Car issues - what would you do?

[ShepCarlin]

We currently own two cars. A 98 Nissan Altima and a 2006 Toyota Sienna. Both have over 200K miles on them each. Both have had countless, sometimes expensive repairs performed in the last 2-3 years. Both are currently working. HOWEVER:

The Altima leaks oil. Not a huge issue but it's an issue. Needs to be repaired. It has other issues but is does work. I'm hesitant to take it on the highway but for running around town it is ok.

The Toyota gave me a check engine light this morning. Diagnostic test at the auto parts store says catalytic converter failure. 

I'm taking the Toyota in to mechanic tomorrow to confirm what is wrong and to get a quote. 

I know that if it's the catalytic converter, it will cost way more than what the Sienna is worth. Also, I need to get emissions done before April as the tag renewal is due. It certainly won't pass emissions if the catalytic converter is dead. So I don't have the luxury of time on my side.

We were already looking for a replacement for the Altima but like to only buy used and boy howdy are the pickings slim.

Knowing there isn't much inventory (but there are options out there) and that we have a decent amount of money to put down for a down payment and could easily make monthly payments on a car, what would you do? Husband does NOT want to purchase a car right now, he's trying to wait for the chip shortage to ease. He's convinced people will be trading in their cars for brand new ones once the market gets back to "normal". But that could be another year! I just want reliable transportation for both of us. Or at least one of us as he doesn't use his car as much. He's in the office 3 days a week and only drives the car to the bus commuter lot 5 miles from our house. I could take him every morning if need be. As it is, I've been doing that this week anyway as our 18 yo finally has a part time job and he needs to use the Altima to get to his job in the mornings. 18yo is looking for a car also, but he has $ for a car, just needs to settle on something. First world problems I know but ughhhhhhh. So, would you pay $2,000-3,000 to fix a car that is over 200K miles and is on borrowed time as it is?

[mommyoffive]

I think you are going to get so many different answers on this.  I wouldn't put that money into it.  But it is also a really hard time to buy a car.  Not sure what kind or brand you are going with.  We had to put money down to get on a waitlist.  We did that back in October.  Then they put in order for our car.  We got the call this month.

But we don't keep our cars until they die.  We much prefer newer cars so we don't have to worry as much about breakdowns.  We have long commutes to work and activities.  Maybe you don't drive so much and can wait for a year when hopefully things are better. 

[vonfirmath]

14 minutes ago, ShepCarlin said:

We currently own two cars. A 98 Nissan Altima and a 2006 Toyota Sienna. Both have over 200K miles on them each. Both have had countless, sometimes expensive repairs performed in the last 2-3 years. Both are currently working. HOWEVER:

The Altima leaks oil. Not a huge issue but it's an issue. Needs to be repaired. It has other issues but is does work. I'm hesitant to take it on the highway but for running around town it is ok.

The Toyota gave me a check engine light this morning. Diagnostic test at the auto parts store says catalytic converter failure. 

I'm taking the Toyota in to mechanic tomorrow to confirm what is wrong and to get a quote. 

I know that if it's the catalytic converter, it will cost way more than what the Sienna is worth. Also, I need to get emissions done before April as the tag renewal is due. It certainly won't pass emissions if the catalytic converter is dead. So I don't have the luxury of time on my side.

We were already looking for a replacement for the Altima but like to only buy used and boy howdy are the pickings slim.

Knowing there isn't much inventory (but there are options out there) and that we have a decent amount of money to put down for a down payment and could easily make monthly payments on a car, what would you do? Husband does NOT want to purchase a car right now, he's trying to wait for the chip shortage to ease. He's convinced people will be trading in their cars for brand new ones once the market gets back to "normal". But that could be another year! I just want reliable transportation for both of us. Or at least one of us as he doesn't use his car as much. He's in the office 3 days a week and only drives the car to the bus commuter lot 5 miles from our house. I could take him every morning if need be. As it is, I've been doing that this week anyway as our 18 yo finally has a part time job and he needs to use the Altima to get to his job in the mornings. 18yo is looking for a car also, but he has $ for a car, just needs to settle on something. First world problems I know but ughhhhhhh. So, would you pay $2,000-3,000 to fix a car that is over 200K miles and is on borrowed time as it is?

Ugh... Hard choice. We had a 2010 Chevy Malibu with fewer miles we just replaced with a 2014 Toyota Camry for WAY more than I wanted to pay (but Toyotas are good for more miles I understand). I didn't WANT to replace it but I don't know if I would have put $2K-3K into it. As it turns out, we could not find a dealer willing to look at it since it was more than 10 years old and it was a computer problem so we kept getitng directed to have a dealer look at it.

Since BOTH of your cars are so old and you have money saved already, I'd be trying to replace it before April.  I don't think the used car situation is getting any better soon.

 

[Soror]

We usually keep vehicles a long time- dh's truck is 20 yrs old, ds' car 15 years old and I just replaced my 17 yr old van last month.

Coincidentally my van I replaced was an '05 Sienna (but only 160k miles). (replacing it because we're ready to downsize)

We like to keep vehicles for awhile but I don't keep anything I have to keep putting money into, has costly repairs when it considerably older, or isn't reliable.

Since you can get by as is I'd do that and be looking hard and heavy for a vehicle. 

We nearly bought a new car with the market what it is BUT that isn't so easy to do now either. First, I couldn't find exactly what I wanted. Then there is the issue of finding a dealer that is not charging $$$$s over MSRP. In the end, I found a 4yr old car with 29k miles and a really great deal (and honestly it was quick and easy). We also bought a car for ds in the fall and got a 1 owner, old man car in excellent condition for a good price. With the market what it is I could have turned around and sold it for a profit but we wanted it to drive. There are still cars to be found but you will have to do some searching. 

Good luck!

[Katy]

We went through this and bought new. If you have decent credit and a good down payment you can find a very low interest rate. Keep 20 years and it’s more than worth it. I planned on buying a few years old but the price of used cars was so high there wasn’t the typical depreciation of most years. 

ETA: the market on used cars has been tight since the cash for clunkers program; I don’t expect it to end any time soon. Especially not with protestors blocking highways in Detroit and shipping still blocked up. 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Katy

[Carrie12345]

In these times, I would fix it. And I did.
I put a TON of money into my van and waited weeks for it to be fixed because I wasn’t comfortable purchasing in the current (well, months ago) market. Now my car is still worth something (not a whole lot, but it was junk without the repairs) I’m not paying monthly on a limited option vehicle I wouldn’t otherwise choose, and I’m not driving something else that will inevitably need repairs.

Today they’re saying used car prices are up 40%.

It really, really, REALLY stung to do it, but I’m satisfied with the route we took. I wish I could have done it on a Toyota!

[gardenmom5]

You can look at sites for cars further abroad.  I bought mine in Texas and had it shipped.  (I had the benefit of it being <30minutes from 2dd's.  dsil went and checked it out first.   

I know used prices are higher - 2ds has commented several times how much his car is worth.  More than he paid for it three years ago.

[kbutton]

We bought a car last spring/summer for several reasons. None of them were as dire as what you're describing, but we had multiple categories of need that made it worth considering. I think prices were up at that point, but not sky-high. We were able to get used, paid more than we wanted to, but within the realm of reasonable, and we're happy.

If we were in the same situation but buying now, I think we'd have to consider new cars with a payment, put it off, or hope to get lucky finding a used car via friends/family (long shot). 

We didn't want to wait until pressed against the wall to have buy something, and my DH had a new job that involves a commute (previously could bike to work in decent weather/light, and I could take him or pick him up if we were down a car). Our extra vehicle is a truck, and since it's likely to be the only truck we ever own now that trucks are so decked out, we didn't want to run it into the ground sooner than is necessary. We use it to haul manure, rocks, lumber, etc. vs. babying it, but we'd rather not kill it prematurely! Our main travel car is one that we drive at least yearly to an area where it would be hard to find repair shops that could fix it if it broke on a trip (family lives in a rural area with not many import cars), and it's having age-related issues that make it not fun to travel in (A/C is gone, for starters). Our kids were super cramped in the back seat, and trunk space is an issue. We may still fix what we can, and we'll be driving it into the ground, but we didn't want to HAVE to fix those things at a bad time while still needing a trip/commuter car, and it would've been financially too tight to buy another and fix this one simultaneously. A used car was a better choice, and having a still functional back up car will help spread out the mileage until the market gets better (our older son will eventually need a vehicle of his own).

I think inventory does vary regionally. It might be worth asking around if family members who live elsewhere have better inventory, and if so, maybe planning a visit to car shop. 

Even in the before times, some types of vehicles were retaining their resale value at such a high price that people weren't inclined to buy used (trucks, for sure were this way). 

I am sorry you're in this situation! The car situation right now is really depressing. 

[BlsdMama]

200k on an ‘06 Toyota anything wouldn’t scare me. 280k? Not worth fixing. 200k + on a Nissan? I’m replacing it. 
 

But I’ma big fan of buying high mile Toyota and Honda. 
 

As an aside if you are only looking at used car places, check out FB Marketplace. Many are now selling privately than before. Set up a search with parameters of what you’re seeking and click that you want notified and check Marketplace often. They move fast. 

[Ausmumof3]

I hate having a car loan. Dh bought new last time and we planned to run it to the ground which we did but that happened way sooner than expected when it had a catastrophic engine failure at five years old. It had done probably 160k (if my km to mileage conversion is right). Don’t ever buy a Nissan.  Because we weren’t anticipating having to replace at that point and we really need something for farm stuff we ended up with another car loan which we could just afford. Then DH did a career change and now it’s a major burden and really limiting the budget in other areas. The only plus is the used car market is so good that if we do decide it’s just too hard to keep up we will easily recoup money.

We replaced my 03 car with an 2010 and did manage to find a decent used car at a fair price but it took a lot of looking. We still have the old car as a backup (plenty of space thankfully here) and that had saved us a couple of times.

[Soror]

14 minutes ago, BlsdMama said:

200k on an ‘06 Toyota anything wouldn’t scare me. 280k? Not worth fixing. 200k + on a Nissan? I’m replacing it. 
 

But I’ma big fan of buying high mile Toyota and Honda. 
 

As an aside if you are only looking at used car places, check out FB Marketplace. Many are now selling privately than before. Set up a search with parameters of what you’re seeking and click that you want notified and check Marketplace often. They move fast. 

Love Toyota and Honda. I bought a Honda Accord for ds and a Toyota Camry for me. We found both on Marketplace. Before we got ds' car I had 2 sold out from under me. One dude ended up selling to a dealer for more money, he had it priced really well and dealers are paying a lot now.  You need to be ready to jump with cash. Also, know what things you want and their worth. Even in today's market I paid on the low end of KBB for ds' car and we'll under for mine. There were LOTS priced crazy high though.

I don't mind high mileage but depends on how it has been maintained. Dh's truck has 225k miles and he wants to keep it many more years. His dad bought it new and we bought it for his mom when he passed. We have a fund to replace the engine when the time comes.

[prairiewindmomma]

The used car situation is bleak. Here 4-5 year old used cars with 30-50k are selling at the same price as new.

I would lean towards buying new. 
 

Repairing the Sienna would be my backup if buying new isn’t an option. 
 

I don’t think the chip situation is resolving in the next 18 months.

[Bambam]

Re the car that is using oil. Keep a quart in the car, check it regularly (is weekly okay?) and keep driving it till it dies (IMHO). 
I'd pay the money to fix the Sienna. It's a good car, and that really isn't that many miles for a Toyota. 
But I'd also check out the used car/new car market locally to you. If you can find a good buy (not likely here, but maybe if you get lucky), then spring, but otherwise, start banking the money that a car payment would be so you will be ahead when that time comes. 

[ShepCarlin]

@Bambamyes, we check the oil on a weekly basis and top off as needed. The plan has been to drive it till it dies. Same plan with the Toyota. I'm just tired of putting money into both of these cars. Granted, it doesn't add up to a monthly car payment but we've spent almost $3000 on the Sienna in the last 12 months (A/c went out and as we live in deep south a/c is a must and then the heat went out. Thought I could deal with no heat but we were freezing in the car). Our mechanic thinks we are nuts but it's great business for him. I hate having car payments but I also hate the stress the car(s) are causing me. I'm loving all the replies from everyone. Nice to see what others think and y'alls two cents goes a long way.  The used car market is decent here. I'm not outraged by the prices I'm seeing but still....

Considering that IF we replace one of these cars soon, that a Subaru wagon/SUV would be a good choice. Youngest is 14 almost 15 and his older brother is flying the nest in May so the minivan isn't the "need" it was 10 years ago with little kids. 

[Sharpie]

If it's the catalytic converter, I'll ask my dh what he did for our Toyota Sienna.  Our check engine light came on, guessing 5 years ago, and it was determined to be the catalytic converted.  He bought some additive and followed the directions to a T.  He had to treat the gas tank twice with it but it took away the check engine light and we got many more years out of it.  If you are interested, I can find out what it was.  I remember him asking the shop owner and was told he could try this product as it's worked in the past.   I was very skeptical and didn't believe it'd ever work but it saved us some serious money at the time. 

[prairiewindmomma]

FWIW, always check the oxygen sensors and spark plugs before replacing the catalytic converter.

If you want a happy "we did nothing" story---we had the catalytic converter light come on from a bad tank of gas we bought on a road trip. We burned off the gas, filled with quality stuff from Costco, and then did another highway run.  We were due for an emissions test, but had the codes cleared, and it passed.  We drove it another 18 months after that before another expensive repair hit and we donated the vehicle.

[Emba]

My husband does a lot of cat maintenance and repair himself, so that affects my answer. He fixes things until it isn’t worth his trouble. We always buy used, and have had very good luck with getting good, high-mileage vehicles that save us tons over buying new, while being extremely reliable. But it’s not really just luck. DH know what to look for in a used vehicle and is meticulous about maintenance.

 Reliability is what I would focus on. If you Can keep your vehicles running reliably for a while, they might be worth it, though it sounds like you’ve reached a point of diminishing returns in that department.  But if you have the money, the peace of mind and safety that comes from driving a reliable  car might be worth it. I really hate driving an unreliable vehicle, and I definitely don’t want my kids driving one. If you can find a reliable used car, that is financially best in my opinion, but that could depend on prices and what’s available in your particular are a.

[ShepCarlin]

13 minutes ago, Sharpie said:

If it's the catalytic converter, I'll ask my dh what he did for our Toyota Sienna.  Our check engine light came on, guessing 5 years ago, and it was determined to be the catalytic converted.  He bought some additive and followed the directions to a T.  He had to treat the gas tank twice with it but it took away the check engine light and we got many more years out of it.  If you are interested, I can find out what it was.  I remember him asking the shop owner and was told he could try this product as it's worked in the past.   I was very skeptical and didn't believe it'd ever work but it saved us some serious money at the time. 

I'd love to hear what he did! I'm going to have the mechanic confirm tomorrow what exactly the issue is. Do you have to do emissions where you live? I'd be fine if all we need to do is add some additive but I need it to pass the emissions test. 

@prairiewindmomma yes, we are going to check plugs and oxygen sensors. I've done more research on catalytic converters today than I'd like! We only use either Costco or QT so unfortunately, I don't think it is a gas issue. 

[kbutton]

1 hour ago, Soror said:

I don't mind high mileage but depends on how it has been maintained. Dh's truck has 225k miles and he wants to keep it many more years. His dad bought it new and we bought it for his mom when he passed. We have a fund to replace the engine when the time comes.

Good advice!

Keep in mind rust on the underside.

We had a low mileage but old car that had been babied as the last car an elderly couple expected to own. It lasted a long time, and our mechanic kept being surprised when we kept driving it (no major issues). We had planned to put another engine in it and keep on going, but the mechanic failed to tell us that we had a rust problem. Looking back, it came from a state where the don't salt the roads much (cinders instead), and we should've gotten undercoating. But the mechanic should've also told us much, much earlier that we needed to replace parts on the underside here and there--by the time he opened his mouth, things were fused and going to cost a fortune. I am still a bit peeved over that. We drove it over 200,000 (and it was about 18 years old), and I would've been comfortable hopping into it to drive across the country. Great car. Not Toyota or Honda. Big trunk and decent gas mileage for it's year and size. 

[catz]

I don't know.  But I will say my husband got in a not his fault accident last October and we HOPE we will have delivery of a new min van sometime in March.   It has involved a waiting list, a substantial deposit, and an attitude of you get what you get and you pay what we want.  It is an awful time to buy a car.  He spent hours and hours on the phone trying to find something in stock, etc and no joy.  We're on a waiting list for a Honda because they seem to be a little more firm on their time tables for delivery than most other dealers right now.  We put money into a TOTALED car so we could drive it for a few more months waiting for the new car.  So I don't know, if I could pay $2000 for a car that I'll probably buy another 2 years of use out of that will probably have decent value as a used car, I might do that right now given conditions for buying used or new at the moment.  Especially if a new car were going to involve financing and a car payment.  

[Sharpie]

2 hours ago, ShepCarlin said:

I'd love to hear what he did! I'm going to have the mechanic confirm tomorrow what exactly the issue is. Do you have to do emissions where you live? I'd be fine if all we need to do is add some additive but I need it to pass the emissions test. 

@prairiewindmomma yes, we are going to check plugs and oxygen sensors. I've done more research on catalytic converters today than I'd like! We only use either Costco or QT so unfortunately, I don't think it is a gas issue. 

I asked my dh.  It's called CataClean.  Here's the history on our 2006 Toyota Sienna.  Six years ago, the check engine light came on and it was determined to be the catalytic converter.  Our repair shop told him about this product to try as it's a fraction of the cost of replacing the catalytic converter.  He thinks it was around $30 a can.  My dh followed the specific instructions to a T.  That has to be done to a T for it to work, you have to be very anal and drive the number of miles indicated with the amount of fuel per the instructions.  It worked with one bottle.  We got 2 years out of it before the check engine light came on again.  Again, it was the catalytic converter.  He tried CataClean again.  It didn't work the first time so he got another bottle to try.  Again, following the instructions to a T, it worked and we again got another couple years out of it.   Last fall, the check engine light came on again and he tried with 2 bottles of CataClean but it no longer worked.  By then, vehicles were super expensive so we bit the bullet and paid for a new catalytic converter.  Yes, we do live in a state where the emissions are checked. 

The repair shop indicated it doesn't always work but for us the $90 or so we spent on CataClean was worth every penny!  My dh is a big believer in it.  One tip he said is you have to drive the vehicle long enough for the computer to be happy with the emission sensors.  When the check engine light cleared, we quickly went and got the vehicle inspected so we had another year to drive it.  Thankfully the light stayed off for a couple years each time. 

[livetoread]

We had a older but low milage Camry we kept around for the kids to drive. It was new when we got it and we took very good care of it, figuring it would be a great car for them. After about ten years it only had about 140k so should have kept chugging for a long time, but no. We put all sorts of money into that stupid car, starting at around the ten year mark, before I finally said enough. We kept thinking it's a Camry and only about 140k miles so it shouldn't keep breaking, but it didn't listen to us, lol. I've learned my lesson about sinking money into older cars, even ones that should be better than that. It's tough out there now though, so yeah, not sure what we'd do in your shoes.

[rebcoola]

I would probably fix it.  We don't worry about what a car is worth we look at the cost to find a good replacement.  With the way the market is now it is almost certainly cheaper and easier than buying.

[ShepCarlin]

27 minutes ago, Sharpie said:

I asked my dh.  It's called CataClean.  Here's the history on our 2006 Toyota Sienna.  Six years ago, the check engine light came on and it was determined to be the catalytic converter.  Our repair shop told him about this product to try as it's a fraction of the cost of replacing the catalytic converter.  He thinks it was around $30 a can.  My dh followed the specific instructions to a T.  That has to be done to a T for it to work, you have to be very anal and drive the number of miles indicated with the amount of fuel per the instructions.  It worked with one bottle.  We got 2 years out of it before the check engine light came on again.  Again, it was the catalytic converter.  He tried CataClean again.  It didn't work the first time so he got another bottle to try.  Again, following the instructions to a T, it worked and we again got another couple years out of it.   Last fall, the check engine light came on again and he tried with 2 bottles of CataClean but it no longer worked.  By then, vehicles were super expensive so we bit the bullet and paid for a new catalytic converter.  Yes, we do live in a state where the emissions are checked. 

The repair shop indicated it doesn't always work but for us the $90 or so we spent on CataClean was worth every penny!  My dh is a big believer in it.  One tip he said is you have to drive the vehicle long enough for the computer to be happy with the emission sensors.  When the check engine light cleared, we quickly went and got the vehicle inspected so we had another year to drive it.  Thankfully the light stayed off for a couple years each time. 

Thank you!!!! Looking to see if it's in stock near us. 

[Soror]

14 hours ago, kbutton said:

Good advice!

Keep in mind rust on the underside.

We had a low mileage but old car that had been babied as the last car an elderly couple expected to own. It lasted a long time, and our mechanic kept being surprised when we kept driving it (no major issues). We had planned to put another engine in it and keep on going, but the mechanic failed to tell us that we had a rust problem. Looking back, it came from a state where the don't salt the roads much (cinders instead), and we should've gotten undercoating. But the mechanic should've also told us much, much earlier that we needed to replace parts on the underside here and there--by the time he opened his mouth, things were fused and going to cost a fortune. I am still a bit peeved over that. We drove it over 200,000 (and it was about 18 years old), and I would've been comfortable hopping into it to drive across the country. Great car. Not Toyota or Honda. Big trunk and decent gas mileage for it's year and size. 

Aw, yes, good point! We don't usually have too much rust where we live unless a vehicle is very old/ ill maintained/junker. When dh sold his last truck he had a guy come from 10+ hrs north. He was thrilled to find 20+ yr old truck in such excellent shape without any rust. He said that doesn't happen where he lives, with lots of winter weather and the roads salted so much of the year. 

11 hours ago, livetoread said:

We had a older but low milage Camry we kept around for the kids to drive. It was new when we got it and we took very good care of it, figuring it would be a great car for them. After about ten years it only had about 140k so should have kept chugging for a long time, but no. We put all sorts of money into that stupid car, starting at around the ten year mark, before I finally said enough. We kept thinking it's a Camry and only about 140k miles so it shouldn't keep breaking, but it didn't listen to us, lol. I've learned my lesson about sinking money into older cars, even ones that should be better than that. It's tough out there now though, so yeah, not sure what we'd do in your shoes.

I love Toyotas and Hondas but there are always bad years. The Odyssey we had was starting to nickel and dime us when we replaced it, it was less than 200k miles. It had already had a new transmission as part of a recall. That is one good point about buying used you can research about what model years to avoid but buying new you never know. 

[LucyStoner]

We are used car shopping.  I feel your pain!  
 

I would consider buying new in your shoes. 

[Amy in NH]

I once heard an (NPR?) interview with a woman-mechanic who gave the advice to get a new (different) vehicle when the repairs will be more than 30% of the value of the one you have.  But in this market - oof.  My 19 year old is ready to buy a car, but he's still driving our old one for a while longer.  I'm hoping the chip shortage will let up soon, too!

[ShepCarlin]

So, the verdict from mechanic is yes, catalytic converter needs to be replaced. Good news is the cost is less than I had expected, Google told me close to $3K, mechanic quote is $1800. Unbelievable that I think that is reasonable but these are the times we are in. 
I purchased a bottle of Cata Clean but can’t try it yet as I’d just filled the gas tank when this all happened. Mechanic says it’s safe to drive so husband has the van this weekend on a camping trip that is 2 hrs away so hopefully he’ll burn gas up on the trip. 
After all my belly aching, I think it makes the most sense now to suck it up, fix catalytic converter and wait out this insane market. With the news coming out of Canada, I think things in the auto industry will get worse, not better. Will keep looking for a replacement for Altima because oh my goodness that car is horrendous. I had to drive it yesterday and it jiggled my entire body. Even the gas pedal jiggles. When you are idling at a red light it feels like the car will shake apart. The volume is broken on radio…if you go to turn volume down, it goes UP. My 14 yo threw an Iron Maiden CD in it and now I’m deaf 🤣

[ShepCarlin]

An update. Weirdest thing...I'd been driving the minivan around, trying to get gas below 1/4 of a tank so we could put in the Cata Clean to see if we could avoid or at least put off a costly catalytic converter replacement. Tuesday afternoon, the check engine light just went off. Just poof...like it had never been on. So odd. Finally got gas down to below 1/4 tank and went ahead and added Cata Clean. Took the minivan in for it's emissions test yesterday and it PASSED!!!! I haven't been so nervous about a test since college :). So I know we just might be living on borrowed time as that check engine light could come on at anytime but thought I'd give an update. 

[prairiewindmomma]

Yay!!!

We had a vehicle in for repairs yesterday and there were SIX cars for sale on the lot. They had one vehicle in the show room. 
Vehicles are selling $10-15k over MSRP new from the dealer. 

 

[fairfarmhand]

On 2/10/2022 at 3:45 PM, Bambam said:

Re the car that is using oil. Keep a quart in the car, check it regularly (is weekly okay?) and keep driving it till it dies (IMHO). 
 

This is what we do. 

[ShepCarlin]

@prairiewindmommaOooof. That is awful. The dealers here in the metro Atlanta area look like they still have decently filled lots. It's just the prices that aren't decent. 

[73349]

On 2/11/2022 at 10:05 PM, Amy in NH said:

I once heard an (NPR?) interview with a woman-mechanic who gave the advice to get a new (different) vehicle when the repairs will be more than 30% of the value of the one you have.  But in this market - oof.

On our older car, the cost of a tank of gas is rapidly approaching that amount! *sigh*

We've been putting money into both of ours & have held off several years now. After repairs last year, my car's transmission is acting up again today. I feel like standing in the driveway with a sign that says The End is Near.

[prairiewindmomma]

2 hours ago, 73349 said:

I feel like standing in the driveway with a sign that says The End is Near.

I can relate. Our other car made noises yesterday while our one vehicle was in the shop.

We may be a single vehicle family soon and I really don't know how I feel about that.  Maybe I'll take a one-way flight somewhere and drive a new car home.

[Faith-manor]

2 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Yay!!!

We had a vehicle in for repairs yesterday and there were SIX cars for sale on the lot. They had one vehicle in the show room. 
Vehicles are selling $10-15k over MSRP new from the dealer. 

 

GM is threatening dealers with losing their dealership licenses for selling so far above MSRP. I am not sure what is going to come of that.