To Fix or Not to Fix, That Is the Question
When your car has seen better days and needs a lot of maintenance to keep running, it might be worth asking yourself whether you should even fix it up the next time something goes wrong. It might be a lot easier – and even much cheaper – to simply get yourself a new car. So is the fix worth it?
Of course, there are a bunch of other questions you can ask yourself to get to the answer you need. For example…
Has the warranty expired?
When you have the warranty for your car, things are much easier. When something goes horrendously wrong and it’s clearly not your fault, then the manufacturer will be able to help you out pretty quickly. But if the warranty has expired, then you might be looking at a very expensive repair. Someone else might be a lot more willing to make that sort of investment than you are. It’s possible to sell or trade cars that aren’t working 100%, so don’t assume you can’t.
Can you get the parts you need?
Sometimes, a fix simply isn’t possible or financially possible because the parts you need to complete the fix are either impossible to find or incredibly expensive. It’s important that you explore all your options in such a situation. If the only place you’re checking is your local garage, then you need to cast your net wider. And if you’re having a bit of trouble affording the parts you need, then take a look into some of the savings you can make. You can get promo codes for Advance Auto, for example.
Is it still safe?
There are two ways to look at this question. If the problems that you’re experiencing with this car are too dangerous, then you should probably get another car. If an irreparable problem within the car means that, on rare occasions, the brakes might suddenly fail, then your car simply isn’t safe enough. There are also the new safety features in modern cars to consider. Be careful about only deciding to trade in your car based on this newer technology available in other cars, though – the best safety equipment is still to be found in all legal cars. (They’re called lights, seatbelts, and brakes!)
Would it be cheaper to just get a new one?
This isn’t as easy a question to answer as you may assume. Sure, the upfront cost of getting a new car versus the upfront cost of getting the repair you need is going to show that the latter is much cheaper (probably). But we’re talking in terms of the long run, here. How much has it been costing you to keep this car alive? If the car seems to be slowly falling apart, then those costs are only going to end up increasing. And then you’ll have to buy a new one anyway, right? You can save yourself a fair amount of money by simply accepting that it might be time to say goodbye to your beloved banger and hello to a sturdier, more modern vehicle.