Fix or trade-Car advice

[ben h]

I'm pretty much in agreement with everyone else and to make the repairs and stick it out. I don't think I'd recommend making safety repairs such as brakes on your own, if you don't know what you're doing. Youtube videos are great for a lot of things, but for safety I'd get some help on brakes. i bet you know someone who has done it that would show you how to do it for a case of beer. Get a Bosnian or an Eastern European; those guys can fix anything.

 

[rickjames80]

I think you got your answer. A lot of good advice here. Anyone can make repairs to vehicles with YouTube. Almost all of that $500 charge is labor. Brakes are very easy to do. I personally am anti paying anyone to do anything. What one man can do, so can another. I'm very mechanically inclined so that helps.

I hate payments of any kind. They are necessary sometimes but try to get rid of them asap.

This is exactly how I feel! Years ago I started doing all my own repairs. I would go to the library and check out books and videos. Do you have any friends that would be willing to help also? The other nice thing about driving an older car. Someone has generally already had the same problems as you and they made a youtube video about how to fix it!

 

[outdoor_matt]

I had an old civic that I brought in to a mechanic because I needed exhaust work done. I asked him the same question if I should save the repair money and try to find a bit of a newer car. He basically said they fix all cars, old and new. Having a newer vehicle may have fewer issues, but will still have issues at some point. Keep transportation costs as low as possible, and the way to that is used vehicles and youtube maintenance. Even if you aren't too mechanically inclined, maintenance from a shop is cheaper than monthly payments. Lots of good advice so far, I would tend to agree with most of the folks here.

 

[Vandal 44]

I am in the car business and most people think I should be driving a new vehicle every three years but I don't. I hate car payments, I hate debt. I have a three vehicle 1996 Ford Bronco with over 300,000 miles a 2003 GMC Pickup with over 180,000 and a 2013 Tacoma with 60,000 miles. If something goes wrong mechanically I have to pay someone to fix it.

I see people that come into dealerships all the time that owe more on their cars than there worth and trade it in, that negative equity gets added to the new loan they take the new loan out for 84 month or even a 96 month loan which makes it even worse. I have seen people trade cars in because the car needed new tires its crazy what I have seen in my 20 plus years in the car business.

You have gotten some good advice, I would keep the vehicle and make the repairs to it you, only have 23 payments left it really isn't that much time. If you feel like you need to get a new vehicle and you have to trade the Dodge in then my advice would be this.

Sit down and be honest about your car budget. What is your current monthly payment? What can we afford with out SACRIFICING to much? I then would look at leasing a vehicle Toyota, Honda something that has good residual and a payment that I can COMFORTABLY afford. Keep in mind you will be rolling over some of that negative equity causing a higher payment than normal. You will keep the car for three years making your payments on time will help reestablish your credit. At the end of the lease you have three option 1) buy the vehicle for the residual amount 2) Trade the vehicle back in and get another 3) sell the vehicle for more than the residual and pocket the cash to use as a down payment. If you lease a vehicle and at the end I would keep the vehicle if you like it, or sell the vehicle on my own and pocket the cash and apply the cash to my next vehicle.

That is just my two cents

 

[ElkNut1]

Seriously speaking, the needed repairs are very simple, (youtube it) you can do it all for a couple hundred bucks including the front brakes. You need to learn how, no time like the present, plus you'll know it's done right & it will give you confidence to be a parts changer as other things need attention! Get in there & get dirty! (grin)

ElkNut1

 

[Conroy]

I was a sales manager at a dealership for a number of years. Not insinuating anything, but you said your credit is not very good. You probably got stuck with a high interest rate when you purchased the car. Pay as much as you can afford over your payment. You are more than likely paying a majority of your payment towards interest. The extra you pay goes towards the principle. You can shorten the life of your loan just by paying a little extra.