When is it time to buy a new car? (1 Viewer)

[shadyridr]

I have a 2003 Nissan Sentra that I drive to work every day. Its not great on gas mileage (appx 27 mpg on highway) and has around 130k miles on it. My plan was basically to run it into the ground. I love having no car payments but the car has been in the shop numerous times in the last few months. Once for brakes ($600), another time for broken spring/struts ($600) and now the check engine light just came on again. When do you say enough is enough? I hate spending money on all these repairs but when you add them all up it still really comes out to only 4-5 car payments.

I can't exactly afford another car payment right now (next year I will be able to) but cant afford expensive repairs either. Plus the stress of waiting for something else to break or being without a car is a pain too.

 

[James Daulton]

This will be the last repair for a while.  I swear it.

 

[belljr]

Brakes I don't count you need them no matter what. But 600 you got jobbed (unless calibers and such were broken)

First time with struts?

Things are going to start breaking.   I wouldn't worry until it becomes a major repair - transmission - engine seals etc or it becomes a monthly event.

 

[NutterButter]

Unless its something other than pads and rotors, brakes shouldn't count.    I'm in the same boat.   I have a 106k, but just dropped 750 on front axles and wheel bearings.  Now the ac stopped working and I fear it might be the compressor clutch.

 

[shadyridr]

Brakes I don't count you need them no matter what. But 600 you got jobbed (unless calibers and such were broken)

First time with struts?

Things are going to start breaking.   I wouldn't worry until it becomes a major repair - transmission - engine seals etc or it becomes a monthly event.

It was all 4 brake pads & rotors and one caliper

 

[NutterButter]

It was all 4 brake pads & rotors and one caliper

That's a pretty darn good deal.   I've paid way more than that.

 

[Henry Ford]

For me, after 100k miles, more than two repairs in 6 months are a definite replacement decision, two will lead to replacement if the second one is really expensive. Brakes shouldn't count, they're wear and tear. 

 

[belljr]

Ok - the National Average for front rotors and pads is 300 to 600 in my area.   Thats one of those things You cold do yourself but I don't have the time lol.

Anyway. My last truck had 170K on it and my car has 175K so I feel your pain

 

[NutterButter]

I replaced my front rotors recently.   What a pita.   Stripped rotor screws, seized on like a motherf, stuck caliber slide pin.   Took me like 5 hours.   

 

[shadyridr]

How do you manage to break the springs on your car?

Sounds like your car wasn't cared for very well with regards to oil changes, tune-ups, other regular maintenance. You should be getting much better mpg on the highway. 

If you get another car and treat it the same way you will have the same problems. Let me know if you find a car that doesn't need new brakes. I haven't. If you want to ignore maintenance and beat on your car, buy a used pick-up, they can take more abuse. 

I do all the regular maintenance. Staten Island roads are paved like crap. Spring probably broke from years of driving on these #### roads.

2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R mpg is 23/28. Old cars didn't get as good gas mileage as today's cars. Take your judgmental crap elsewhere.

https://www.google.com/search?q=2003+nissan+sentra+mpg&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#q=2003+nissan+sentra+se-r&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAONgFuLRT9c3NCqLTzYzLS5SgvFSikxTMrT0spOt9BNLS_Jz80syy1L1c_NTUnPiK1MTi6xKijJzixVKEpNyUhXKM0syFHIL0gHhweDgTgAAAA

 

[belljr]

Lol asking how a spring on a 13 year old car could break

Strutprobably went so replaced spring with it

 

[NutterButter]

Lol asking how a spring on a 13 year old car could break

Strutprobably went so replaced spring with it

Guy seems like a real charmer

 

[eoMMan]

For me, after 100k miles, more than two repairs in 6 months are a definite replacement decision, two will lead to replacement if the second one is really expensive. Brakes shouldn't count, they're wear and tear. 

Yeah, about this. I just got rid of my Honda Civic that was about to hit 100k miles. I know that with routine maintenance, I could have gotten 200k miles or so on it but I know it needed brakes and didn't want to deal with that and the other maintenance issues coming up. Besides, the trade in value changes drastically when it's pre-100k miles versus 150k miles.

 

[Ned]

Oil changes and tune ups definitely extend the life of your car's suspension.  

 

[nightmare]

Check engine light is not a deal breaker. For $20-$40 buy yourself a code reader(Amazon).
Easy to use, and you google the codes that come up. I own a 2002 Cadillac Seville and my
check engine light has been on for six months.

 

[shadyridr]

Is there a rule that there always has to be a self-centered arrogant know-it-all in every thread?

 

[shadyridr]

Check engine light is not a deal breaker. For $20-$40 buy yourself a code reader(Amazon).
Easy to use, and you google the codes that come up. I own a 2002 Cadillac Seville and my
check engine light has been on for six months.

I know how to get the code without the reader. I checked it before I dropped it off at the shop. P0340- Camshaft Position Sensor Circuit Malfunction

 

[nightmare]

Yeah the import code reader starts @$42.

 

[shadyridr]

 

[nightmare]

Spring and strut are usually one unit.

 

[shadyridr]

Just move on smoke monster. You are obviously smarter than me when it comes to cars. Don't waste your time trying to educate me.

 

[msudaisy26]

Is there a rule that there always has to be a self-centered arrogant know-it-all in every thread?

The rule was put in with the board downgrade. 

 

[Annyong]

Random question. How easy are sway-bars on a focus to change?

 

[belljr]

FTR - i've never had anything brake on the car while it was still under warranty either..........

 

[chet]

For you, never. And I don't mean that in a pejorative way. In the OP, you allude to financial strain so the last thing you should look at is a new car.  Do yourself a favor and buy used.

 

[shadyridr]

For you, never. And I don't mean that in a pejorative way. In the OP, you allude to financial strain so the last thing you should look at is a new car.  Do yourself a favor and buy used.

By buy a "new" car I didn't necessarily mean brand new. I just meant getting rid of my old car and buying another car to drive. Whether it is used or new wasn't the point of this thread and that's an entirely other topic.

And the reason I will be in financial strain for a year is that is how long my wife will be out of work.

 

[kevzilla]

Should have gotten a different wife. 

/smoke monster

 

[shadyridr]

Should have gotten a different wife. 

/smoke monster

well that might have been more accurate

 

[Henry Ford]

I know how to get the code without the reader. I checked it before I dropped it off at the shop. P0340- Camshaft Position Sensor Circuit Malfunction

Hopefully not a big deal.  Maybe the sensor went bad, maybe a loose wire.  Maybe a needs the power train control module replaced, though.  Good luck.

 

[shadyridr]

Replaced camshaft position sensor- $150

Light came back on today

Ugh

 

[pollardsvision]

When to replace? Not at 130k because of some brakes and struts. That thing is still a baby.

 

[cstu]

By buy a "new" car I didn't necessarily mean brand new. I just meant getting rid of my old car and buying another car to drive. Whether it is used or new wasn't the point of this thread and that's an entirely other topic.

And the reason I will be in financial strain for a year is that is how long my wife will be out of work.

If that's the case then keep your car for the time being. With a newer used car not only will you have a monthly payment but your insurance and registration will be higher. It's a Nissan so you shouldn't have many major things to repair at this point.

 

[cstu]

Replaced camshaft position sensor- $150

Light came back on today

Ugh

Your wallet position sensor needs replaced.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Random question. How easy are sway-bars on a focus to change?

Not sure but I don't think it's too expensive of a job to have a mechanic do

 

[mr. furley]

drove my 2001 Impala to a little over 140k 

just replaced it before Christmas

my decision was made when the mechanic said it would be 1900 to fix the engine.  then i looked back at my repair bills over the last 3 years and realized, when broken down in monthly increments, that it was the equivalent of the amount of the new car payment i intended to take on.

 

[RdRunner]

Random question. How easy are sway-bars on a focus to change?

Not particularly difficult, depends mostly on how hard the old ones are to remove.  My father-in-law and I did it in maybe an hour.  The shop wanted like $240 or somewhere around there for the repair.  The part on Amazon is like $15 or $20 each, so for $40, some YouTube time, and an hour of actual time it was well worth it to do it myself.  The first one took a bit to figure out, but the other side was off and on in like 5 minutes.  Also did it on a Escape but that was pretty difficult as it was older and really difficult to get the old ones off as they were rusted quite a bit.