Repair or replace: when is it time to get a "new" car?

wow, if your paying 800 for a clutch alone, get a new mechanic. I would say when it starts costing more than its worth its time to make a change. the honda’s, not so bad… the volvo’s… sketchy. I wouldn’t put too much more into the volvo’s unless its a new engine if the body of the car and the interior is in really nice, like really nice shape.

The cost clutch took me aback; I had it replaced after 7 years for about $400, but apparently Honda now requires you buy a whole “clutch kit”, and as the car is 11 years old, it’s not something they stock. You cannot buy just the clutch plate, which is what I need. I’ve taken it to the dealer and two other mechanics. For now, I’m driving carefully—it’s only a problem in 1st gear.

The Volvos generally run great, except for periodic weird shorts that happen.

When you smash your old one, like I did with mine on Xmas eve. I am trying to fix the other one though, it only had 20,000m on it. So now I’ll have 3 (I already had an old one dumped at a garage which I won’t sell for sentimental reasons).

I’d say once it gets frustrating to drive and the engine won’t start straightaway…change it.

I just hate buying big ticket items. Part of me thinks that since we tend to hang onto cars, I should buy a new one. The other part says, it’s still cheaper to fix what I have.

This is making my stomach turn! My husband is a mechanic and doesn’t charge those prices…I’m talking his side work. Yikes!

I’m trying to figure out the $800 alternator!

Our theory, when they just need repair after costly repair or the repairs far exceed the value of the car. OR…you could be like my husband and just keep on replacing things and basically, you’ve replaced all the parts and you are driving a new, old car. I don’t advise that, though.

The older cars do get a little more difficult to buy for, the factory changes things and you get stuck buying complete units, for parts, instead of just the basic thing you need.

I go on the repair cost vs. value of the car. If you start to head down the road where the mechanic says, ok – we can fix this, but you will need to start looking at this, this and this….it’s probably getting close to the time to start looking for that, “new to me” used car!

(I prefer used, I can’t stand that depreciation of a new car….yuck!)

I agree with cak on this one… the money you are spending on fixing those cars is outrageous (where the heck do you live that mechanics are charging you that much?!) ... it is definitely time to go out and get a new “used car”. It is now 2009 – why does everyone still consider cars from the 90s “not that old”? Seriously, think about it… the two hondas you own are now 12 years old – they’re about to go through puberty. Yikes! The volvos, 18 and 19 – both could have their own licenses AND vote. And lets face it, none of these are classics. In 1997 – would you have purchased a vehicle manufactured in 1985 with mechanical problems, or one from 1978 that needed constant repairs… most likely (unless you were just really into the car), you wouldn’t. It’s time for you to start used car shopping, for something manufactured 2000 or later. NOW is the time to shop, while prices on used vehicles are down. Two years ago, I bought a 2002 for $6k, today I could purchase the same car for about $4k. I’m pretty sure the money you are spending on repairs would cover that.

No matter what you decide (the above is obviously just my opinion).. GOOD LUCK! :)

Thanks, dlm812, that’s what I needed to hear. No one we know knows anything about cars.

When the monthly cost of repairs on the old car is more than the payment on a comparable gently used car would be.

For instance, if you bought a used car for $8000 on a 4-year loan at 7% (a reasonable set of assumptions), the cost would be under $200 per month. If you’re doing $2400 of work on a car, that used car is a better deal.

It’s very easy to be penny wise and pound foolish with cars. It sounds to me like you saved a lot of money on the purchase price of your cars, but then turned around and spent a lot of money maintaining and improving them—you probably could have done better by spending more for a car that needed less work.

I say BUY A NEW CAR!!!

I know you said that ”I can’t afford to buy a newer car”
But Right now is a Really really good time to buy a car.

A lot of the dealerships are practically giving their cars away (well not really)

but you can get a REALLY good deal on a brand new car that you won’t need to spend money on (well just gas) for a LONG TIME!

Also, Not to be nosy but if your daughter is old enough to drive, wouldn’t she also be old enough to get a part time job so she can pay the $200 or so monthly payment? just wondering…

also, just did this real quick (I’m sure people here can pick better ones)

Quicky

One is paying rent and tuition for grad school, the other is away at school and is using money from working to pay living expenses at school.

If I wasn’t forking out tuition money, buying a new car would be a no-brainer. But I’m committed to no debt for undergrad for the kids. I don’t want them starting out with a mountain of debt.

Even right now, I wouldn’t buy a NEW car. As soon as you drive off the lot, a car looses 1/3 of its value. That can be a lot of money… it’s great for people who can afford that, but seriously, if you buy a “new to me” used car that is maybe 3–4 years old, you shouldn’t have any major problems with it, and most will still be covered under warranty for a while. Just do your research, get a carfax report, and enjoy driving something that doesn’t have to be maintained every month! I had the choice when I bought my 2002 two years ago, to buy a new car, as I paid cash for my car and therefore could have put that money in the bank and made car payments for two, maybe three, years… but I’ll be graduating next year, with student loans galore, and would still be paying on a car. Sometime used is just better – and except for some repairs for an accident I had and gas/bulbs/oil, I haven’t spent any money on mine!

Let us know if you end up making any kind of decision! :)

@AlfredaPrufrock: You’ve been paying $200 a month for repairs on cars that seem to be rapidly deteriorating. Continuing to pay $200—$250 a month for repairs instead of buying a newer car and paying $150—$200 a month for it on the grounds that the former is not debt but the latter is seems to me to be a little bit wrongheaded.

Not having debt is a good thing. But reducing the total cost of ownership of the car should be your goal here, and that might mean incurring debt to reduce ownership costs.

Thanks, everyone, for the great advice. I’ve begun the shopping process and am going to systematically start replacing.

Good for you! Let us know what you get!

When the old one is a gas-guzzler and a hazard to the environment.