I have a 10 year old car that’s starting to show its age. The axles need work estimated at $3000. Several months earlier, it needed $1200 maintenance work (brakes, tires, etc). It’s paid off, so I’m reluctant to get another, but I don’t want to keep spending money on repairs. How can I tell whether to keep it or get another?
You are holding back information that may be helpful. Cars have miles, names, model years and conditions. Maybe somebody will comment if you fill in the blanks.
Everyone has their own formula and there is no right or wrong answer. Depends on whether or not you like the car or not, would not mind continuing to drive it, it still fits your needs for economy and dependability and so on.
First off though, tires and brakes are just normal wear items that can’t really be considered repairs. $3000 for axles is way way too high so get another opinion. For me though, if the car still fits my needs, all I worry about is driving it for X more miles to get my money out of a repair. If I put $500 in it, I want to get another 10-20,000 out of it. Major engine work or transmissions are another story though and you have to think long and hard about that.
Modern cars have maybe 10 or 15 thousand parts. Some of them fail over time. On a older car (10 years or more) more of them will fail than on a younger vehicle because some of them don’t wear out until the car is a decade or two old. You have to figure on spending a couple of thousand dollars a year on maintenance. Some years you will spend more, some less. To offset that, the car, being worth only a few hundred bucks, will have stopped depreciating.
$3000 sounds like way to much to replace axles for most vehicles. You may be able to reduce your maintenance costs by finding a different mechanic.
So, you’d rather spend multiple thousands of dollars for a new, or newer, car than spend a few hundred, or even a thousand now and then, on repairs and maintenance.
Go ahead. It’s your money. I keep my cars as long as I can. Maintenance is less expensive than a new car.
What kind of axle work costs $3,000?
$3,000 for axle work sounds like a dealer service department quote on a luxury car, Volvo, BMW, or ???
Much of the answer depends on the make of car. Some cars hold up and need a few expensive repairs. Other brands at 10 years old need constant expensive repairs. For instance if it is a Volvo, then it is time to sell it. If it is a Honda, keep it. If it is a Buick, no way can you even spend $3,000 on axles - can’t be a Buick, but if it is keep it.
I was that way with my 84 S-15…It was paid off…had 120k miles on it…and then I started putting money into it…The money wasn’t the problem…it was the money I was loosing in work that was a problem…I was doing consulting work back then…and everytime I had to take time off to fix something it was costing me several hundred dollars every time I had to take time off to fix a problem. It wasn’t worth it anymore…
I’ve begged and I’ve pleaded with these web lackeys to add a ‘required field’ box to the initial posting in ‘repair and maintainance’ where the o.p. MUST enter basic vehicle information or cannot procede with posting a question.
Maybe all of youall can join forces and deluge the web lackeys with email requests for the same ?