My 2008 Toyota Rav-4 (4 cylinder) started burning oil about 6 months ago, which apparently is a common problem with this vintage of engine. It has 122K miles on it, Kelley Blue Book value is about $3600. I am having to put in 1 quart of oil every 500 miles or so (plus the regular oil changes every 5K miles). The car otherwise runs beautifully and has not had any other major issues, but I worry about the longevity of the car, now that I have this new oil-burning problem.
I’m trying to figure out whether or not I should ditch this car or not. I just spent about $180 to change the spark plugs and I will need rear brakes and a whole new set of tires within the year. Is it silly to spend so much money on a car that might fail fairly soon? Is it environmentally irresponsible to be driving a car that needs so much oil?
I have the luxury of being able to buy a new car without any financial stress, but of course I don’t like spending money when I don’t have to.
Your thoughts on the matter would be greatly appreciated. If you do think it might be a good idea to upgrade my car, would it be unethical to hide the fact that I have this oil-burning problem? I certainly wouldn’t do that to an individual, but would consider hiding this issue if I do a trade-in.