Vehicles, what do you put off and what do you hop on it right away repair wise?

We depend so much on our vehicles that I don’t put off much,I do what I can myself, and take the rest to a local mechanic .
The only thing I don’t repair and let go is the licence plate light.
I check to make sure all but that light are up and working and keep a supply in my tool box, headlights, tail lights , marker lights and so on.

It depends more on finances than anything else, but I try to get to every little thing as soon as money allows. Neither of our vehicles are secondary as both my wife and I need to work, and it also helps immensely if we do whatever we can to keep both vehicles up in case something major happens to one of them, as happened a couple years ago when I drove under the rear end of a sideways SUV.

Well, I have a cracked windshield, cracked taillight, and dinged rear bumper (that in actuality is an integral part of the car body). None of them stop me from getting my annual inspection sticker so none of which is repaired.

Cosmetic things definitely get put off. From there it depends on how crucial the fix is and how much money I have at the time. For a while it was sort of a “will the car still run if I don’t fix X?” sort of thing. I still have a few things I should fix on my car to have it running properly but I don’t have money for it and they really aren’t THAT important.

I usually fix things as soon as they need fixing. I guess I have waited on new windsheild wipers at times. Certainly some things went longer than ideal, because I did not know they needed changing until I brought the car in for a check. When I was younger I waited sometimes, because of finances, and also I have a distrust for mechanics.

When my transmission died, I jumped right on fixing it.

This question might give you a hint re. my thinking.

Basically anything that prevents the car from moving, gets fixed right away. I have multiple cars available so it is not a problem if one dies.

This is a pretty simple question; it’s a triage system.

1. Anything to do with the power train or brakes has to be dealt with immediately, and is. If the engine won’t reliably start or run, or if the transmission, transaxles, wheels, bearings or brakes indicate a problem, then that’s a full and immediate “stop now and repair”. If the car won’t start, run or stop (safely), then there’s nothing more important than repairing that (car-wise, anyway).

2. After the power train and brakes, lights, windows, driver seat / positioning, etc. are all “important”, but I can and have run with lights out or broken, a cracked windshield, malfunctioning, worn-out or sprung seat, etc. and even a leaking windshield and floor (in different, old and damaged vehicles). I can work around those things until the time is more convenient for me. (Wiper blade replacement is high on the list of priority of things to be replaced “forthwith”, same as headlights and brake lights.)

3. Last in line are the “purely cosmetic” or “comfort only” issues: scratches, dents that don’t affect performance or reliability, dashboard lighting, A/C and heater, and car washes.

You mentioned a broken headlight. Anything in need of repair that would increase the chances of getting me pulled over is addressed right away. Keeping my car as uninteresting to the cops as possible is a high priority for me.

As one closely connected to the car service industry I can say that our greatest responsibility is to your safety. Obviously if a transmission is slipping or your brake pads are toast we are going to recommend immediate repair. That bubbly headliner can wait.

Then there are issues that once repaired will restore your car’s performance but aren’t going to render the car inoperable if not taken care of immediately: Perhaps the ignition timing isn’t perfect. Maybe the tie rod ends are worn.

Other high priority issues are ones that if not repaired right away are going to cause other often more expensive components to fail. Replace that worn halfshaft now. It’s vibration could lead to damage of the transmission casing. Big bucks here we come.

There’s also issues that not only make the car not operate at maximum but cause the car to feel wrong as well. My brother in law is savagely hard on his brakes and clutch. It feels like driving a bowl of overcooked linguini. Life is too short for that.