Car Situation

[Darcy03231]

I just want to take a minute to thank everyone who offered me advice. I don't think we will be buying Toyota or Honda or Nissan, we are (foolishly at this point) loyal to Ford.
My husband has fixed the truck to the point that it is reliable to get us from A to B and back again (knock on wood).
We are going to have to have a long discussion to figure out how to move forward at this point and you guys have given us a lot of food for thought, so thank you.
I think what will likely happen is we will fix the Explorer (pray it is just the lifter), fix the timing belt on the van and sell it, then work on fixing up the truck while my husband drives the saturn to and from work.
I wish we could just go to the dealership and trade in but I have two reasons for not wanting to:
1) I worry about how much we'd get in trade in at this point and we really do not want a higher payment. If we fix the head, the only repairs going forward on the explorer should be minor (HUGE KNOCK ON WOOD) and,
2) though he always puts us first, I know my husband wants a new truck for our next vehicle purchase. I really want to make that happen for him, he really is a wonderful man and deserves whatever he wants.

OP, please take this in the spirit in which it is intended. Until your children are out of the house both you and your husband both should have vehicles that will fit the whole family in. We're a family of 8 (DH and I and six kids - 2 of his, 2 of mine and 2 fosters). We both drove minivans/large SUVs for a long time. There will be plenty of time down the road for your husband to get his truck once the kids our out on their own. We were shopping for a new vehicle once and I fell in love with a particular car. DH's response was once I could figure out how six kids were going to fit in it I could have it. He was right. If something happened to either car we could still transport our whole family in the other one.

 

[manning]

I suppose that's true, but that's never been our experience. We like to do things ourselves rather than depend on others.

The truck is an extended cab and seats 6. The saturn seats 5. We have 4 kids.

We just kind of accumulated them. When we got married, I had the Saturn and he had the truck. Then we purchased our explorer as a family vehicle and when the explorer was down due to needing a transmission rebuilt, my husband's grandmother passed away and we purchased the van for $500 so we could get through until we could get enough to rebuild the transmission.

Get rid of the Explorer You bought it for only $500. You could sell it for more than you paid for it.

My aunt has a 2002 Honda Accord and loves it. Except for a Couple recalls (all manufactures have them) for only visit to the dealer is routine maintenance.

While in a waiting room I was reading the new consumer report car issue. Toyota and Honda come out at the top. I have heard these two share 1st and 2nd place.
one year Honda is first another year it's Toyota.

Rented a Toyota Camry this year. It has llots of room and the 4 cylinder is peppy.

 

[manning]

Op I would sell all the cars except for the truck that you husband needs for work and buy 1 newer reliable car. My family had owned toyotas and it is impressive how long they can run with no problems. There was this Toyota previa that run with no major issues for 250,000 miles my mom made my step dad sell it because the heating stopped working. The number one thing a car has to be for us is reliable if not we will get rid of it. We had really good luck with our Lexus we have put 159,000 miles on it and we only had 1 repair that was not regular maintenance that cost us $300 at the dealership. We will be buying a new car later this year and I am really torn. Good luck OP!

The Lexus is a dressed up version of the Camry. Kind of like a Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. Same vehicle off the same line except Navigator is more expensive with more ginger bread.

 

[MamaBelle4]

OP, please take this in the spirit in which it is intended. Until your children are out of the house both you and your husband both should have vehicles that will fit the whole family in. We're a family of 8 (DH and I and six kids - 2 of his, 2 of mine and 2 fosters). We both drove minivans/large SUVs for a long time. There will be plenty of time down the road for your husband to get his truck once the kids our out on their own. We were shopping for a new vehicle once and I fell in love with a particular car. DH's response was once I could figure out how six kids were going to fit in it I could have it. He was right. If something happened to either car we could still transport our whole family in the other one.

If he does get a truck next, it will be a crew cab which seats 6. Not roomy, but we all fit.

 

[ellie05]

The Lexus is a dressed up version of the Camry. Kind of like a Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. Same vehicle off the same line except Navigator is more expensive with more ginger bread.

Don't say we really didn't know that both brands are related . You don't even know what kind of lexus I drive but apparently you know is the same version as the Camry. You can call it dress up version we call it superior costumer service and they really stand behind their products so we will stick with them. My mom has a camry that is newer than our lexus I can tell you our lexus ride is way smoother, materials on the lexus interior are much higher quality. The best part is we get a luxury car that can be repair for a fraction of the price in any toyota dealership. Oh yeah and when we had a recall Lexus drove two hours to our home to drop off a loner took our car to get service done, came drop our car off with a full tank of gas (tank was less than half way when picked up)and the car has been detailed. In fact the car was wet when we drop it off because he took it to the drive through car wash because he wanted to make sure all the bugs from the ride were off the grill. Yeah we will keep buying lexus. They had provided the best customer service we have experience in a luxury brand unlike my audi that was the four rings of H-E-L-L.

 

[danygirl]

If he does get a truck next, it will be a crew cab which seats 6. Not roomy, but we all fit.

We too own a fleet of well used Ford's including a 1998 F 150. We also have an ancient Saturn.
DH was an auto mechanic for many years. Fords and Saturn's are easy to work on and the parts are cheap. Plus gotta love how Ford did not take a big govt bailout.
I would keep the F 150 since your husband uses it for side jobs. Keep the Saturn for now since it runs. Sell the explorer since you don't all fit.
If you can afford to fix the van, do it.
Independent shops are less expensive. Last time we needed a new transmission we drove further out and saved 2k.

 

[kymom99]

Nissan has had to offer an extended warranty on the CVTs they are so bad.
http://www.nissanassist.com/faqs.php?menu=3

model year 2003-2010

I drive a 2012

 

[LJSquishy]

I would fix all of the vehicles and sell two of them and put the money into savings. Then continue to save toward a reliable new (or newer used) vehicle until you either can pay cash for it or put down enough cash to have the payment you're comfortable with. Keep fixing the vehicles you plan to keep until the repairs might start outweighing a new car payment each month or you've just had it with not having a reliable vehicle.

I don't know much about Ford's reliability these days but boy were they a mess for a number of years. Never be brand loyal...you (your husband) should put reliability on the top of your list rather than the brand. Personally I'd be buying a Toyota, Subaru, or possibly a Honda but most likely one of the first two.

I drive a 2000 Nissan Sentra that has been full of various problems over the years. Some repairs have been expensive and others have been inexpensive but I look forward to the day I get to get a Toyota or Subaru. My husband has a 2005 Subaru Legacy and boy are we happy we bought a practical car instead of one based on brand or looks! It has served us well and we will keep it for many years.

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

Unfortunately these would be issues that pretty much anyone would face when their newest car is 10 years old! It's just how it goes. I'd keep the one that runs the best, and sell the two oldest beyond that, then keep the newest, assuming it's the cheapest to fix. Don't buy an old used car that you have to make payments on! I'd get the last one paid off before the year is up and then use the money made from the sale of the other two and what you were paying towards the last one to build a car-specific savings account.

 

[kymom99]

I know you didn't ask for what kind of car to buy, and it sounds like you want to make do with what you have. Sometimes you can luck into a great used car, regardless of brand. We bought my father's car after he passed. Yes it is an old person's 2002 Buick, but we paid cash for it and have had it for 8 years. We have put a little bit of money into it along the way, but nowhere near what a car payment would be. It still has less than 100,000 miles on it. My son drives it now, and we had to do brakes, 2 wheel bearings, and 2 window motors. Not something I wanted to do, but we know this car and we feel it is a good car for my son to drive. We couldn't have bought a reliable car for him for what we put into it. It also isn't bad on insurance relatively speaking. He is satisfied with it, so it is money well spent.
When someone is on a budget and just needs inexpensive transportation, Toyotas and Hondas can be out of reach pricewise. I looked at them when I needed a car. Even used, very expensive. I know they are worth it, but if you don't have it, you don't have it. I ended up with a Nissan because they aren't as expensive, but as I have said, mine has been very reliable. My step daughter drove a Nissan for years through college and beyond, until someone hit her and totaled the car.

OP, a friend of mine has an Explorer with 300k miles on it. So yours is worth fixing. Fix the Explorer and keep one of the others. get rid of the other 2 and save some insurance money in the process.

 

[aprilchem]

I'm in the "sell everything and get a Honda or Toyota" camp. I've driven an Odyssey for the last 10 years and have not had one repair the entire time. Routine maintenance, oil changes, etc., but nothing has ever broken in any of my vehicles.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

We too own a fleet of well used Ford's including a 1998 F 150. We also have an ancient Saturn.
DH was an auto mechanic for many years. Fords and Saturn's are easy to work on and the parts are cheap. Plus gotta love how Ford did not take a big govt bailout.
I would keep the F 150 since your husband uses it for side jobs. Keep the Saturn for now since it runs. Sell the explorer since you don't all fit.
If you can afford to fix the van, do it.
Independent shops are less expensive. Last time we needed a new transmission we drove further out and saved 2k.

Not entirely true on the bailout. Prior to the economic collapse of 2008, Ford was bleeding money like crazy while GM & Chrysler were turning a profit. Ford took a multi-billion dollar gov't backed loan in order to restructure. At the time, they were in the worst financial shape of the Big 3 & it's kind of good fortune they were in such bad shape they were able to get their gov't money PRIOR to the economy going belly-up. It's ironic that had they been in better financial shape, they likely would have been bailed out in '08 right along with the other 2.

 

[PatMcDuck]

We also fix transmissions and put new engines in cars. I drive a 2003 Beetle, my husband has an '06 Equinox but with over 200,000 miles (2nd engine). DS has DH old Chevy pickup, 240,000 miles (original engine! but 2nd transmission.) The Beetle is starting to nickel and dime me to death the last 4 months (well, $500 here, $600 there, and just today: $225)

It is hard to know when to stop fixing cars, once you put $$ in you feel invested. We want a newer one, I want to pay off ALL CC first, and that has not happened yet, so we continue on with the old cars. (there is also '89 Camaro in the driveway that is another story all together). It is annoying feeling like none of the cars here are reliable.

 

[MamaBelle4]

We also fix transmissions and put new engines in cars. I drive a 2003 Beetle, my husband has an '06 Equinox but with over 200,000 miles (2nd engine). DS has DH old Chevy pickup, 240,000 miles (original engine! but 2nd transmission.) The Beetle is starting to nickel and dime me to death the last 4 months (well, $500 here, $600 there, and just today: $225)

It is hard to know when to stop fixing cars, once you put $$ in you feel invested. We want a newer one, I want to pay off ALL CC first, and that has not happened yet, so we continue on with the old cars. (there is also '89 Camaro in the driveway that is another story all together). It is annoying feeling like none of the cars here are reliable.

But once they're up and running, it's "Yep, we made the right decision, this beast still has some years left."

Just every once in a while, it all hits at once and you feel frustrated and you're looking at your bank account hoping money will magically appear. And your car will magically start while you're at it.

 

[dhardawa]

I was gonna mention Honda but my civic has so many issues so far. heck, I'm sitting at the mechanic as in posting this because I got my belt replaced and now it's making a clicking noise. I think they are saying it's the alternator.

My one and only Honda was a nightmare. I don't think I'd ever be able to buy another after that car.

 

[tvguy]

model year 2003-2010

I drive a 2012

So you are still under the 5 year 60,000 basic warranty. No need for an extension of the warranty yet. Ask you dealer how many CVT's are in your shop for repairs. You turn is coming.

 

[kymom99]

So you are still under the 5 year 60,000 basic warranty. No need for an extension of the warranty yet. Ask you dealer how many CVT's are in your shop for repairs. You turn is coming.

No I'm not. I have 81K on it. But I have an extended warranty because I bought it certified used with 7700 miles on it. And as I said, the link you provided said the extended warranty is for years 2003-2010. So this wouldn't apply to me anyway. I see so many cars just like mine all around, and none of them stopped on the side of the road. So I'm being optimistic and believing they have improved them. Remember the Hyundais in the 80s when the engines caught on fire? People drive those suckers forever now.

 

[tnklvr]

LOL. My son's Little League Coach is a Toyota Dealer Mechanic, has been since 1969.
His comments on Toyota reliability are two fold. First "If they are as good as people say, why do Toyota dealers all have service departments?". Second "The Toyota difference isn't in better quality, it is in better customer service" The example he cites are the awful head gaskets on V-6 engines. If they blow, Toyota will fix them for free, for the life of the car. Ford had a similar issue, and they didn't extend the warranty on their engines with head gasket issues, but there was a time and mileage upper limit.

My husband and I have owned four Toyota's in my life, two pontiacs, one kia (the most problematic and expensive, one mercedes, one Ford, one Volkeswagon. We had issues with all but the Toyota's. None of our Toyota's ever had to go in for anything other than maintenance in their life spans and the others were in often for different issues. They have service departments because their are oil changes, and maintenance things that need to be fixed and I am sure something other than that comes up from time to time for some people. As for their customer service in my opinion is they all suck including Toyota. I had the most issues buying my last new Toyota from the dealer, everyone over the salesman were crooks and jerks and I won't be going back to that dealer even for service. I would guarantee that dealer would not replace head head gaskets on V-6 engines there free for the life of the car and would be looking for their money back on the service from the customer. I had the worst time with the service department on my POS Kia. Personally, I feel it depends on who owns the dealership and how they choose to run that dealership.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

My husband and I have owned four Toyota's in my life, two pontiacs, one kia (the most problematic and expensive, one mercedes, one Ford, one Volkeswagon. We had issues with all but the Toyota's. None of our Toyota's ever had to go in for anything other than maintenance in their life spans and the others were in often for different issues. They have service departments because their are oil changes, and maintenance things that need to be fixed and I am sure something other than that comes up from time to time for some people. As for their customer service in my opinion is they all suck including Toyota. I had the most issues buying my last new Toyota from the dealer, everyone over the salesman were crooks and jerks and I won't be going back to that dealer even for service. I would guarantee that dealer would not replace head head gaskets on V-6 engines there free for the life of the car and would be looking for their money back on the service from the customer. I had the worst time with the service department on my POS Kia. Personally, I feel it depends on who owns the dealership and how they choose to run that dealership.

My coworker raved about her Toyota van for years & how all it ever needed was "maintenance". Of course, many of the things they called "maintenance" would be called "repairs" on other brands. $500 here, $1,200 there. It did get her to 180,000 miles, but by then only one of the back doors functioned correctly and several other items were in need of "repair", er "maintenance".

Here's the thing people forget about all those top ratings Toyota gets. Even though they have the fewest issues on average, they are NOT fail proof. In actuality, they have 5-10% fewer issues than cars that are rated "fair" or "poor".

 

[tvguy]

No I'm not. I have 81K on it. But I have an extended warranty because I bought it certified used with 7700 miles on it. And as I said, the link you provided said the extended warranty is for years 2003-2010. So this wouldn't apply to me anyway. I see so many cars just like mine all around, and none of them stopped on the side of the road. So I'm being optimistic and believing they have improved them. Remember the Hyundais in the 80s when the engines caught on fire? People drive those suckers forever now.

Yes, you are high mileage for your car's age. Not enough other folks there yet for Nissan to have to do anything. It's coming. Just Google it, lots of people reporting CVT issues even in the 2016s so Nissan hasn't solve the problem yet.