line.....if the repairs cost more than its worth, I won't repair it.  But my DH knows how to work on cars, so he assesses it.  We just gave away our 2002 Saturn VUE.

[Soror]

You said shortly after you got it the issues started, with that in mind I'd get something else, something that you can find people to work on locally. I'd sell the current car as is and put that with the $3500 and buy whatever is the best car you can find for that price.

[Scarlett]

33 minutes ago, DawnM said:

 

So you already paid 3500 for a new transmission and it has gone out again?  Is it under some kind of warranty?  Can you take it back to them and have them fix it since they gave you a bum one?  

If you are considering paying another 3000 for the same transmission in the same car, then no, I wouldn't do that.  No way......I think they should replace it for you without a charge if it has gone out that quickly.

How much is the car worth?  That is my line.....if the repairs cost more than its worth, I won't repair it.  But my DH knows how to work on cars, so he assesses it.  We just gave away our 2002 Saturn VUE.

No. We paid 3k for the car. It now needs a $3500 transmission 

[Scarlett]

41 minutes ago, TravelingChris said:

I am questioning in my head what we would do with my car right now if it needed a 3500 repair,  It is 12 years old and we have owned it for 7 of those years.  But my car is worth more than 3K right now too and has less mileage too. (Oh I looked, it should go for well over 200K miles)

My dh['s truck is 17 years old but I think with his we would definitely fix.  His truck has had maybe 2k worth of actually mechanical repair costs (not recommended maintenance)plus we had to replace running boards once. It hasn't had problems and a new replacement truck would be really expensive and I do not even think he would really like it.  For my car, I kind of would like a more modern car with even more safety features but it works well so I keep mine still.

Scarlett, is the repair place in your town or in the much larger town that is further away?  And if in your town, can it be driven to the larger town for maybe a better price?  Given what you have said, I would keep the car.  You are not likely to get a car without any additional problems that would come up soon and then you would have a old car with more problems and more cost.  

It is in the city. We drove it 45 miles an hour. Dh is going to trailer it home today while we figure out what to do 

[DawnM]

3 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

No. We paid 3k for the car. It now needs a $3500 transmission 

 

Oh, thank you for clarifying.  I need more coffee this am apparently!

No, I would not spend that amount then.  I would see if I can do it for less, as some have suggested (rebuilt, etc..)

[Scarlett]

5 minutes ago, DawnM said:

 

Oh, thank you for clarifying.  I need more coffee this am apparently!

No, I would not spend that amount then.  I would see if I can do it for less, as some have suggested (rebuilt, etc..)

That is rebuilt 

[DawnM]

13 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

That is rebuilt 

 

You said 3500 was for new????  Others have said rebuilt would be around 1500-2000.

[Scarlett]

Well yes I said new. But it is rebuilt. VW repairs are more than most cars 

[brehon]

14 hours ago, Scarlett said:

Dss17's car, a 2006 VW with 145k miles, needs a new transmission . We paid 3k for it.  Then shortly after we got it the issues started. We spent $600 trying to fix it, but it didn't.  New transmission will probably be $3500....woukd you repair it? Junk it and start over? 

He has to have a vehicle.  That is an absolute.  

(Bolding mine) Is the tranny new or rebuilt? [ETA: I just read your clarification about new v. rebuilt.] Honestly, this is the time I start running the cost v. benefit analysis for repairing v. buying a “new” car. If you sink $3500 in on a tranny (and it’s really that much for a rebuilt one?!?!), how likely is it that your dss will be able to eek out a few more years while he saves for another car? How likely is it that you’ll need to fix the next big thing to go out? 

Obviously, I don’t know the answers to those questions. Can your mechanic provide any insight? 

[Scarlett]

6 minutes ago, brehon said:

(Bolding mine) Is the tranny new or rebuilt? [ETA: I just read your clarification about new v. rebuilt.] Honestly, this is the time I start running the cost v. benefit analysis for repairing v. buying a “new” car. If you sink $3500 in on a tranny (and it’s really that much for a rebuilt one?!?!), how likely is it that your dss will be able to eek out a few more years while he saves for another car? How likely is it that you’ll need to fix the next big thing to go out? 

Obviously, I don’t know the answers to those questions. Can your mechanic provide any insight? 

They said that VW issues are the transmission. Motors are great. So really not mother bug thing yo go out. 

I don’t know. If we repair it I want it done right . Otherwise I say salvage it and let him start over 

[Lanny]

If you sink that much money into a transmission you are probably not increasing the Resale value of the vehicle at all.    I believe it is better to purchase a vehicle that was popular and for which parts are available at lower cost.

[BlsdMama]

45 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

Well yes I said new. But it is rebuilt. VW repairs are more than most cars 

Holy cow.  ?

I'd call for a second opinion. Well, that and never buy a VW again.
We had a transmission replaced on a big 'ol truck with 4WD in April-ish and the bill was $1800.  $3500 is crazy.

I couldn't put $3500 into a transmission and I really believe the cheapest car is the one you own.  But the truth is you could pick up a decent vehicle for the same $3500.  The catch is, of course, wondering if it has issues.  Checkout the FB marketplace.  For the same $3500 you could probably find a Civic or a Camry with similar mileage on it. 

[TravelingChris]

I don't think Scarlett is looking for re-sale value.  The problem with Trying to buy a used car in that price range that will last three to four years and won't require another transmission or similar cost repair is very low- at least in my area.  Used car prices have risen and specifically dependable used car prices.  I know because we have helped our kids buy used cars in very recent years and with a quick check again, the kind of cars available at that price normally are much, much older and much more mileage,, or crs that aree known to get many, many problems or already have an expensive problem.   And it isn't just my area because I also like to watch People's Court and lots of those cases involve people buying cheap cars that have expensive problems and then sue the dealer,  And the prices in the NYC metro area seem to be the same as here.  Scarlett's area may or may not be different.

[TravelingChris]

No, around here Camry's and Celica's and other Toyota cars that actually do last up to and above 200k cost a lot more for that mileage.  They cost more for that in 2011 too.  Much older car, maybe same mileage still cost 4K. Those are the kinds of cars my kids were looking for.

[itsheresomewhere]

You need to price shop.  Even for a vw, that is highflier a rebuilt.  What other work are they including for that price? 

Is the car a diesel?  That would be the way to explain the high price tag if it is.  

[vonfirmath]

1 hour ago, TravelingChris said:

I don't think Scarlett is looking for re-sale value.  The problem with Trying to buy a used car in that price range that will last three to four years and won't require another transmission or similar cost repair is very low- at least in my area.  Used car prices have risen and specifically dependable used car prices.  I know because we have helped our kids buy used cars in very recent years and with a quick check again, the kind of cars available at that price normally are much, much older and much more mileage,, or crs that aree known to get many, many problems or already have an expensive problem.   And it isn't just my area because I also like to watch People's Court and lots of those cases involve people buying cheap cars that have expensive problems and then sue the dealer,  And the prices in the NYC metro area seem to be the same as here.  Scarlett's area may or may not be different.

 

This is why we opted to put $4500 into a new transmission on our 2010 Malibu last year. (It was only $3800 for a rebuilt with no warranty so we spent extra for the warranty).  We couldn't buy a reliable used car for that and we knew the car we were dealing with.

 

[elegantlion]

Transmissions at that mileage are where I start to question whether it's worth it to repair. Some questions I might ask include:

how many miles does he drive per year? IOW, how many years can you get out of the new transmission. 

What other parts may need to be replaced? Can he possibly get 250k out of this car.

Can he afford a car payment? Or would you be looking at another $3k car where you might end up with the same or more repairs in a year. 

 

In the past, we had transmission go out on a few vehicles. We replaced it on two because it made sense with the above questions. One was a Dodge truck that ex afterward drove until it died, the other a minivan that we ended up trading in - I think for the truck - because it started having more problems. 

I would probably get another estimate before doing anything. 

 

 

[Kanin]

The exact same thing happened to our 2005 Jetta. One day, the transmission was just caput with no warning signs. Until then it was a great, reliable car with good gas mileage. Oh, well, the A/C had also died, and the VW people tried different things to fix it (didn't work) and then said new A/C would be $1600. We didn't do that, thankfully, because then the transmission went a year later. We actually donated that car to NPR, and just learned from our mistake never to get another VW. We paid $3500 to buy it, and it lasted for 3 years before the transmission went.

It's because of this that we'll never have another VW - I'd much rather have a Ford or Chevy that's not so difficult/expensive to repair.

[TravelingChris]

1 hour ago, Arctic Mama said:

Yikes.  If that is rebuilt I’d sell it and get an old civic or corolla, where parts are plentiful and cheap.  If the transmission could get him another five years driving it?  It might be worth it, though.  

Yes, but it would have to be much older than 2008 and more miles than the present car.    That is one reason my kids were buying those types of cars,  Work well and parts are available,

[GoodGrief]

Tough call, and I'll be interested to see what you decide. Our 12 year old vehicle has 266K miles on it, so 145 seems low to me :-D We also have a 16 year old vehicle with 220K. However, I will say that the VW vehicle we had (2013 Jetta) did seem to have endless problems and, so I am not sure that I personally would put lots of money into a VW for that reason (or buy another one, honestly).

However, if the car is otherwise solid according to the mechanic, $3500 is certainly less than another reliable used (or new) vehicle, which would come with its own mechanical issues.

[itsheresomewhere]

1 hour ago, Arctic Mama said:

Yikes.  If that is rebuilt I’d sell it and get an old civic or corolla, where parts are plentiful and cheap.  If the transmission could get him another five years driving it?  It might be worth it, though.  

FYI- Before he does that, check and see if the corolla is on the list of often stolen for the area.  The older ones due to being on high theft list, the insurance on those in certain states is very high.  

[Lanny]

You can put a brand new transmission into that car but will that increase the Resale value of the car?    Probably not much, if any. I believe it is best to purchase vehicles that are very popular so one can get parts for them. Some vehicles are just lemons. Maybe not the whole vehicle, but a major system or component. My Stepson has an extremely lightweight motorcycle like that.  Looks great (nice wheels, etc.) but I believe the engine has design flaws or substandard components. He just had the engine rebuilt for the 3rd  time in approximately 85 K miles.  I suggested when it was in the shop that he sell it and buy another brand of motorcycle.

Assume that you spent $3500 on another transmission and that were zero problems for  12 months.  If you divided 3500 by 12 could you Lease a low mileage car for him for that? 

the possibility of you replacing the transmission and not having other issues for 12 months is probably very close to  zero.

[Jaz]

We had a similar situation with my ds' car. It was difficult even to find a rebuilt transmission. Our mechanic said the vehicle wasn't worth putting $3500 into the transmission. We only had the vehicle 6 months. It was a hard lesson to learn. We now buy older, popular cars so we can easily have them repaired. 

[Scarlett]

Well the owner of the shop called back and said the price is even higher than we thought.  No less than 5k and upwards to 5500. So we are done.  Well Dh and dss want to see if they can find some one to do a partial repair.  I don't think that is wise. ,but we are going to trailer it home and see what we can find out. 

[Lanny]

With a popular car one can go to a reputable wrecking yard and buy good used Mechanical or Body parts. Even with a car that isn't extremely popular, like the Toyota Station Wagon I had. It was the victim of a hailstorm while parked at DFW Airport.  When I came back from my trip and saw it, my first impression was that it had been vandalized. It was parked in the lot of a Motel and the Motel sustained major damage in that hailstorm.

I paid my mechanic, by the hour, to go to a wrecking yard and buy Taillights and other things for it that were destroyed. Had I bought those in the Dealership, each one had 5 or 10 components that had to be assembleld. From the Wrecking Yard, it was one assembly. R&R (Remove and Replace) and what I paid my Mechanic saved a huge amount of money, just replacing the Tail Light assemblies.

I would try to find a reputable wrecking yard that specializes in VW parts. It might be in a different state, but a reputable place will give you some kind of warranty. Don't throw good money after bad...  If you live in a very populous state, there may be a wrecking yard like that near you or in your state, but if not Google for used VW parts.

Another idea: If you can buy another car of the same model and take the transmission out of that one and put it into your car.

$5K + into a car of that age probably will not increase the Resale Value by $50.  You are correct to bail out.

[TravelingChris]

At 5k I would be bailing too. Especially with those who have had VWs telling you they haven't had good experiences.  Yes, what about a lease?  Those are so much cheaper than buying cars and not much money needed upfront either if it is a cheap car I have seen super low lease prices on Kias and a number of other cars too.

[Scarlett]

6 minutes ago, TravelingChris said:

At 5k I would be bailing too. Especially with those who have had VWs telling you they haven't had good experiences.  Yes, what about a lease?  Those are so much cheaper than buying cars and not much money needed upfront either if it is a cheap car I have seen super low lease prices on Kias and a number of other cars too.

Not doing a lease for a 17 year old.  

[TravelingChris]

I forgot that he was 17,  I would not either and doubt that the dealership would either. Sorry but still think you are right to bail now

[Annie G]

Ugh. So sorry. You’re right- 5k is way too much to spend on a 3k car. 

[regentrude]

1 hour ago, TravelingChris said:

what about a lease?  Those are so much cheaper than buying cars 

I don't understand your calculation. How is leasing a car cheaper than buying one? It only seems like it in the very short term, but at the end of the lease, you are out all the leasing rates, give the car back, and have no equity in a vehicle. (Unless you then decide to purchase the car you had leased....) 

[Frances]

How about trading in or selling your husband’s gas guzzling truck and getting different fuel efficient vehicles for him and his son with the proceeds?

[Scarlett]

1 hour ago, Frances said:

How about trading in or selling your husband’s gas guzzling truck and getting different fuel efficient vehicles for him and his son with the proceeds?

There would be no proceeds. 

[Ausmumof3]

2 hours ago, regentrude said:

I don't understand your calculation. How is leasing a car cheaper than buying one? It only seems like it in the very short term, but at the end of the lease, you are out all the leasing rates, give the car back, and have no equity in a vehicle. (Unless you then decide to purchase the car you had leased....) 

It might depend on the number of km you do?  We had to decide between company car and buying a car.  We thought buying would be a better option but with the number of km we do plus shorter life span of new 'environmentally friendly' we may have been better off to either use a company car.  I imagine the math could be similar for leasing.

[StephanieZ]

I'd sell the car for whatever I could get ($100 or $1000, whatever), and start fresh.

Personally, I don't buy used cars. Did it once and regretted it sorely. But, if you have better luck than I do with used cars, go for it. ?

For me, I'd rather buy a really cheap new car with a good warranty. Base model of something small and reliable. Finance it and move on with life. If kid has savings, he can pitch in. Otherwise, I'd finance the whole shebang (co-sign) and you make the payments (or half the payments or whatever seems affordable for your son) for the time he's in school, and then he can take over when he can afford to make the payments. 

[Scarlett]

3 hours ago, StephanieZ said:

I'd sell the car for whatever I could get ($100 or $1000, whatever), and start fresh.

Personally, I don't buy used cars. Did it once and regretted it sorely. But, if you have better luck than I do with used cars, go for it. ?

For me, I'd rather buy a really cheap new car with a good warranty. Base model of something small and reliable. Finance it and move on with life. If kid has savings, he can pitch in. Otherwise, I'd finance the whole shebang (co-sign) and you make the payments (or half the payments or whatever seems affordable for your son) for the time he's in school, and then he can take over when he can afford to make the payments. 

I would love a new car for him but we can't afford it.....insurance alone would be too much.  

[LucyStoner]

I would definitely be car shopping with numbers like that.  $5000+ for a rebuilt transmission seems really high even for a VW but if you live in an area without a lot of VW shops, I can see why it would be pricey.

I wouldn't limit the search to cars newer than 2008.  There are many cares older than that which are still in reliable working order on the roads.    

I've always driven used to me Toyotas.  I have literally never had a service need beyond expected wear and tear items or a bill larger than about $500.  My Sienna is 15 years old and runs perfectly.  It's at 185K but Siennas of that vintage have been known to easily get past 250K.  We are shopping for a Prius right now to replace a Camry we sold last year and I am looking to get one with about 100K miles for less than 10K.  

Hondas are similar.  One of my best friends from college is still tooling around in the 2002 Civic she got for her college graduation.  It's past 300K!