When to repair a car vs cut losses and buy a new one? Update page 2

[Gumbo4x4]

Of course big fleet operators not only have mechanics on staff (or at least an arrangement with some), they also have enough vehicles that if one (or more) is in the shop for extended periods, they can get by. My company has about a 12-16 vehicles. It's extremely rare that all are on the road at the same time. So having one (or two) in the shop just means those people move into other vehicles. Most families don't have that option. Comparing fleets to families is apples to oranges IMO.

The other difference is the type of cars fleets manage. A full-size 4x4 truck costs double or even triple what a small car costs. OTOH, because of the ease with which one can repair a large truck (due to less constrictive packaging), it might cost half as much to replace an engine or transmission in a truck than in that cheaper car.

So you might be looking at a $20,000 replacement cost versus a $5,000 repair for the car.

Or a $60,000 replacement cost versus a $2,500 repair for the truck.

Obviously, that makes the repair of one a much more appealing option than the repair of the other.