# Repair or buy another car **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** legacy, repair, subaru\ **Created:** [December 27, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/repair-or-buy-another-car/41347 "2009-12-27T20:50:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rotzie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bc8723/32.png) [@Rotzie](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rotzie)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/repair-or-buy-another-car/41347/1 "2009-12-27T20:50:59Z")
I have a 1993 Subaru Legecy with 153,ooo miles on it. The dashboard lights have gone out and my mechanic states it’s an electrical problem. Is it worth fixing or should I look to buy another care? ---
**Author:** ![mshugna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@mshugna](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mshugna)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/repair-or-buy-another-car/41347/2 "2009-12-27T20:53:56Z")
17 years old…repairs are only going to increase…safety issues…I would look for another car…second opinion also recommended…fuse? ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 9:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/repair-or-buy-another-car/41347/3 "2009-12-27T21:04:39Z")
You have a problem now, right? OK you fix it and move on or you get rid of the car (the next owner is likely to reduce the price by at least as much as the repair would cost so you gained nothing. You may choose to buy new. You get less for the trade due to the problem, but then you get a new car that is likely to have fewer repair problems over the next few years. Now consider how many car payments will it take to cover the cost of the repairs. You will likely find you are better off fixing what you have. What I did not factor in is your desire for a different vehicle. That you need to do the numbers. I can’t guess what it is worth to you. ---
**Author:** ![Rotzie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bc8723/32.png) [@Rotzie](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rotzie)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 9:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/repair-or-buy-another-car/41347/4 "2009-12-27T21:04:40Z")
It’s not a fuse and that’s what worries me. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![MG-McAnick](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mg-mcanick/32/188_2.png) [@MG-McAnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MG-McAnick)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/repair-or-buy-another-car/41347/5 "2009-12-27T21:10:20Z")
Duh, of course it’s an electrical problem. Did the mechanic give you any indication what that problem miught be? Does it need another isnstrument cluster or a new fuse? Check ebay and [www.car-part.com](http://www.car-part.com) for as good cluster near you. ---
**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 10:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/repair-or-buy-another-car/41347/6 "2009-12-27T22:06:40Z")
Find a shop that specializes in electrical work. I don’t think that the problem is all that complicated. First, check to see if your tail lights are working. In many cars they are on the same circuit as the dash lights. If the tail lights aren’t working, then there may be a fuse out or a bad connection. If the tail lights are working, the rheostat that dims the dash lights may either be turned all the way down, or may be defective. This isn’t a major repair. At any rate, this shouldn’t be a difficult problem for a shop with a good electrical technician to repair.