Ugh! I need to rant about cars and they're problems!!

[kim929]

DH, who used to work in a Saturn dealer's service department and knows a ton about cars, says...


"He says to replace "either the idle air control sensor, temp sensor or O2 sensor."


I just had to replace this on my '92 Volvo, the kid that worked on my car drove it to my home, (my bil owns the garage) pulled in the driveway and the car died, the sensor was bad so off it went again. My dh just laughed and said it was me, cars are allergic to me.

I never have very good luck on any car I have ever owned. I always say I should just get a horse.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

If you need a reliable used car that isn't too expensive, look into a Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic.

I wouldn't touch a late model Civic with a 10' pole. 90's models and early 2,000's yes. But the mid 2,000's are frequently money pits.

 

[runsandjumps]

My aunt always told me buying used is buying someone else's problems.

If you do buy used buy something that has not only been taken care of maintenance wise but overhauled as well.

We are experiencing the pain of fixing my minivan right now to
The tune of a few grand. That sure was a fun way to spend out savings.

Ana

 

[ImDMous]

I ditto PPs about Pep Boys, they do not know what they are doing and they take forever to do it. Also, most of the things you listed are normal wear and tear for a car that old. The parts aren't meant to last forever, they need to be replaced at regular intervals.

 

[trip]

Next time you are given a car, take it to a garage and tell them you are planning to purchase it. Have them check it out and tell you what problems they see. Then you will have a better idea of what expenses may lie ahead.

Good to do anytime you buy a used car.

 

[Alesia]

Stop taking your car to Pep Boys - take it to an actual mechanic.

 

[mouselike-harrier]

Just had a similar experience with my son's car. He was driving a 2003 Mazda, had lots done to it last year (was his father's car). A week before our trip, the battery died. Replaced it for $120. Two days later, the engine light and transmission light went on. To make a long story short, after our cruise we found it was going to be over $2000 Decided to get another car. We had it with everything that was going wrong with it. BTW it had 132,000 miles.

 

[mm1971]

Rewind 3 years or so ago. My Dad gave me his Ford Taurus since I was starting my first job so I needed my own car. It was a 2001, not in bad shape. I don't really recall my parents having issues with the car. But I swear, as soon as I got it, I seriously had to take it to get something repaired every like, 3-6 months.

It needed to get a new battery, starter, something fixed with the emissions, new brakes, windshield wiper fluid pipe was broken, air wouldn't work, heat wouldn't work, something with the power steering! Omg everything!

So then a little over a year ago, it hit 100,000 miles and it started to make some horrendous noise when it would idle. So my parents went car shopping and found me a 2004 Dodge Intrepid. My mom has a 98 intrepid? And she has had almost no problems with it. She's had it since 99 or 2000, and currently it might have like, 90,000 miles?

Anyway, so I have this intrepid and all was going well. I got it end of August last year. It currently has 100,300 miles? When I bought it, it was at 80,000 (I used to have to drive far for work). Anyway, seemed fine, went to Wisconsin Dells a couple times (3 hours away) then problem #1! Earlier this year the power steering pump decided to not work. $300 dollars later yay! car finally runs fine again.

About a week ago, here's where the real rant comes in, my car wouldn't start. The engine kept turning over. So I took it into Pepboys (which I love!). they told me it needs a new battery and it would cost me little over $100. So now my car has a new battery. My car seemed fine until this morning. Got in my car. What a surprise! Engines turning over again. Won't start.

SO NOW I HAVE A BATTERY I DIDN'T EVEN NEED IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!! UGH!

Oh and the best part? It can't get looked at until Friday because the ONLY technician is off tomorrow. SERIOUSLY?!

Three things:
1. I better get some sort of a good discount off of whatever is wrong with it. I'm trying to save up for a Disney trip here!!!! And i'm currently working on buying/renting a new place. I don't have money to waste!!!!
2. I'M SO SICK OF MY CARS HAVING PROBLEMS!! Is there some sort of trick?! My boyfriend had a 97 Camry and I swear he had very very very little problems with it. and it had over 300,000 miles!!!
3. Is there a car/year anyone recommends?!? I know there's cars that are better than others. Now, i probably can't get a car 2010 and above, but anything below I could look into??

Please help! And thanks for reading those who did

Suggestion: TOYOTA or HONDA

I would even go with Hyundai since you can get a pretty reliable car for a good price with a 10 year, 100K mile warranty.

Stopped buying Chevy/Ford/Dodge in 2006.

 

[lvillotta1]

Like others have said HONDA or TOYOTA all the way. I never see these cars on the side of the road needing to be towed or broken down. People need to get a grip and buy reliable cars. In the long run you can never go wrong. Spend the extra money. You will be glad u did.

 

[Sandy61]

Whenever I drive my DH's truck, and I am upset, the turn signals burn out. I think we have changed 6 this year. But if he drives it nothing happens. I swear I am doing it.

I gotta say, on vacation this year Pep Boys saved us. We were in Santa Fe and the car broke down and the nearest place was a Pep Boys. They fixed the CV joint and we were charged a lot less than we could have gotten it done at home. DH said they were great and showed him everything and he felt great about them. We have had bad experiences at local places around here though.

 

[DisneyBill]

Haha, So I better buy a Toyota and all my problems will be solved
My boyfriend just got rid of his Camry for a Vibe...not sure what year 04-07 Something in there.

Pontiac Vibe was made by Toyota (essentially same car as the Matrix). So, he still has a Toyota.

 

[Surfinpiratee]

Pontiac Vibe was made by Toyota (essentially same car as the Matrix). So, he still has a Toyota.

Funny, my boyfriend less than 10 mins ago, told one of his friends this. Almost word for word haha. So in other words, Pontiac is a good brand to get

 

[lawnmd]

I don't thnk it's your alternator. Before you replaced your battery. If your car motor was turning over like it should it wouldn't be the battery. They should have pulled the battery off and checked it to verify it was good or bad. A partially bad battery can start a car for a little while.

Now that new battery is on and car turns over like normal. But not starting. It's not the alternator. A battery gives the starter power to start the car. Once the car is started. The Alternator charges the battery and then powers all the accessories.

Let me give you an example. You can start a car with a bad battery. By using jumper cables. Once the car is started you remove the jumper cables. If the the alternator is good the car will run until you turn the car off. If the alternator is bad the car will die as soon as the battery goes dead.

So my theory it isn't the alternator. I can't help you with what wrong. But I don't believe it's a alternator.

 

[Lisa_M]

Haha, So I better buy a Toyota and all my problems will be solved
My boyfriend just got rid of his Camry for a Vibe...not sure what year 04-07 Something in there.

Vibe's are great. They were made in the same plant in California as the Toyota Matrix. Same engine as well. I have an 03 with 167k miles on and going strong. We have had no repairs other than brakes, tires, wipers and 2 batteries (one at 70k and one at 150k) It's great. Recently there was a recall on the wire harness, so they changed that for free and now it is running even better before. There have been a couple of recalls on some minor things, so I thought I would let you know so you can make sure your boyfriend checks with a GM dealership that the car is up to date.


ETA: remembered a few more routine repairs: New spark plugs, oil changes, air filters, the A/C had to be recharged once and a new fuel line because the chipmunks outside my house nibbled a few holes in mine. It was in great shape other than the animals snacking on it.

 

[Lisa_M]

My advice is to find a trust worthy mechanic in your area. I don't trust Pep Boys at all. To many BAD experiences with them.

I agree with everyone about Pep Boys. Find a local mechanic. It took me a while to find a trustworthy reasonable place/person, but once you do, you'll be so much better off. Sometimes, when you replace the obvious problem (aka the bad battery), you totally miss the underlying issue (bad sensor, bad connectors etc.). You need someone who lives and breathes car repairs and not someone who just finished up a basic car repair program

Funny, my boyfriend less than 10 mins ago, told one of his friends this. Almost word for word haha. So in other words, Pontiac is a good brand to get

Pontiac is hit or miss, IMO. The vibe is definitely a hit, but it was the only one made on the Toyota line. It has been a good bet for used according to Consumer Reports for quite a while. I come from a long line of Grand Am/Prix owners in my family. We've had 6 between my parents, me and my sister. Of all of them, the best one was the 1991 and the 1998. The rest were plagued with weird mystery issues that creeped up at the 70-90k mark.

 

[Gamegrl1]

To the OP - I saw the problem as soon as I read the first line: "Ford Taurus". My first car was the hand-me-down family Ford Taurus. I got it when it was only 7 years old and it didn't have a ton of mileage on it. It was ok for a couple years and then needed some kind of large repair (I don't recall for what) that was going to cost $2,000+. I had just started my first government job so I had solid pay coming in and decided I was going to save up for a brand new car...that was 12 years ago.

I bought a new 2001 Toyota Corolla and have had a good, reliable ride. It has a bit over 100,000 miles (I don't drive much!) and hasn't had anything huge to be fixed. Last year I spent about $1,100 on repairs but hey...it's 12 years old. Got a new battery a couple/three years ago. Hoping it'll run fine for a few more years and then I'll buy a new one of some kind and pay cash.

I don't know what to advise you but I'm sorry there've been problems. Cars can be such a headache. I have a temporary houseguest who's staying with me while she tries to get on her feet. She has very little money, is essentially homeless and has a minimum-wage job. She wants to save for a car but I have tried to talk her out of it because they are SO expensive...not just the up-front costs but the ins., gas, maintenance and (heaven forbid) repairs. I keep suggesting she just get a bicycle to get her to work and back until her situation improves but she is reluctant. Oh well...guess some people have to learn the hard way.

Anyway, I wish you great luck with your next vehicle!

 

[Lisa in WV]

I hope you're able to figure out what's wrong with your car. Hopefully it won't cost an arm and a leg to fix.

I must be in the minority here. We used to have a 2000 Ford Taurus and never had any major problems with it. It had 204,000 miles on it when we got rid of it. Aside from normal maintenance, the only thing I can remember the car needing is a plastic container to hold antifreeze; I can't remember the technical term for it. The old one was leaking.