1999 Infiniti I30 limited with 145k miles bought new. Garage stored and in California the entire time. First problem EVER occurred 4 months ago when radiator and thermostat needed to be replaced and transmission fluid flushed, next came 2 weeks ago with a new battery. It doesn’t seem to run the same since the battery ((I know, I know, it should have nothing to do with it). Is it time to sell or should I try and keep it for another year or two? It’s only worth $4300 blue book.
A 10 year old car is inevitably going to have problems, but so far you have mentioned only repair items that would be expected after all that time.
Most cars of that age will need things like thermostats and radiators to be replaced. A transmission flush is not recommended, but a trans fluid change is part of regular maintenance. Just how much maintenance has this car had over the years?
If the car has not been driven much since the battery change, it is possible that the car’s ECM is still in “learning” phase.
All scheduled maintenance has been performed plus oil changes every 3k - 4k miles from day 1. I guess the question is - what’s next, and is this the start of a cascade of expensive maintenance?
"…is this the start of a cascade of expensive maintenance? "
Probably, but any car with high mileage should be expected to need repairs. You could buy a new car, but consider that you will pay about $35,000 for a G37 or something similar. Your monthly cost for a new car is a lot more than repairing the old one. If money is the issue, keep the I30.
The car may not need a replacement, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t time to trade. There are other reasons to sell. Safety is one. If you feel better that newer cars are safer, and I do, it may be enough. The car no longer suits your needs or you’ve lost confidence in it are valid reasons. I wanted to keep an old Subaru in excellent condition, but I just didn’t want to go through the hassle and $$$ to replace the poor seating. If you have the money and the reason, now is as good a time as any. Lots of 0% interest out there.
Go for it.