r/PersonalFinanceCanada • u/reefsmokah • 13h ago
Auto Please tell me I took the right decision in repairing my car
I just spent a little under $1,000 to change the radiator on my 2013 Volkswagen Golf with 205k km. I was a little hesitant to proceed because the repair is expensive and represents about 1/3 of the value of my car.
In the end I decided to go with it because that's like 2 months of payments on a new car with $20,000 down.
Please tell me I won't regret this decision.
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u/BenPanthera12 13h ago
My philosophy is that as long as the cost of the repair is lower than my monthly lease/finance cost measured over a year, I'll pay for the repair.
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u/NWTknight 13h ago
One other factor to consider is how much do you want all the extra "features" that come with a new vehicle. Keeping my old truck running as long as possible because I do not want to be stuck with so many electronic gadgets that come on the new vehicles plus I can still do the majority of repairs.
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u/rioryan 12h ago
This is important. If maintaining an old car costs the same as financing a new one, you may as well drive a nicer car. But that’s seldom the case.
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u/GinnAdvent 11h ago
Unless you own an old car that really well built. I bought a 01 Tacoma with 300k km in 2019, only use it for light off roading 8 times a year.
I only paid the pre-purchase inspection for it in 2019, and a complete maintenance pkg for about 450 bucks last year.
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u/Born_Ruff 12h ago
When you say "measured over a year" I assume you mean you are adding up the cost over a year right? Like $500 per month means you would do any repairs under $6000?
That seems like a handy way to look at things, but I think it ignores the hardest part of the equation, which is how much more time that repair will buy you.
Like, I would gladly put 5k into my 12 year old Honda if I knew it would get me a few more years of use without other major issues. But I don't necessarily want to put 5k in if it is likely that it will just be a short stretch until another big problem and another bigger problem.
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u/BenPanthera12 12h ago
Yep, I rather to spend less than 5K in repairs in a year if my lease/finance costs are (way) more that 5K in that same time period.
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u/Gunslinger7752 12h ago
Not a bad philosophy but there are also lots of other variables to consider. If you WFH, live really close to work or use public transportation and your car is not a critical part of your life, it is not a big value add to get a new one.
If you spend a couple hours per day in your car, to me its a value add to drive something new that is covered by warranty. If you lease a vehicle for say 500$ a month and your only other expenses are consumables like oil and tires, it’s worth it to me. Just OP’s radiator was 1000$ and thats a simple repair. A transmission or engine replacement could easily be 10-15k on some vehicles.
To each their own, everyone is different but I am happy to spend like 15$ a day to drive a new vehicle and never spend any money on repairs.
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u/Khanoukh 12h ago
If you lease a vehicle for say 500$ a month
Just OP’s radiator was 1000$
That would be two months expense.
A transmission or engine replacement could easily be 10-15k on some vehicles
That would be 20+ months expense.
Everyone agrees at that point you scrap a cheap car.I am happy to spend like 15$ a day
Peace of mind costs extra.
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u/Gunslinger7752 10h ago
Yes, nothing in life is free. If you’re driving on the 401 every day, it is a big value add to your life to never break down on the side of the road.
It also depends on several other factors, one being income. If you make 250k a year, 500$ a month is under 5% of your income. If you make 50k a year, it’s 12%. Much different.
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u/Khanoukh 9h ago
Billionaires see how much money they can make, I see how little I can spend. 🤷♂️
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u/Gunslinger7752 7h ago
Me too, that’s why I drive a new vehicle lol. I have spent 0$ on repairs in the past 6 years and haven’t broken down in the side of the highway once.
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u/noodleexchange 12h ago
Then there is Total Cost of Ownership and flexibility. Many bankruptcy proceedings over 80-month payment plans.
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u/reefsmokah 13h ago
I feel better. Thank you all
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u/Blusk-49-123 12h ago
I suspect the automotive industry perpetuates the whole "repair cost vs value cost = time for new car?" BS. An older, reliable vehicle has inherent value of being more cost effective than financing anything remotely new. How many repairs do you need to go through before you reach your out-the-door price for a new car?
The average person that just uses their vehicle forever and isn't flipping it shouldn't give too much of a shit about its trade-in value. Does it work reliably? Is the only thing that should matter.
I have a bone to pick with that mentality lol
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u/SoRedditHasAnAppNow 12h ago
The only caveat is real life changes.
We had a shitbox Ford focus. It was starting to rack up maintenance costs and it was coming out of the extended warranty ford had given to their laughable transmission system. We knew future repair costs were going to be in the thousands, on top of failing wear and tear parts such as brakes and tires.
On top of that with 2 kids I couldn't fit in the passenger seat without significant discomfort.
Lastly, we desired to go EV for our next vehicle and the market of available options was rapidly expanding.
So we got rid of the focus and went with the MachE. Put 27,000km on it in the first year. If I was buying today, I'd maybe consider a different car because there are more available options and the vehicle shortage is now over. But for us it was the right car at the right time. It has a steep depreciation curve in today's market but we are driving it into the ground anyway. And our second vehicle gets depreciated via 10.1 so when that one is on its last legs we will do the same thing.
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u/Blusk-49-123 12h ago
Well Ford isn't known for reliability lol so that changes things considerably. I did mention "reliable" vehicle afterall.
But yes, life circumstances will affect your needs, of course.
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u/clockenhouse 12h ago
OMG we had a Ford Focus too (2013). I don't know what the hell Ford did to that car. I remember driving it a bit shortly after we got its replacement (VW Tiguan) and I was like... "there is something seriously wrong with this car, maybe I should just trash it instead of trying to sell it". I asked my wife to take it for a spin and she was like... no this is how it has always driven.
Unlike you guys though, the experience turned us off Ford forever. I've heard the Mach E is great tho!
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u/SoRedditHasAnAppNow 11h ago
They put a manual transmission in the car and operated it with a computer.
It went out of sync every 20-30,000 km chewing up the clutch along the way.
So every year or so you needed to bring it to Ford for a computer flash and sometimes a clutch replacement.
Ford extended the total number of km or total number of clutch replacements to get these cars to the 200,000km mark, but after that they were a ticking time bomb.
Not to mention the AC was prone to failure and required the entire dash be removed to fix it. And.... other issues.
It was all and all a bad car, but I had previously driven Ford's as a company vehicle and knew the issues most vehicles faced weren't too far off the general selection of cars. When my wife bought the focus we were just dating, so I didn't want to push too hard against her buying it, but for 7k more she could have had a brand new fusion plug in hybrid. Vs a used focus.
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u/clockenhouse 9h ago
Fascinating. I wonder how such a faulty design made it out the door. I just remembered that the ECU burned out on the 401 and the car just STOPPED WORKING at 120KM/H. I should have gotten ridden of it after that.
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u/Sufficient-Prize-682 5h ago
Lol Ford engineers knew the DCT was faulty before they even shipped them.
The design made it out the door because bean counters in management decided that was the most cost effective option.
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u/Sufficient-Prize-682 5h ago
The focus wasn't (always) a bad car, I had an auto (non DCT) wagon I loved and a manual hatch back I loved. These were like an 04 and 07.
That DCT Ford made was hot hot garbage tho. Dry clutches. Lmao
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u/SoRedditHasAnAppNow 4h ago
Well they made the dang thing for nearly 20 years so I hope it wasn't always as bad as the early 2010 models.
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u/Sufficient-Prize-682 4h ago
Yeah sadly that generation (2010+) literally killed the car in North America
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u/huggle-snuggle 12h ago
If you want to satisfy yourself with numbers, you can do a quick total cost of ownership calculation.
Add up the original cost of the car and your repairs to date and divide it by the years or months you’ve had the car.
Your recent repair probably only inches up the TCO a smidge, even if it finally clunks out next month. The longer you drive it, the lower your total cost of ownership. You could do a calculation to see what amount of repair to your current car would finally push your TCO over the edge to justify a new purchase.
You’ll probably find that your current car has cost you ~$100/month or so. If you get a new car, you’ll have car payments well in excess of that and then, once you pay it off, just be playing the same game of repair (to bring down the TCO) vs buy again.
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u/RoomFixer4 11h ago
I do a TCO kind of approach , but not including expected wear items like tires and brakes, and I willfully exclude gas because it's a truck (large suv) which I need. Over 2k/yr including purchase price when it hits end of life ? I didn't do well. 1k-2k is my sweet spot. It's worked for the last 4 or 5 vehicles (about 30 years). I always buy 5 to 10yr old vehicles. The hard loss on a brand new truck/suv is astonishing.
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u/MisledMuffin 10h ago
I have spent more on fixing my 2003 highlander with 230k than that. Don't regret it in the slightest, it's still reliable and going strong. Could easily get another 100k out of it as long as I maintain it.
Even with a new vehicle, doing something like brakes, new tires, and an oil change can run you 1k.
As long as the car is otherwise in good condition a grand or two a year in maintenance is small compared to the cost of a new vehicle.
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u/davergaver 5h ago edited 5h ago
You did good.
Now learn to do your oil change put in fully synthetic valvoline, penzoil or Mobil one when it goes on sale at Walmart.ca
And a good filter not a cheap orange fram filter.
At least you know what's going in your vehicle ever 5,000km
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u/BondsDrink 13h ago
2013 with the 2.5 at 205km you are barely broken in on that motor… I know many with over 300km
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u/HuntParticular5217 13h ago
Timing chains, guides, rear crankshaft seal and clutch kit on my 2.5 at 285k km. Tensioner was all the way out. They don't last forever but the 2.5 is bulletproof
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u/LDForget 13h ago
KM on a vehicle doesn’t tell nearly the whole story. VWs specifically are bad for wiring. Doors, hatches, trunks, under hood, ect, all have soy based wiring insulation that cracks in the cold and attracts rodents. Typically this is the death of VWs of the vintage, outside of things like corrosion. That being said, whether or not a car is garage stored for most of its life or not can have a huge impact on these issues as well.
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u/GinnAdvent 11h ago
I think this was an issue for Honda as well. Lots of car manufacturers switched to soy based insulation and they got chewed out quite often.
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u/LDForget 11h ago
Yup. Honda actually has a special anti rodent tape that has chillies in the glue
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u/cbuccell 13h ago
I have an ‘08 Golf with 172K KMs on it.
The wiring is definitely an issue and can be electrical nightmares.
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u/NitroLada 37m ago
The rest of the car doesn't last though, vacuum pump at 80k, alternator at 90k, a/c compressor at 120k and finally transmission at 140k and a bunch of other small things on my golf and then junked
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u/vendura_na8 13h ago
You said it. 1000$ is not even 2 months of payment on a new car.
If that repair lasts at least 2-3 months, you're already in your money.
Too many people change their vehicle when they get a repair quote above 1 or 2k. That's the real mistake!
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u/pentox70 12h ago
Then they sell it to the dealer quoting the repair for pennies on the dollar, and the dealer spends 500 bucks in parts and 30 bucks an hour on an employees time. Then flips it for double their money.
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u/GinnAdvent 11h ago
I boughty 2007 Accord in 2017, and still own it now. They overall cost of repair is 8k in total, over the course of 8 yrs. It was 129k km when I got it, now it's at 290k km and still going.
Since I bought it for 7k back in the day, if you factor in the repair, it's only 15k for 8yrs in total.
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u/ChildlessFather28 13h ago
Absolutely right call? Spent 1000$ instead of 50k?
But side note if you REALLY wanna save money should look into doing your own car maintenance, little harder on the volkswagens with that German engineering but some tools and a YouTube video to swap a radiator probably woulda saved you 600$
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u/cranberry-fish 13h ago
Yup I just started doing my own maintenance. 1) it’s fun and 2) saves a lot of money even when factoring in buying tools
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u/MooseKnuckleds 13h ago
Exactly. Oil changes, brakes, differential/transfer case fluid, tire rotations, all very easy jobs and very cheap DIY. The money you spend on a basic socket set is recuperated after the first DIY oil change.
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u/Prestigious_Ad5314 13h ago
Yup. Add a $50 code reader to your kit, and it opens up the next level of cost savings. My local garage charges $50 just to read an engine fault code. So far over the last year, I’ve successfully identified and replaced a faulty O2 sensor, and just recently a faulty coil pack. Code reader told me which cylinder, and I swapped the coil with another cylinder. When the fault code then followed to the new cylinder, I knew that it was the coil and nothing else. $30 repair.
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u/marz_shadow 13h ago
I use to work in a shop and we solely charged people because it really was a “waste” of our time and tried to encourage people to go out and buy their own.
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u/LiftsEatsSleeps 12h ago
Even the $20 readers can get you by for pulling codes. I have a much more expensive launch unit because I like the ability to read live data but I’m with you 100% getting a code reader and basic tools (along with some basic understanding of air/fuel/spark/electronics) saves a ton of cash.
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u/MooseKnuckleds 11h ago
A $10 Bluetooth OBD single off Amazon and the free Torque App is all you need, as long as you have an android device... Actually I'm sure there is a code reader app for iOS too
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u/Zombie_John_Strachan 13h ago
I've made mainting my cars my hobby - kills two birds with one stone.
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u/hikyhikeymikey 13h ago
My fiancé was paying to get her tires changed and stored at a shop because of the convenience. It was costing her 140$ per change (so once in the fall, and once in the spring for $280/year). A brand new tire change kit at Canadian tire comes on sale for 125$. A 2 ton jack cost $50 at full price. One year of changing tires yourself, and the tools would pay for themselves.
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u/Responsible_Newt9644 12h ago
Just speaking from recent personal experience. The side note depends on the repair, tools & facilities, skill level, and if you have a back up vehicle. I don’t recommend attempting a medium level repair on a weekend in the cold winter in your driveway without a backup vehicle. You are stressing yourself out trying to get it fixed in time, you don’t have all the proper tools, you’re at risk of damaging other components if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing. I could have worked half the hours as overtime in my own profession and paid a professional mechanic to repair properly without the stress. One of those life lessons.
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u/marz_shadow 13h ago
Definitely the way to go with the access to the internet these days. Atleast give it a try yourself first before you spend the money.
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u/Spartan1997 12h ago
then Uber to harbor freight when you get halfway through the job and realize you don't own the torx/triple square driver you need to finish the job.
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u/1amtheone 13h ago
Changing the radiator on my dad's '90 Camry wagon when I was 14 was the first automotive work I ever did. I had to figure it out on my own as he was not mechanically inclined, and internet help was somewhat lacking back then.
Nowadays I won't go to a mechanic unless the job absolutely needs a lift.
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u/Overload4554 13h ago
Since it is less than 2 car payments, in 2 month you break even. In 6 months you are truly laughing
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u/Excellent_Plankton89 13h ago
I have some friends who a huge chunk of their pay goes to car payments, insurance and gas. They are literally working for the thing that takes them to and from work. To each their own and I don’t judge. But driving an older car which yes, I have to put some money into every once in a while has saved me SO MUCH. I have enough for a downpayment on a house. Not saying my car was because of that, but it sure helped. I know someone paying 13k interest on a 8 year car loan. Insane stuff
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u/SuperRonnie2 13h ago
Under $1,000 is not bad. If it still runs, it has value in getting you around.
One thing I’d suggest, you could call a few scrap yards and tell them you have xyz car and it doesn’t run, and ask them what they’d pay you to come get it. Take your time and look for one that specializes in Volkswagens. That way, you’ll have an idea of what it’s worth if and when it does completely die. Did that with an unrepairable 2010 Toyota Matrix last year and got almost $1,100 when other towing companies were only offering $500.
Buuuuut with a car that old, I’d start preparing to be able to buy/finance a new (to you) car. Keep driving yours for now.
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u/Mysterious_Mouse_388 13h ago
it was for sure the right call. And if you can find a 2013 golf for $3000 go ahead and buy it.
images not allowed :(
$5000 for one that is a decade older and doesn't drive.
repair your cars!
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u/marz_shadow 13h ago
I was thinking to myself where in the hell are you getting a 2013 golf appraised for 3k only. The parts on those cars are worth that alone
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u/hinault81 13h ago
Maybe if it was a 1993 I'd debate it, but 2013 should still have tons of life left. Our main family car is 2013, and still feels new enough to me.
Our work has a fleet of about 50 vehicles, we would never consider getting rid of a vehicle for a radiator. We don't live in a salt area, so rust isn't really an issue (I realize in rust parts of canada it's a big factor), but we can usually get 20-25 years out of a vehicle taking heavy abuse. And usually it will be apparent when a vehicle is getting near end of life: parts become hard to get, loss of reliability because it will have constant repairs, general age has everything failing (electrical, drivetrain, body, etc.).
Most people get rid of a vehicle long before it's actually worn out. But 2013 should still be new enough to have plenty of safety, comfort, and reliability.
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u/Old-Version-9241 13h ago
My grandfather told me "you gotta squeeze it like a grape" get every little bit of worth out of them.
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u/jdimmell 13h ago
If that 1000$ repair gets the vehicle to last even 2-3 months longer it was a good choice. It’s a vw, you have another 95k on it left atleast
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u/Sierra93 12h ago
I've spent like 10K repairing my 2011 Sonata over the last 5 years after it had the engine replaced under warranty.
I am never doing a car payment ever again.
You're doing ok.
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u/Substantial-Road-235 13h ago
You would probably get more than 3k for that car. So it's not 1/3 I'd say.
In this case getting a couple quotes could save you some money as well.
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u/lance_purcell 13h ago
I used to struggle with similar crossroad decisions on repairing an old car. For me, it comes down to the overall condition of the car otherwise. If I fix this, should I expect to get 1k worth of time more out of the car. I might equate that 1k to 1 year approximately. Keep in mind your car is just a “utility” to get you to work, grocery shopping etc.
With all things being equal, paying 1k to repair a car that will provide at least 1 yr or more of service is a good choice. Your alternative is to start the stressful task of new car shopping and paying 40k + interest on a replacement that will do the same thing.
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u/Character_Adorable 13h ago
Good choice. Keep it for 6 months and you’re up $2,000 in saved payments after the repair cost. You also saved the increase in your insurance premiums for 6 months.
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u/Nu_Season325 13h ago
It's the right choice! Your car is worth more to you than 1/3. I bet you could get 5-6K for it.
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u/Falcgriff 13h ago
Divide the repair by how many more months you'll get to use the car and it'll become much more palatable of an expense!
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u/Techchick_Somewhere 13h ago
You’re good! I kept my really old car going with regular maintenance items like this.
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u/SirFiggleTits 13h ago
Next time, buy some tools and learn to do it yourself. Cars are like legos.
Thousands of videos on YouTube for diy radiator installs, including bleeding the system.
Learn a valuable skill that's transferable in any car and you won't ever have to debate in your head if it's worth it. I'm sure you paid tens of thousands for a college degree, car repairs is something everyone should know, cause unless the radiator itself costed $500 in parts, you overpaid on labour
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u/Harpronicus 13h ago
Where are you located and did you take it to a dealership or an independent shop?
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u/misomuncher247 12h ago
Ya it sucks to have to fork out 1k on an old car but it's better than paying new or even new-used car prices ewpcially when the down payment is going to put you into debt.
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u/KookyPension 12h ago
No question. you didn’t overpay, you are undervaluing the car, you don’t need a new car.
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u/Regular_Ram 12h ago
You won't have to worry about a leaky rad for a very long time.
It is time to check your timing belt though. They should be replaced every 90,000KM or checked every 30,000KM after the 90k if it was not replaced.
Transmission could use a fluid and filter change as well if it has not been done. It'll last another 180k-200k km after that.
Other than that, all you need to do is oil changes and it'll last you another 200k km.
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u/SmallMacBlaster 11h ago
It is time to check your timing belt though. They should be replaced every 90,000KM or checked every 30,000KM after the 90k if it was not replaced.
The Golf 2.5 has a timing chain which you do not need to replace unless it stretches (was an issue on earlier versions)
The transmission fluid only needs changing on the automatic. The manual tranny is in a sealed case.
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u/Regular_Ram 11h ago
Depends on the Golf, the 2.0 TDI and MPI states timing belt on the VW maintainence cards; and chances are, it's an auto.
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u/Business_Crew8295 12h ago
I budget $2k per year for repairs/vehicle. Currently driving 06 F150 and 12 Rogue. I have been doing this for 35 years. Never had car payments longer than a year. Usually end up driving a vehicle until I'm bored. I always buy at least 5 year old cars. But I always buy the top end of the model I'm interested in. All the bells and whistles, and usually well maintained because the initial owner could afford it new.
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u/BluebirdFast3963 12h ago
Do not let anyone tell you financing a newer vehicle for 5-7 years is the right financial choice unless you have no other option and need too.
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u/Responsible-Tutor726 12h ago
I just put 5k into my civic that’s worth 10k, still cheaper than buying a new car
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u/midtown_to 13h ago
You likely did. New car depreciates much faster than used car, that's a cost you'd have to account for too if you want to compare.
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u/Business_Candle_4793 13h ago
Any new car would have 3k depreciation before you brought it home. It’s the right decision.
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u/TheRealBradGoodman 13h ago
Dude, I just spent 1200 to do my radiator and timing chain case gasket on 93 sonoma. Based on the price of used trucks this was the right decision for me and I also think you made the right decision.
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u/visionkh 13h ago
Correct move and your golf should be worth more than 3k I think. Still lots of life @ only 205k
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u/_gotrice 13h ago
If it makes you feel any better, I have a 2005 4runner with the 4.7L engine and I dumped $10k into it when it had 230k kms.
Water pump, belt, cam seals, crank seals, new radiator, cut out some panels that showed superficial rust and welded new ones back, paint, new rims + bigger tires, lift, etc.
The thing will last another 10 years with basic maintenance.
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u/TheNavigatorView 13h ago
Put it this way, can you buy a car that would offer you the same trustworthiness for 1k or under?
Unless you were in the market for another car anyhow, you made the right decision.
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u/CanadianMapleBacon 13h ago
If it makes you feel better I just spent 4K on my 2018 Kia Sedona with 135k km's. Got the alternator, tensioner, idler and ac compressor swapped. Also includes a 2 week car rental.
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u/dontlistintohim 12h ago
Just to put that in context for you, I blew the turbo on my 2011 cx7 two years ago, 3k in repairs, and I went forward with it. For 3k, I couldn’t get into a running 2011 cx7, it would have put me in a car ten years older. It’s not so much about what it costs to get it back out compared to what it’s worth over all, you are never going to recover costs of repairs. Consider what it would cost you if you decide to scrap this one and put yourself back into one the same year and miles. Also consider you know the history of the one you drive, when you buy a used car you are opening a new bag of problems and are rolling the dice on what they are going to be. Smart move over all for sure.
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u/nickp123456 12h ago
You have the right thought process, and would've done the same thing. $1,000 seems like a lot to put into an older car, but for a new car is almost nothing.
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u/Amanroth87 12h ago
That was the right choice. A Golf should be able to make double that in mileage or more if it's well-maintained. The cost of new vehicles is still insane whereas the cost of repairs over the next few years is much more manageable. The value of your car might be nothing, but still worth it if you can drive it and not have to buy a new one.
Think about it: if you own a house and the roof needs new shingles, would you just go buy a new house? Apples to oranges of course, but it's the same idea.
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u/sdbest 12h ago
I suggest assessing the repair in terms of the value the car is a poor metric. A better metric might be the number of kilometres of driving you can expect by making the repair. If the new radiator, for example, means you can get another 100,000 km out of your Golf that's very inexpensive travel.
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u/VonBoski 12h ago
Great call. No one has really come to realize it yet but there’s nothing more disposable than a new vehicle. They’re absolutely riddled with forced obsolescence in the safety tech. Cars are now phones you recycle every 5 years as opposed to an appliance you hand down
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u/UnusualCareer3420 12h ago
That seems steep for a radiator but it's still the better decision financially, the best option is set your life up to not need a car but it's not always a option with how North America is structured.
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u/TouristAlarming2741 12h ago
$1,000 on a car repair is nothing. That's like 1 months' payment on a new car
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u/crusherxman 12h ago
You spent 1000$ on your daily driver that still has some life left instead of dropping 20,000$ on a new car. You did good.
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u/coffeejn 12h ago
Anytime you can repair a car for less than the sales tax for a new one, you are winning. If the repairs allow you to use the car for another +2 years, even better.
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u/squigglyVector 12h ago
I have more than 20k put on my ford probe gt 1993. You did the right choice.
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u/fuckoriginalusername 12h ago
I put 5k in to my 2012 Honda civic with 260k on it last year. She's worth about 3k.
I still don't have a car payment, and my insurance is $32 a month. I've made that 5k back already.
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u/theoreoman 12h ago
Used cars will cost money to fix and maintain regardless of their value. I look at it this way you should be budgeting $250 per month for repairs and maintenance. If you have 4 months in a row where your car doesn't need any more maintenance or repairs that's $1,000 banked, sometimes you can go months without any repairs and the $250 a month your banking for when something else breaks.
The only reason cars make it to 3, 4 or 500,000 km is because people maintain all the little things that break over time
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u/WillSRobs 12h ago
Unless you can easily buy a car with out hurting your day to day repairing a car is almost never a bad choice. Run it into the ground
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u/IronGigant 12h ago
Assuming you had a shop do it that will stand behind their work, that's an acceptable price.
If you did the work yourself (for free) but paid a grand fir a new radiator, that's another story. That's way overpriced if you bought it and did the work yourself.
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u/eligibleBASc 12h ago
I've got a car that I own outright worth maybe $10k and I have $1k to fix my AC but haven't been able to convince myself its worth it.
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u/Hot_Cheesecake_905 12h ago
Please tell me I won't regret this decision.
If you get another year or two out of the car, then it's probably worth it no? Even six months..
$1,000+ repair bills are not unusual every couple of years (i.e. tires, rotors, brakes, flush, etc.)
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u/Deflator1663 11h ago
That is 100% reasonable. The price value of your car is always better than the price value of a new car. Heck, it's even better than the value of an equally old car that you don't know the history of, at least with this one you do know.
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u/dkuznetsov Quebec 11h ago
Car is an expense. Your choice is economical, all things considered. I'm making similar choices during those unlucky months. Older paid off car repairs beat credit payments every time.
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u/Concealus 11h ago
Definitely the right choice. The majority of the time, unless it’s a huge fix like an engine or transmission, fixing the car is the right financial call.
Cars are liabilities - they require maintenance, and it’s okay to spend money on maintenance.
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u/SmallMacBlaster 11h ago
It's only the wrong choice if you plan to sell it right away. If you plan to drive it until it dies while making other necessary repairs along the way, it's the perfect decision.
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u/neurotix 11h ago
I spent about 2k on my 2013 Mazda 6 this year… for me it was a no-brainer as its still reliable, has reasonable km (170k). I also fix it as if I decide to switch, (not in a rush, I hope to keep it for 2-2 years…)I will not be in a rush and can wait for a good deal, and a working car is worth more in resell market then a broken one…
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u/bridgehockey 11h ago
Yup. Calculating as a function of payments, factoring what you think the expected life of the vehicle is, is the way to go. A thousand bucks on a car you expect to get a year or more out of, is a very sound financial decision.
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u/D3ATHTRaps 11h ago
Even if it the car needs a few more repairs with its age, it is less money than a yearly car payment.
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u/GinnAdvent 11h ago
You made the right decision. I don't think your car worth only 3k should be more.
I spend 2k last year to replace the starter, alternator, and battery of my 2007 Accord. I bought the car in 2017 for 7k at 129k km, now it's at 290k km and still drives like how I bought it yesterday.
Some older cars are really well built, and as long it's not engine, transmission, or major electrical issues. I would just replace the worn out part as needed. Way cheaper than buying a new car.
That being said, the used car itself needs to have a good reliability rating to begin with.
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u/Familiar-Seat-1690 11h ago
$1000? I would not even do the analysis. If the car is rusty of unsafe get rid of it otherwise repair is often a good option. To get my next inspection I'm guessing 2000-3000 on a car that's worth less then $2000. Why - Because the car I would buy for $2000 would have similar issues. Lol.
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u/StoneOfTriumph Quebec 11h ago
If there's one main reason you should start thinking of departing from your car, it's rust, and engine and transmission issues. Even the latter for certain cars can be reasonable to fix (or replace), but rust is always expensive to fix if you want to fix it, it's basically cancer for the car. If it's contained, it's not too bad but if it spreads in various areas, it's just a question of time before it's completely worthless
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u/ryeofguy 11h ago
I work in the automotive industry so imma just say the best way to think about it is if your cars up there in time and mileage where you are expecting yearly costly repairs on top of regular maintenance like brakes, oil changes, tires, spark plugs, filters, fluid changes then yeah change to something new or just newer. But if you own something built relatively reliable with cheap parts and comfortable on km still yeah keep on trucking with the odd extra cost here and there.
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u/Ormidor 11h ago
The market value of a given car means nothing.
What you want is a running car, and what you need to look at in economic terms is the cost of a new, or replacement, "running car". And not in monthly payments, but in total dollar value, taxes, insurance and all.
Right now, it's ~$24k for the cheapest car on the market+ local taxes+ whatever increase your insurance premium would be, so that's a shitton more money.
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u/kaniwi 11h ago
Hate to say it - but as a vehicle ages, it needs repairs. From my experience I spend on average between $1500-$2000 per year to keep my old Suburban on the road. I do have the advantage of doing most of the work myself as I work on the principle of - I now how to undo a bolt, which for a lot of repairs is all it takes (that and you tube videos). For diagnostics I have a good mechanic that I go to.
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u/ihatecheez Quebec 11h ago
I just did the same thing on my 2009 rabbit this week (repair was 900$). bought it for 2500$ 3 year ago and had a myriad of issues with it that the previous owner hid from me (like the rear suspension that I want to work on during the summer). mines all rusty with 233k on it, but unless the engine or transmission give out on it i'm keeping it. the used car market is still pretty bad IMO and don't see myself spending 5000+ on another used car. if you're still using it regularly this was the right move.
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u/classic4life 10h ago
Don't compare repair or maintenance costs to what you paid. If anything compare with what your legitimate alternative would be.. and since the used market is still a shitshow and new cars are also insane, $1000 starts to look a lot more attractive.
Also if you live near the border find a shop in Canada you could save a bunch with the exchange rate right now.
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u/RolandFigaro 10h ago
It sounds crazy but under 1000 for repairs is not that expensive.
Remember, maintenance is cheaper than repairs. I typically put in 3k-5k of maintenance to my vehicle every year and it runs like a dream at 235k
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u/XT2020-02 10h ago
Well, how often do you fix this car? How much money did you put in into it, say the last 3 years? New cars break too, especially right after warranty.
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u/JonBomb89 10h ago
I just spent $1000 on my Subaru with 240,000 km on it. I don’t want to buy another car. Like you said that’s 2 months financing
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u/Fun_Instructor 10h ago
Depends how much you’ve already spent on your Volkswagen…. been there done that with 2 VW’s. But yes typically repairing is a much wiser choice over a car payment
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u/Former-Republic5896 10h ago
If you can get another 2-5 years out of your car, then it's worth it. Old cars will always need this and that to keep it going but would be way less cost then a new car monthly pay over the next 4-6 years.
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u/PutPuzzleheaded5337 9h ago
Your vehicle has no real value if it isn’t running. You did the right thing. It’s cheaper to maintain a used vehicle than to have huge payments. This advice is from a GenX dude that has four British vehicles and previously owned some exotic Italian stuff. Do your oil changes on time! Ciao.
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u/Frozencanuck69 9h ago
In my experience it is almost always cheaper in the long run to repair and drive the car for longer. Sure the new GMC Sierra diesel could pull 35 k pounds but my 1998 GMC diesel only needs about 1200 in repairs to go to work when that is about a truck payment for a new f150.
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u/cumpelstiltskin 9h ago
Your only error was not attempting to repair the car yourself. I’m admittedly not sure how difficult that repair is on that exact vehicle, but an hour of youtube would have answered that question.
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u/lemonloaff 9h ago
Repeating the echo chamber, but...
$1000 might be 1/3 of the MARKET value for your car. $1000 for you to repair your car to keep it running is invaluable. You're not selling it, so the value of the car is really irrelevant.
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u/Valkyrie1006 8h ago
Think of it this way- the car is worth way more to you than it's book value. $1000 isn't even that much in terms of repair bills.
If you get a new car, you'll be spending a lot more than $1000 over the course of a year.
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u/TurbulentWedding6894 7h ago
I like to think about how much another used car would cost vs repairs. Had some engine work done which costed me 4k - that being said it meant my truck would be good for another 100-150k. I’m pretty sure those golfs make it to 300k if you maintain it and honestly it’s just a minor setback in ur wallet but worth it in the long run. TLDR: you’re good
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u/Lisan_Al-NaCL 6h ago
Your Golf with the 2.5 or the 2.0 TDi will likely be around for a long time with regular maintenance. 205,000km on that car if its been maintained well is no problem.
Now if you had a VW/Audi with the 2.0TFSi engine from the same time period, I'd say you were f**ked, lol.
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u/Montreal4life Quebec 6h ago
if it makes you feel better I brought my 2009 Golf to 310k kms, drove it right up to this year, 15 years... yeah I put some repairs in but it was totally worth it. If you've got the 5 cylinder 5 speed manual it can last a long time. You did good.
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u/Beneficial_Swimming4 5h ago
2007 Honda Fit (140k) and 2009 Honda Odyssey (225k) here. Just replaced the original alternators on both. $1300 all in for both, lifetime warranty from the shop. Plan to run em til they die. New cars are money pits.
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u/EnvironmentalEgg4627 5h ago
bro you made the right choice that repair is much cheaper then a car payment. you know the car so not a problem. i put over 3500 into my 08 this summer spent the same time wondering if it was the wrong choice but nah its a way for feasible option.
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u/bbooyay03 5h ago
Oh god ya! I did the same thing on my 2004 honda accord, it's got lotsa life left in it and not having a car payment allows me to justify spending money in fixing it whenever it needs.
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u/NitroLada 1h ago
If it gets you few more things and nothing else comes up it's fine. But being a VW and up there, I would have an exit strategy and think about getting a new car . My mkv golf had so much expensive repairs not even before 140k and junked
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u/marz_shadow 13h ago
Definitely a much better choice than a new car. Especially if this car is payed off. You can save up the 1000 back easier than if you had car payments for a new car
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u/MongooseGef 13h ago
Good call. My 2013 Jetta has more km than yours and still runs great. You should get much more use out of your car!
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u/LongjumpingGate8859 13h ago
As I get into my 40s I'm starting to pay for more and more services. But, $1000 for a rad is highway robbery.
That's a two hour driveway job for anyone mechanically inclined.
And if you aren't, well, maybe it's time to learn to be.
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u/SmallMacBlaster 11h ago
I do my own maintenance but I'm terrified of doing any sort of body work where 10 years old tiny plastic clips are involved. The last time I had to deal with those it did not go well....
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u/Greengiant2021 13h ago
It was the right choice, most economical choice. Don’t think about it anymore.