This is a bit of a story, but I feel totally out of my depth and need advice, please.
I drive a van adapted so I can drive from a wheelchair. Brand new, with all the modifications, these vehicles run around $60,000.
Five years ago, the dealer was adding a lock to secure my wheelchair in place, and he inadvertently drove a bolt through a wiring harness. We didn’t discover the problem until two years ago, when all sorts of electrical problems were happening, culminating with the side curtain air bag deploying while the van was parked. We took the van to our local mechanic, who discovered the electrical damage.
To the dealer’s credit, they acknowledged their mistake and attempted to fix the damage, and we accepted. But the dealer’s mechanic is more versed in fixing the modifications, not the inner workings of the van itself. He was often on the phone with our local mechanic throughout the two months it took him to finish.
Now, less than two years later, some of the electrical problems are happening again. We took it back to our local mechanic, who thinks the new problems are likely related to improperly completed repairs. But proving that would likely be costly and difficult. The only thing he certainly discovered was that the wiring to the side curtain air-bag was not connected.
We have contacted the dealer’s parent company who have offered to have the dealer diagnose the new problems, or pay $500 to a different facility to do the same.
I need ideas. Is it worth repairing significant issues on a ten year old minivan with 50,000 miles? Should I be aiming for a good deal on a trade in? Please help.