I’m wondering if it’s time to trade in my car for a new one? It currently has 157,000 miles and needs $5000-6000 worth of work between the front end struts, sway bar and lower control arms, and the head gasket leaking oil verrrry slowly. I do a lot of driving for work and need a reliable car which m…

[image] MollyGras-Usry: I do a lot of driving for work and need a reliable car You just answered your own question. Yes it is replacement time.

I lean toward replacing the car as well. I think the reliability is reaching a point where it’ll be an issue for you. I do think the estimate is high, but I guess that doesn’t matter.

Just to play devil’s advocate, replacing the struts and control arms will go a long way in terms of giving your car the feel of driving a new one. They are wear items and like tires, you need to replace them after a certain number of years and miles. Unless you hit it somehow I doubt you need to rep…

In my humble opinion any modern vehicle is capable of 200,000 miles. All of the mentioned items are indeed wear items, which have lasted 157,000 miles. The seemingly exorbitant amount that is being charged (which has to be from a dealer, find an independent shop on YELP if you have to and get an e…

I see your car needing maybe $1000 to $1500 of suspension work, which any car will need by 150,000 miles or so. If the “head gasket leak” is just an external leakage of oil onto the ground, it may not be the head gasket(s) and unless the leak is severe, it should just be managed by checking the oil…

It sounds like you’re at that breaking point - hence the half for, half against responses. For the costs you can easily identify (cost of repair vs cost of replacement), repair wins out. However, it’s tough to put a cost on the time your car is out for additional repairs after this round is complet…

It’s a hard choice, but I think you answered it. It sounds like you’d like a new car. As others said, getting a couple estimates will let you know where you stand. What you described should be closer to $1500-2000. You are driving about 16,000 miles a year. Would it be worth risking, perhaps, $2500…

I have a 2009 Dodge Challenger with about the same miles. I had all of the same suspension work done earlier this year at a local independent shop for around $1200 out the door. If your oil leak is in fact very slow… just keep it topped off with oil. You can buy a huge amount of oil for a fraction …

For that amount of money, I’d get at least two more estimates. Make them independent garages with good reputations. When you get the estimates, just describe the problems and don’t tell them what anyone else recommends. That might color their evaluation. Decide after that whether to trade the car or…

2009 Subaru Forester - Time for a new one

Maintenance/Repairs

VOLVO-V70 June 27, 2019, 9:59pm 2

You just answered your own question.

Yes it is replacement time.

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2009 Subaru Forester - Time for a new one

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