My Poor Car

[AJ80]

My car started have engine troubles on the way to work today.
My engine =

It's a 2002 Pontiac Sunfire and it has a blown head gasket along with various other engine damage. It does still run, but has very little power and can't even get up to 70mph anymore. It makes all kinds of rattly noises now too.

As far as I know, everything else is still good on it, well, except the anti-lock breaks... and the check engine light... that's been on for months... and ignored for months...

I wonder what kind of gas mileage I'd get if I just kept driving it in its current state.

Anybody have suggestions for a new one, a used one, or should I just pay possibly $3,000+ to have it repaired?

[Carry-a-Kimber]

I would say sell it, and use the $3,000 you would spend on the engine overhaul on a decent used car. You don't wanna put $3k into a car worth maybe $4k.

[The Annoyed Man]

What he said.

[karder]

Sorry to hear about your troubles with the pontiac. I agree with the others here. $3,000 is a lot to drop on that vehicle. I suppose if the rest of the car is solid you may consider just replacing/overhauling the engine, but that may not be the case. There are good deals on used cars if you are willing to really search them out. While I am sure it is frustrating, you will likely get better bang for your buck by putting your money toward another vehicle. Good luck.

[Texas_Tactical]

If I were in your shoes I would sell the Pontiac and buy something used. It's not incredibly hard to find a decent used vehicle for 3 thousand that will get you around for a year or two.

[Beiruty]

buy a civic.

[lonewolf]

Gave 4k for my 97 three or so years ago, still running like a champ. Had 75K miles on it when I bought it, now 110K. Less than $500 in repairs so far. Aside from gas and insurance, which I would carry on any vehicle, the math tells me that so far its run me a little over $100 per month (cost of car and repairs). That number decreases every month I own it. Still less than any payment on a new car, no matter how you cut it......20+mpg on the highway, smooth ride.

Keep your eyes open. They are out there. I've seen many nice cars in rural areas that have fairly high mileage, but its all highway miles put on by little old ladies visiting grandkids and stuff......

[AJ80]

I would say sell it, and use the $3,000 you would spend on the engine overhaul on a decent used car. You don't wanna put $3k into a car worth maybe $4k.

It was actually just a little over $4k when I bought it used a couple of years ago. I got it with the $4k insurance money from my other car that got totaled on October 1, 2008 when someone pulled out in front of me. It had 90k miles on it when I got it, now it has ~150k.

If I did keep the car and get it repaired, I'm sure repairs would become more frequently needed as it gets older, so i just don't know if it would cost more to keep getting the same car repaired, even if it is $3k, to keep getting used cars every time one needs major repairs or just get a new one that would likely not need any major repairs for a while. I wouldn't have payments with any of those options, but I just don't know which is more feasible in my situation since I'm saving long term toward the purchase of a house and I'd rather just pick the option that costs the least long term.

I'm also considering gas mileage in my decision since I drive 400-500 miles every week. A new or a newer used car would probably be more fuel efficient than anything I could get for $3k-$4k, but would the gas mileage and warranty for any repairs really make up the difference long term? I have no idea.

I'm leaning toward trying to find a really good deal on a used vehicle, based partly on the advice you all have given above, but still am not completely decided.
I don't necessarily need to make a decision hastily since I can get rides, borrow cars, etc until I replace it, but the sooner I do decide, the sooner I can quit inconveniencing others with my transportation needs.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll continue to pray about it until i'm comfortable with whatever decision I come to.

Feel free to keep offering advice! I appreciate it.

[TexasGal]

I don't know much about cars compared to a mechanic, but on lots of trucks, the computer module that controls the ABS can go bad. New ones are way pricey. The ones at the wrecking yard are way cheap. A quick switch might have at least that problem solved....but then the engine is almost gone. Sounds like you need to find a new ride.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

OP:

If you would actually be able to put $3,000 into a repair on a 150,000 mile car
with issues already, methinks it would be a good idea to put that money down
on a brand new economy car. Sure you would have a note but I think if you are
putting on about 1,000 miles every 2 weeks, taking on a moderate monthly
car note would give you many miles and much peace of mind.

Hondas, Toyotas, and Nissans are all proven performers with good quality,
longevity when high mileage, and good MPG.

But if you look at Kia's or Hyundai's (both owned by the same corporation), one or
both of them have 10 year/100,000 mile warranties. One thing to be aware of though
with those cars is that they may recommend a timing belt replacement at only 60,000.

Whatever you get, changing the oil and filter on a regular basis is the key piece of
maintenance to stay on top of.

http://www.autotrader.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; will allow you to search on new or used vehicles and if you use
the "advanced" search function, you will find the vehicle for you.

Happy hunting, friend. Let us all know what you end up doing.

SIA

[TexasGal]

Surprise I'm Armed is giving you good advice.
If your car is still running, it is worth more than it will be the day a rod flies through the block and that car is not known for living much longer than yours already has. It can be hard to find a reliable used car in a low price range (less than $5000) You can end up paying so much in repairs you may as well have been making payments on a better car. There are a few with a reputation for high mileage as Surprise says. The advantage of a new car is obvious, but there is a lot of depreciation that first couple of years so don't forget to get gap insurance to cover you if it gets totaled.

You probably already know this, but shop for used cars at new car dealerships not the lots which only sell used cars. When a new car dealer gets a trade in, they have their mechanics look them over. If they have obvious problems, they send them to auction. They don't put them out for sale on their used car lots. It's bad for business.

It is worth it if you are not real car savvy to have a good independent mechanic look over a car you are pretty sure you want before closing the deal. (usually cost's $100-200) Don't listen to the dealership selling the car assuring you their mechanic already did that. He does not work for you. Take it to another dealer ship that sells that kind of car. They will be familiar with it. Tell the service guy at the other dealership how badly you need a dependable car and ask for their more experienced mechanic to have a look at it. At the least, if they find something you are willing to repair, you can use it to bargain down the price. Talk to that mechanic directly if possible.

I just bought a 2006 dodge diesel truck with 66k miles for five grand less than their "best deal" and about 8 grand less than the going price for ones like it. One reason is because after getting to that best deal, I told them I wanted to take it to a mechanic for a look see. If they had refused, I would have walked out the door without looking back. I took it to a competing dealership and had a certified Cummins mechanic look it over (cost me $125). He found three or four things that needed fixing, but the important parts were just fine. These things weren't deal breakers for me. I had the used car manager there look at it too because he knew how to determine if it had been repainted after a wreck or had been in a flood (Don't buy cars from Louisiana, way up north, or down on the coast). This one passed muster. I got all the repair estimates in writing and took it back to the dealer selling it. He wasn't too happy I found out about that stuff. I used those needed repairs to bargain another five grand off the price. The money I saved on the deal was far more than what it cost me for the repairs after I bought it.

Research online which cars have the best repair records. Mileage is important, but frequent repairs are pricey and that money can buy a lot of gas. If you drive a lot, the crash safety rating is something to bear in mind too. The excellent crash safety features of the Hyundai Sonata saved my son's life. A one owner car is preferable if the carfax shows it had regular maintenance and it was traded in for a logical reason. I always want to know what the owners traded it in on. If you are looking at Hyundais, it is true they are pretty good cars and the Elantra and Sonatas are a good buy for the money, but make sure (if it is used) the oil changes and the 60K ($!)service were done. Hyundai will refuse to honor the warranty if the failure can be attributed to missing maintenance. I have owned three Sonatas from new. I traded this last one in on the truck and got more for it because all the maintenance was done at the dealership and showed up on the carfax. Any maintenance you don't know for sure was done on a used car is the first thing you should do after getting it.

Whatever you look at, know what the going prices are on it. What did the dealer likely give for it? What is the average price buyers are paying? If its new, what is the invoice price? All this is available online at sites like Edmunds.com, etc. With that info, you can do the math and have some idea of the money the dealership may be really making off it. They are usually willing to come down to making $2000 off it but will act like you are stealing from their children's table to get there. Doing your homework is time consuming, but it can save you a lot of money and a lot of aggravation later. Sorry this was such a long post. I hate getting taken on a car deal and have no idea how savy you are on it. If you already knew all this and more then I hope i have not offended. Good luck!

[gigag04]

Buying a newer car on a loan is NOT cheaper.

$3k seems high first of all. Get a second a opinion, and check out some searches on Craigslist and ebay for a used or new crate motor. Should be around $1k if not less.

Secondly, buying a new econo car is a bad move. If financial correctness (my term) is the only motivator than I agree with the above about finding a $3-4K civic or the like.

Buy the Chilton repair guide and look into doing the work yourself?

[karder]

One more "outside the box" thought, since the car is still running, maybe you could try to hang on to it for another 6 months to a year by drastically reducing the mileage you are putting on it. Carpool with friends and share the gas, work public transportation into your daily routine, and walk when possible. This is definitely more inconvenient, and it may not be realistic depending on where you live or what kind of work you do. If it is possible, you may find that you can extend the life of your existing car for long enough to put the time into hunting out a good deal. I did this same thing about 20 years ago when I needed a new transmission, and was able to put it off for over a year, but it took a big adjustment on my part.

[Carry-a-Kimber]

If you are putting that many miles on a vehicle, I would not buy new, you will just kill the value of the car. You should be able to find a Civic, Corolla, or simular with about 100k miles for around $4k and put another 100k miles on it without too many issues. One of those would get you about 30 mpg and still be worth a few hundered bucks when you are done with it.

[ExMarlboroMan]

My car started have engine troubles on the way to work today.
My engine =

It's a 2002 Pontiac Sunfire and it has a blown head gasket along with various other engine damage. It does still run, but has very little power and can't even get up to 70mph anymore. It makes all kinds of rattly noises now too.

As far as I know, everything else is still good on it, well, except the anti-lock breaks... and the check engine light... that's been on for months... and ignored for months...

I wonder what kind of gas mileage I'd get if I just kept driving it in its current state.

Anybody have suggestions for a new one, a used one, or should I just pay possibly $3,000+ to have it repaired?

I can tell you that if it does indeed have a blown head gasket, you will be getting zero MPG when the engine seizes. Blown Head Gasket = coolant in oil, oil in coolant, coolant in cylinders, possibly all of the above, which in turn = BOOM!