Opinions/advice...what would you do?
Find a Conversation
| Tue, 11-23-2004 - 5:20pm |
Okay, I know this isn't really the right forum but the connection is that I don't want to wind up deep in debt that I can't pay off all over again.
I'll try to keep it really brief: in September I bought an old car for cheap ($1200), thinking it was just what I wanted: I liked the model and it's a 4 cylinder engine so I thought it would be cheap on gas. Wrong: it burns 2-3 times what my equally old Honda used. Turns out the car is totally gutless, leaks badly (which I couldn't tell when I bought it), and burns about as much gas as a 1980 Lincoln Continental...
I've decided I really just want to get rid of it and cut my losses, whatever they are because the car costs so much to run. I suspect that it will quickly be a real money pit just to keep it running. I advertised it in the paper about three weekends ago and got only one call. I AM disappointed that it is a financial disaster, but I would like to cut my losses now before it needs as much $ in repairs as I paid for it.
Unfortunately, I have my mom telling me that I'm "not in a position to just give it away"...and since I have just quit my job and am moving to her house to try to start my life over/get back on my feet, I feel compelled/bound/forced to listen to her and keep the car if I can't sell it for close to what I paid for it, which is dreaming since it's soaking wet inside. On the other hand, I'm not a kid either so I am frustrated and feel like I should just follow my gut instinct, which is just to get rid of this car for whatever someone will give me for it. However, I don't have another car to use when I get to my mom's house, and selling this car for whatever I can get will likely displease her...despite the fact that I've told her endless times how much gas it burns.
Now, the car won't start. I've talked to a couple of people at my work (one being our engineer) who have both told me it is probably the battery. I was at a loss since my brother told me it could be the alternator, or the starter...and I didn't want to sink a ton of money into a battery if that's not the problem. I just didn't know what to do. So now it looks like at minimum I'm going to have to spend $100 on a battery. At which point maybe I should just keep the car...? I just feel sick thinking maybe I might have to fix the alternator or the starter or something, so maybe I should just get a new battery and try to get rid of the car asap. I don't know what to do and I just thought I would post my dilemna and see if anyone out there feels like commenting.
Thanks,
r

Have you asked your mechanic his opinion? Often, mechanics will give a car a good looking-over for free (try to find a couple good *independent*--as opposed to those with a chain--mechanics through referrals--they're more likely to do it for free, and more likely to give you an honest opinion). See if you can get two mechanics to look it over and give you an estimate for repairs. Ask them to categorize repairs--"must do now to keep car running safely," "will almost certainly need to do in the next three-six months to keep car running," "should be done in the next year but not urgent"--or whatever categories make sense to you. Make sure they're giving you estimates based on the cheapest parts available--it would be silly to put a lifetime warranty battery in a 20-year-old car, for instance.
We did this with an old car we bought for about the same amount not too long ago. Then, point blank, I asked each one what they would do in my position. The necessary repairs were roughly $2000, so I said, "if you had $2000 to spend on a vehicle, would you repair this one or go buy a different one?" They both said, "Go buy a different one." So that's what we did. Well, actually, I have a guardian angel, my aunt, and she stepped in and gave us a car, but we were exceptionally lucky in that respect (fyi, she doesn't always just bail us out of things--she happened to have a car she wasn't using and begged us to take it off her hands. I don't want you to think we just go to her and she fixes all our problems--the car was by far the largest gift we have ever received from anyone other than parents--actually, I can't think of any one gift even from parents that rivals the car in terms of monetary value). We sold the old car for parts for $200.
If you're going to have to go into debt over a car, the vehicle ought to be worth the money you pay for it. If you end up with $2000 worth of repairs on a credit card, that's much worse, in my eyes, than a $2000 auto loan for a vehicle whose actual worth is $2000.
Get the mechanics's estimates in writing so you have something to show your mom. In your position, I would feel like I owed her an explanation for any major financial decisions I was making, since I would feel like she was bailing me out. I would also fear she might have doubts about my ability to make wise financial decisions, and I think an explanation with written documentation would go a long way to allay those fears.
On the other hand, the mechanics might say, "well, there are some problems, but it's basically a sound vehicle and I think you should repair it and go on." In which case, you have your answer and don't have to explain anything to your mom. I don't know what you should do if the mechanics disagree, lol.
Just so you know, we almost ended up where you are a few years ago, going home to live with family. My dad bailed us out with a loan, and then things kept getting worse. Just as we were thinking we would have to go live with my in-laws, dh got a job that kept us going a little longer (I had to get a night job to make ends meet, but we managed). When Dad loaned us the money, I began sending him monthly statements to show him where the money was going, and I kept up this practice until I was able to begin making payments on the loan from him. At that point, I felt I had shown my financial responsibility well enough that it was time to go back to being independent in that respect.
Anyway, I think ultimately you must make the financial decision that makes the most sense to you, but I also think that as long as someone (regardless of whether it is a parent) is bailing you out, it's nice to keep them in the loop, you know?
Good luck and hugs to you. I know this is a very difficult time, and I wish you the best.
Blessings,
Heather
Oh boy, back in 2000 I ended up buying what turned out to be the lemon of the century! When I was still very much in debt I paid $3K for a used 2dr hatchback Colt and ended up junking the bloody thing a year later...I had too close of a call when a 24 wheeler driving behind me by the grace of God averted hitting me when the bloody car gave up its engine!
Like the previous poster suggested, get an independent mechanic to give you an estimate. Depending on how much it would cost to get everything in working order, stop the leaking and whether the car is even worth the trouble, decide what is best for you.
Sometimes starting afresh means doing just that; in all respects of your life. I am a firm believer in purging my life of people and things that drain your energy and that includes a money pit of a car ;)
You've had a very emotionally trying year even when you managed to get out from under the credit card roller coaster. Perhaps the car can be salvaged with minimum repairs but if not don't keep it.
You don't need the stress of dealing with a potential lemon.
We're here for you,
Kassandra
Edited to say that after re-reading my post I see that I still have issues with the junker as I used the word bloody twice in my run-on sentence. LOL!
Edited 11/23/2004 7:11 pm ET ET by iv_kassie
Kassandra
"It is said that life has its peaks and valleys. The challenge is to accept them equally and experience them
Hi, and thanks.
I've read a lot of your posts and I would never think you just go to someone to bail you out. You sound very responsible, etc.
I did pay to have the car checked out at a dealership mechanic that was recommended to me by a man at my work (who I trust), whose friend owns the dealership, and who spoke with the manager of the service department and arranged with him for me to make the appointment. I thought under those circumstances I could trust the place, but I got ripped off big time. I gave them a list of very specific things to check: is there a gas leak because I can smell gas around the car, does it need a new water pump because my brother's friend thought that's what the funny noise under the hood was...plus check a couple of other things and PUT IN a PVC grommet because the car didn't have one...
I was charged to be told that it didn't have a PVC grommet and they couldn't replace it that day because they didn't have one--hello, I told you that...you should have ORDERED ONE!--...that it didn't have a gas leak, but no explanation why I smelled gas all the time, that it had a new water pump and someone had "spent a lot of money on the car but just didn't go all the way" and it would be $350 minimum to rip the side of the engine off to figure out what the noise is--I figure it might be connected to why the car burns an astounding amount of gas. I was also told that the transmission wire harness was broken. The written report said something different but I was told on the phone that it was a broken transmission wire harness. I've already told my mum all this stuff.
I was charged $115 to be told this...I was angry but I couldn't do anything about it without really offending my work, since that's why I went to that place...I should have taken it and gotten it inspected before I bought it, but I didn't...failing that, I should have gotten a purchase inspection after I bought it...would have been cheaper and given me a much clearer picture of what's wrong with it.
Since I doubt I can sell it right now, I will probably just have to take it with me...I can get a cheaper inspection done there so maybe that's the route I will take.
Thanks for the advice. I just hate feeling like a confused whiny little kid but I've been so confused and unsure of what to do.
Thanks for your words too. Thanks for reminding me that
1. I could have spent a lot more money and still got a lemon of a car...I heard a few times "well, maybe if you'd spent a bit more you'd have gotten a better car" but fortunately my mum wasn't one of those people.
2. When you start over it's good to purge your life of everything. That's what I've been trying to express both here and to my mum without actually being able to find those words.
I'm still welcoming any other opinions that anyone wants to express.
I'm willing to work hard so hopefully my life will fall into place and I will be able to afford a car loan on even an old car that would be a keeper for a few years.
Thanks for all the support because this year has been hard for me and I just don't have a lot of energy for things like this.
If you really want to know if it's the battery or not, have someone jump start it. Then drive it to Pep Boys or Sears. They will test the battery for you for free and tell you if it is bad.
As far as your mom's opinion, since it is so important to her then I'd work on convincing her a little more. Write down how much you are spending in gas, how much it is going to cost to get it functional (maybe get another opinion from a different mechanic, or use the estimates from the first one) and explain how getting a different vehicle would work out better financially.
As far as not being able to sell it, I am sorry I have no suggestions there. It does suck and I do sympathize. My car has 104,000 miles and I just had to buy a new exhaust system for $446, and something is wrong with the transmission which I am having checked out on Friday. I have no room in my budget for a car payment so I hope it is something that can be fixed for a reasonable amount, and that it will be okay for at least another year after that. If it makes you feel any better, I have a friend with horrible credit and she had no choice to but to borrow money from one of those places that lend to anyone (or, well, at least that was the only option she saw for herself)... she ended up with a $350 car payment on a car with 125,000 miles... the loan will definitely outlive the car. I can't even imagine being in that situation.
Well, I think I've got it all figured out. I had a chat with my brother, who suggested jiggling the gear shift back and forth while it's still in Park. That makes the car start (at least last night it did; I walked today). I was told when I had the car inspected that it had a "broken/not grounded" transmission harness wire". I didn't understand what that meant and so far the car has been just fine.
I had a chat with my ex-bf who said if the lights and radio work, it's not the alternator, and if it sometimes starts, it's not the starter. And if jiggling the gear shift in park makes it start, then it's the transmission harness wire because an automatic will only start in park or neutral, so if the transmission harness wire is broken the transmission can't tell what gear the car is in so it won't start. It all makes perfect sense to me...so I just have to try to get rid of it for whatever I can get because I don't want to take it back to a small town with me!
And I talked to my mum last night for a long time and cleared the air. Seems I just misunderstood her so everything is fine there. She just didn't want me to leave the car on the side of the road/sell it for $100 because I was fed up if all it needed was a new battery. She actually agrees that I should try to get rid of it.
So I'm calm and peaceful now because I have a clear cut plan/goal.
Thanks for helping.