*UPDATE POST 97 GOT MY NEW CAR!* Get a new car or fix existing car?

[LoveBWVVBR]

I really need opinions on this badly. Let me start off by saying that we live debt-free, we don't take car loans, and I'm working on paying off our current home mortgage (only debt we currently have, and first time we've had a mortgage in over a decade!). I'm very frugal. DH is...cooperative with my frugality I'd say

My car is a 2006 Volvo SUV. We bought it used from Carmax in 2008. It had under 20K miles on it and we paid about 21K if memory serves me. Anyways, it's a nice solid car...not perfect, as it's tough to get the kids in and out (little rear legroom and large carseats). Also, we live in FL and the AC in this vehicle isn't great. In the summer, it cannot keep up and blows warm air. Yeah, that's not great, but it's also not fixable. The dealership says that it works normally for this vehicle. I guess that that's what I get for buying a Swedish vehicle when I live in FL.

Other issues with the vehicle are that the headliner has nearly completely fallen off due to the adhesive giving out (I've seen this on other people's Volvo SUVs here too, though, so not abnormal for the vehicle), it goes through a set of tires a year (figure $750-$1000 a set for those), and it's expensive to service (oil changes are over $100, regular "big" services run $750 and up).

Well, last week my car decided to just shut off when I turned onto the highway. Luckily the oncoming cars were pretty far off and I was able to get it in park and started back up (thank goodness!!!) before anything happened. My kids were in the car as I'd just done school pickup. Well, that was the last straw for my DH. He is just OVER it and wants us to buy a new car. I insisted that we have the Volvo looked at and the shutting off thing is fixable. All told, it would cost about 2K to fix my car right now (the mechanical stuff), plus another $750-$1000 for new tires.

DH's contention is that in 6 months we're going to be out another huge chunk of money if we keep it, because that's about how often something fails on it. I don't have a crystal ball, so I can't say whether or not that is true.

What eats at me about replacing it is that I've had it only 4.5 years. I'm a "drive it into the ground" type of person. It has far under 100K miles as I only drive 12K miles a year max. Actually, I drive a LOT less than that now that DD is out of preschool and goes to the elementary school down the street. I can bike there on all but rainy days. I really drive only to after-school activities a few times a week (again, a few miles max) and over to BJs once a week or so (maybe 20 miles roundtrip). I fill the car up every 2+ weeks, so clearly I'm not driving a ton.

I cannot wrap my mind around replacing this car. DH cannot wrap his mind around keeping this car. His argument is that the AC is awful (admittedly a big deal in FL), the inside looks low-rent because of the headliner issue, the tire wear issue (very heavy vehicle...nothing we can do about that), and the fact that things fail and it's VERY expensive to service when they do. If we did replace it, we'd get a mini-van for ease of getting the kids in and out. We'd pay cash. We're talking probably 20K out out of our savings for that though. I could just croak when I think about that! Sorry this is so long, but please tell me what you think.

ETA - One other big thing. DH drives a 2005 SUV that we bought new. We live on an island in FL, so it's a very corrosive environment. We'll be lucky to get another 3 years out of his car due to rust issues, so we're looking at replacing that in probably 2015. Figure 20-30K minimum on that replacement, so we have that coming up in a few years too.

One other thing...I can literally walk or bike to everywhere but the grocery store. I could even bike to most activities, although some are a little far. Pediatrician is 2 blocks over, school is just under a mile, etc. DH will NOT consider becoming a 1 car family at all. I would totally do it.

 

[HM]

If it was us, we'd get a new car. I just can't see pouring more money into a car that is likely to have more problems down the line and it would bother me every day to get in a car that didn't have proper air in FL and had the headliner flopping about. There is a time when you reach a limit of what you can take from an older car. Your's hit my limit with the dangerous shut-off.

Oh, and a minivan is a very good idea (Honda?). Great for families with all ages of kids.

Good luck deciding.

 

[Mac4life30]

I say new car also! You sound like you need something dependable and the Volvo is not.

 

[cvjw]

Another vote for getting a different car. I don't mind keeping my cars for many years, but I draw the line at driving a car that I don't feel safe in. If my car quit in the middle of the freeway, that would be non-negotiable in my book. My life and the lives of my kids are worth more than saving some money and driving a dangerous car.

FYI - we just traded in our 2006 Toyota Sienna for a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. The van only had 83,000 miles on it, but we had several thousand dollars of maintenance that was about to have to be performed. We weighed the options, and decided to put that money into a new car, that we knew would be safe to drive for many years.

 

[ManyMinnie]

For me, dependability is a must in a vehicle. Your vehicle is not dependable and is costing you a lot of money, often. You have to put a new set of tires on every single year? Wow.

New vehicle, no question.

 

[POOHsie]

In your case, I'd get a new, or gently used vehicle. I had been buying used vehicles for a decade, but at the present time, used cars are very high-priced. I did better on a new vehicle with warranties, incentives and lower finance costs. Your vehicle sounds like it has high maintenance costs that can't be justified within a family budget. Many car makers are much more reasonable. I don't understand why you are replacing the tires yearly. Tires are good for 30-40,000 miles.

 

[wiigirl]

I say new car also! You sound like you need something dependable and the Volvo is not.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[angierae]

My rule of thumb is as soon as a car has more $ in repairs in a year than payments on a new car would have been, it's time to get a new car. I drove a 99 Escort until December of 2008, it had 140k miles on it, but I had already put about $1000 into it that year and it needed another $1500 worth of repairs. I bought a slightly used Cobalt (23k miles, about 18 months old) for $12.5k. I've now been driving that for four years and I've only put about 47k miles on it, and other than new tires and oil changes I think I had one $250 repair.

 

[treeface]

I would probably also go with a new vehicle, just thinking long term it might be a less expensive and more reliable option.

As far as the tires, I too have to replace my tires every year at a cost of $700-800/year. I do drive about 25-30k per year but just don't get that out of them. We buy the warranties on them, last set was purchased in 10/11 and all have been replaced at least once under the warranty. We have tried several different brands/models all with similar luck. It can get very annoying, especially when they go flat and there is a lot of snow on the ground which happened last week.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

If you drive only 12,000 miles a year, no way should you be replacing the tires yearly. Something is wrong; did you ever investigate this issue?

Financially it would be better to trade this in and get a good used late model car than to buy a brand new car. Check the April issue of Consumer Reports for a list of recommended used cars and models to avoid.

 

[scrapquitler]

I can't get past the part where you say that you only drive 12K or less miles per year, yet you have to replace the tires annually. That just doesn't seem right to me in any way. I've never EVER heard of that before.

Personally if the car turned off on the highway, that would be the deal breaker for me (esp. if it were going to cost 2K to fix, on top of new tires, $100 oil changes, etc).

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Get a new one. That sounds like lemon to have that many problems. It's a safety issue at this point, and safety, especially with kids, comes first.

 

[Praying Colonel]

If you drive only 12,000 miles a year, no way should you be replacing the tires yearly. Something is wrong; did you ever investigate this issue?

Financially it would be better to trade this in and get a good used late model car than to buy a brand new car. Check the April issue of Consumer Reports for a list of recommended used cars and models to avoid.

Agreed with both.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

I'd definitely trade the car in and get something else. Not a new car, but a gently used one. Look at Hondas and Toyotas. They are the only cars that I'd consider buying used.

 

[BCV2003]

Definitely a vote for a new car here. My sister had the same year Volvo as you and it was becoming a money pit. There was always something wrong with it.

Also as others have said, you should not be needing to buy tires every year. I drive a Dodge Durango which is a heavier vehicle than yours and I drive 70 miles roundtrip every day to work and I don't purchase tires every year.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

I should have said a new to you car in my previous post.

 

[branv]

Replace the car. I know it's galling to admit, but this car has been a bad investment. It happens to the best of us, but the real mistake here is not admitting it and moving on. It will continue to eat away at your bank account for just crazy upkeep AND now it's behaving in a potentially very dangerous manner? No amount of money saved is worth my and my family's safety. Even the tire situation is enough to trouble me -- something is just not right.

As PP's stated, consider a used Honda or something similar. Our 2007 Accord has over 100K miles on it (all of them by us), and has not needed a repair yet. We do regular scheduled maintenance, that runs maybe $300-$400 year (DH always uses the dealer; likely cheaper otherwise). We've only had to buy tires for it once, and that was in 2011 for around $500.

Just be aware, I think the 2008's have had a lot of complaints about premature wear on brake pads.

Best of luck. I just gave up my 2000 Honda Civic that had finally gotten more expensive than she was worth, though it took her 10 years to cost us anything in repairs. It's always hard to give up no car payment! Though I am now LOVING my comfy, roomy, safe new CRV Trust me -- after just a week in your new car you'll be wondering what took you so long.

 

[OklahomaTourist]

Agree COMPLETELY with the comments about buying new tires every year. No way that makes sense. I've got a 2008 Toyota Sienna that needs a new set of tires about every 2.5 years and THAT eats me alive, but I also know that's the nature of those beasts - they eat tires. But for a more conventional type of car? Doesn't make sense.

If you pursue a gently used car, look for something like a Camry. That's my target when the time comes here in the next few years. Don't think I'll be buying new unless the used market is just out-there expensive

 

[NotUrsula]

Your DH is right. Time for a change. (Frugal is a good thing, but you have to watch it when frugal starts sliding into cheap -- if you find yourself willingly courting danger to save money, then you are starting to go over the ledge, and it is time to re-think your priorities. BTW, a drooping headliner *is* dangerous -- the thing could decide to fall down on you and blind you when you are doing 70 on the Interstate.)

Consider buying a used rental car; Florida is a great market for those, and most of them don't have a lot of wear on them, though they do have higher mileage than they used to because the companies are keeping them in the fleet for longer.

As for the salt damage, it's actually more the sun that does it. The preventative for that is paste wax, and LOTS of it, applied very frequently. You want the finish to be as smooth as satin so that no scratches end up exposing the steel to the sun and causing the paint to rise. Once oxygen gets under the paint, damage will start.

 

[willowsnn3]

Peace of mind is worth a lot. I would say get a new car if you can afford it.
Take the amount of repairs for a year and divide by 12. If the resulting amount is more than an average car payment then you should get a new car.
My 2000 Honda Accord has 251,000 miles on it and the last couple years I have made around $1400.00 a year in repairs but virtually no maintenance issues before then.