The rubber air intake duct rotted on our 2005 Pontiac Vibe. The part is no longer available new. I have located a couple locally at recycling yards, so this should be easily resolved. However, the mechanic who services our vehicles, feels that even though the car is in good shape and runs well, the lack of new part availability will make it impractical to continue using long term. It is a 21 year old vehicle, so I guess he does have a point. Even the best maintenance doesn’t turn back the clock.
How old a car can you stomach? I have friends who get a rash if their car is more than three years old - they want the latest technology and reliability. Others buy new and hold for 10 - 12 years. I like the fourth generation Chrysler vans, and was kicking around getting a lower mileage 2007 van from a salt-free state. Now I am thinking the parts are going to be an issue with that vehicle, too. Anway, how old do you think is too old to keep a vehicle on road?
It depends on the popularity of the vehicle and the number of people who keep them long term. Some vehicles tend to be more throw away types. I know someone with a 1989 Buick. Parts are apparently available. The early 90s Toyotas have lots of non OEM parts available, and the gaskets and seals are available from the dealer.
More parts have become available for the popular classics of the 1970s since there is demand.
I believe nearly every part is available for the Volkswagen Beetle.
Only time I’ve run into this so far was at the trade school a 10yr old Galant with an automatic came in for a cv axle
That trans was so rare than nobody in the aftermarket even knew it was different from a stick shift car. Had to send it to be rebuilt by a supplier. Then a few weeks later another one came in on a tow truck that must have been a parts donor. We found a used trans but everything else was dealer only.
We’ve kept cars for up to 22yrs and our mechanics have never failed to get a part from the aftermarket . There are part’s that don’t fail often so the oem supplier isn’t going to make them and most companies are going to want a quantity order.
Is the car reliable, or is it in the shop more and more frequently? Are the repairs getting more expensive?
Does the car/vehicle still meet my other needs in life? For example, if your kids have grown up, you may not need that minivan or large SUV anymore to haul them and their stuff.
What does your wife/spouse think about the current car/vehicle?
Sometimes it’s just time for something new(er) simply because you want a change. If you have the means financially and otherwise, well, you could make worse decisions other than to replace an aging car.
I have a family member who has taken an aging vehicle to an extreme. He has a 2002 Chevrolet pickup truck that he bought new. It’s been having some weird problems with Check Engine Lights for years now, and he insists on only taking it to the dealer for repairs. He’s poured money into fixing the issues, yet the lights still remain on. Finally last year the dealer told him they were not interested in working on anything older than 20 years. He took the truck to a local independent, and I’m not sure they fixed the truck either, though they presented him with another big repair big after keeping it for 3 weeks. Meanwhile, the truck randomly won’t start and sometimes struggles to get up hills. So it’s both old, unreliable, and he’s having trouble finding anyone to work on it, due to age. And this family member could literally write a check for a new(er) vehicle, which adds to the mystery.
Do any of these look like yours, don’t have complete specs for your vehicle…
The Toyota Matrix is basically the same car with most (almost all) of the mechanics being the same, the throttle body, IAC and air filters are all the same between the two, so the air intake tube maybe as well…
Aftermarket parts and the demand for them is what determines how many years you can still buy parts for a vehicle… I have a 1993and even a 1976, the 76 is not a very popular car, but most of the mechanical wear items are still out there, but some of the other are not unless you hit up ebay and look for nos parts…
Also if you want to keep your Vibe, join a Pontiac Vibe forum, one is/was called https://forums.genvibe.com, the site is down at this time and maybe for good, or it might be back up soon, it is/was a very large Vibe forum, another one is Pontiac Vibe Forum | Pontiac Owners Group, but I haven’t really checked it out yet…
My little 09 base model Vibe 5 speed manual is a blast to drive for what it is… My 50yo fun car (next month), is a very fun vehicle to drive, but I also love my 2yo vehicle… lol
Most repair shops will not look for hard to get parts, just not worth it unless a very rare and or expensive vehicle, looking for parts takes time which cost the shop money, so you might have to do all the leg work for the harder to get parts… car-part.com is a great place to look for those no longer made parts…
I think the breaking point may be when certain critical control modules fail on less common older vehicles and they are no longer available new, all the junkyards have been stripped clean of these parts, the used parts available are no better than yours, there are few module rebuilders and they’ll charge more than the vehicle’s realistically worth
That was a very specific example . . . but my point is it’s not always mechanical problems that will be a vehicle’s deathblow
As for that Pontiac Vibe . . . it’s quite similar to the Toyota Matrix and, as such, at least the mechanical parts should be available for some time, imo
But you also have to ask yourself if it stops making sense to keep pouring big money into a vehicle every year that’s worth a few thousand?
Another thought is to simply find the correct size you need and order something close that will fit, may have to cut to length or modify a little but options are out there, sometimes you just gotta think outside the box…
Both great points. It also depends on the manufacturer’s continuing use of that part. There is an agreement to supply parts for 10 years for older vehicles. If the 2005 Vibe needs a new fender, it is likely long gone from the parts shelves. If you need a ball joint or control arm that is shared, or CAN be shared from a more recent car, that will likely be available. If it is a popular model, like a Ford, Ram or Chevy truck, the aftermarket will step up and supply parts for a very long time.
To @db4690 ‘s point… Electronics fail for many reasons. One that affects shelf parts as well as in-car parts are capacitors. And there are lots of capacitors in electronics. They don’t last forever and usage does not matter. That 20 year old brand new part may be just as much scrap as the one in your car. That is why the rebuilders exist and even they would ignore a unique model of car.
If you want to keep driving your 20 year old car, you might have to put up with parking your car for a month or more when it needs a part no longer easily available.
Well, I can still get just about any mechanical parts for my 2002 Daewoo Lanos, a car which is very rare nowadays. I can still get just about any mechanical parts for my 1993 Dodge Shadow, and that’s even older. The challenge is if you need body parts, although new door handles are still available.
This is the wrong question. Comparing repair costs to what the car might fetch on the open market is irrelevant. You’re not a dealer considering refurbishing a vehicle for resale. What’s important is how the repair costs compare to the alternative (buying a different new or used vehicle).
Absolutely! This is primarily a limitation of electrolytic capacitors (a liquid electrolyte). There are alternatives to using electrolytics but the auto industry continues to use them for cost savings.
Any high reliability product will specifically exclude the use of electrolytics and there are technical options for achieving bulk capacitance. There are even long life versions of electrolytics that are normally 2x minimum, longer shelf life than standard parts. But look at any ECU/BCM/PCM whatever and see they use standard parts.
And then there is also the problem with counterfeit parts. I had a PC with a dozen failed electrolytic caps, labelled with a well known and respected suppliers markings but they are definitely not their parts.
Seems electrical. Most shops are horrible at electrical problems. Their electrical knowledge is limited to the complexity of 1970s vehicles. Regarding keeping an older vehicle, a vehicle from the 1990s is going to have less than half the amount of digital electronics on it that a modern vehicle has.
A 90s Camry has 5 capacitors in the ECU, and 5 in the cluster. That’s all it needs to be drive-able. Cruise control, airbag, radio, and body control or power locks are optional. But that’s still just 6 units. Think about how much more it would take to keep a vehicle from today drive-able. It has all that and a body control module to be able to turn the headlights on or use the turn signals or open the trunk, climate control so you can’t even turn the heat on if that goes. To adjust the seats or mirrors is another module. Then you have ABS and a module that controls the electric power steering. Then there is a theft module that makes sure the correct key is used, and if that goes the ECU will refuse to let the car start. Then things are controlled by a screen, and if the screen goes it’s not something that can be fixed with generic components.
So park your old car for the winter and then drive a newer throw away car in the salt in the winter.
I considered my 20 year old car a profit center, getting paid mileage for 3000 miles a month. Fully paid for for years, comfortable, decent mpg, etc. I told my staff when I get a new car, I will be retiring shortly, which I did. A new car was fun and I would never discourage anyone from buying one, but the old car made money and paid private college tuition. Everyone needs to decide for themselves. Plus mileage is not taxed like income.
Today I found a replacement duct available locally using car-part.com. Bonus is that it came off a 2008 Vibe, so it’s three years newer than the one that failed. The Vibe is my daughter’s vehicle. She got the Vibe when in college, now using it for a 25 mile each way work commute. It has 255,000 miles on it. The duct split completely in half while she was out and about. The car would start, but die immediately. The mechanic patched it back together with duct tape to get it driveable again. She should take this incident as prompt to start researching and planning for the vehicle she wants and could afford next.
Yes, the Dorman 696711 looks like a match. I was on Rock Auto yesterday looking for the part for a Vibe. Nothing came up except a generic Dorman duct. After seeing your search results, I checked the Dorman site. It says that part number is not compatible with the Vibe, but from appearance, it looks identical.
My other kid’s car had an AC compressor that had locked up and was eating the serpentine belt. I wanted to keep the car running another year while my son finished school. The mechanic advised that the car was worth $300 scrap, and to junk it - not worth the $600 to fix it. Could not get him to understand what your pointed out in your post. Anyway, we fixed the car. My son drove it another 11/2 years, and we kept it around another 11/2 years as an in-town vehicle.
I will have to think more about getting the 2007 Chrysler minivan. As many mentioned with the electronics/capacitors, low mileage doesn’t stop the clock.
And spending money on a repair buys you something else…time.
Sure, it doesn’t make sense to spend $1000 on a $2000 car. And if you want and are ready for another car, great. But that $1000 buys you time. Time to look for what it is you want to replace the old one. Time to get your finances in order. Time to buy a car without being pushed into something you don’t like or can’t afford.
