WWYD... car issues

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2004
WWYD... car issues
6
Mon, 01-03-2005 - 9:33am

I have a 98 vw jetta with 106,000 miles and thank goodness, it's paid off. I was planning to keep it for at least another year and 1/2 because there is no money in the budget for a car payment. I will not be destitute if I had to have a car payment, but thinks would be much tigher and I would not be able to save as much for a house (goal is to buy a house in a year and 1/2, about the same time my credit card will be paid off).

I just had to buy a new exhaust system, $446. Ever since then I've smelled a strange burning type smell near the rear muffler. I took it back to the muffler place and they said it was fine, probably just the muffler coating burning off. But it's been about 6 weeks and it should not be making that smell. My transmission is slipping but the transmission place said it didn't happen when they drove it so wait until it gets worse. It's an automatic and sometimes when I hit the gas it doesn't go, but if I wait a second and try again then it goes. It's starting to get worse and will probably need a new transmission soon. Also, sometimes when I start it, the brake light stays on the wipers and the air (heat/ac) won't work. I have to turn it off and then back on again, and then they will all work. About a month ago the door wasn't registering as closed (although it was closed) and the noise that signals the door is ajar would not go off (dee-daa-dee-daa-dee-daa) and I had to drive listening to that noise for a day before it stopped. It happened again last night and the noise is so loud the radio doesn't even drowned it out (it's right next to the steering wheel). Last night after I got home I noticed the light wouldn't go out inside the car because of the car not thinking the door was closed.

Now, I could get all these things fixed. I don't know what it will cost, probably less than a year's worth of car payments. But I know when I take it in they will say, well the problem isn't happening when I drove it so bring it back when it happens more often. All my problems are like that, intermittent and very annoying. Overall though, I have this feeling these are all 'signs' that this car is on the verge of being a money pit. Plus, I don't want to have my car be in the shop all the time. I don't have family or someone else nearby to go with me to drop my car off at the shop and then give me a ride to work and if my car were to be in the shop for a few days my only option is to rent one, another expense.

So what would you do? Squeeze the budget and fit in a car payment and don't save as much for a house, or have to shift the $6k on my zero interest card to another zero interest card next year? Or take a chance that all these problems are it and there is no big engine or huge expensive problem around the corner?

I was looking at used cars and I'm thinking maybe a subaru. Maybe a low mileage 2001 or 2002 forrester, but I've never driven one. Anyone have one?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2004
Mon, 01-03-2005 - 9:40am

Before making a decision, I would call around and find out how much the repairs you are talking about will cost.

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Thanks for the smokin' siggy Cap'n T!!!

Avatar for cl_phocid
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 01-03-2005 - 9:49am

I would find an independent mechanic who specializes in VW's - there was an *awsome* shop that I would frequent when I lived in San Francisco - they knew the cars hands down, and they always knew what "typical" problems were with VWs.

All my best,
Danni

Avatar for gidgetgirl
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 01-03-2005 - 9:56am

Could you get it looked at by the dealership? I'm not saying you would need to get the repairs there, but they would know your car the best. That way, you could get an idea of what the repairs would cost. In the meantime, you can also start asking around for a good import repair shop that should be more reasonable than a dealership, but they would still know your car better than the average shop that works on all makes/models of vehicles.

Definitely full explore your options for repair before you think of a new-to-you car too seriously.

Good luck!

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2003
Mon, 01-03-2005 - 10:23am
Do what feels right to you. I know, that sounds funny. BUT, I had a 1996 Mercury Mystique up until this year, and things were always going wrong with it. (Esp over the past year or two) I don't think putting too much money into a car with that many miles on it is a good idea, unless you LOVE the car. I tried to do that with my car, but all it did what cause me a ton of stress and create more debt. I got pulled over by the cops (twice in two weeks) for taillights being out (because they were malfunctioning)Maybe what is wrong with your car is something little, but maybe its not. Definitely have it checked out, but if, in the end, you decide you need a new(er) car, than don't beat yourself up over it. In the end, I was happy with the decision I made (I bought a new toyota Corolla, which has a reputation for being reliable), And I don't feel an ounce bad when I send in my car payments each month. I got a really good deal, and the financing was 1.9. Sure, it is interfering with paying down my ccs as fast as i would like, but I plan on keeping this car for a good long time. And when the roads were very very icy this past week, and I got to test out the ABS brakes, I loved my car that much more. I guess what i would do in your situtaion would depend on how much money you've already put into the car. is it fixed up pretty good, or are things just waiting to go wrong?? That would be the question. I put a ton of money into my old car thinking that nothing else would go wrong, but everything else still went wrong. Good luck with whatever you decide, and keep us posted.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 01-03-2005 - 11:05am

I don't know anything about the problems you are experiencing from a mechanical viewpoint, but I do know that it's a bad idea to put a lot of money into an old car, unless it's a mercedes or something that you know will run forever and maintain value. Do find out how much it will cost to fix. Get referrals for a respected VW specialist. Get two estimates from two different repair places.

If it's going to cost you more than the car is worth to fix it, I say do something else. That has been our approach in the past and it's worked fairly well for us. I know of one family that never spends more than $500 to purchase a car (they buy old beaters), and then they *never* repair it. They change the oil regularly themselves. When the car dies, they junk it and buy a "new" one. Each car has lasted an *average* of two years (this means that some lasted less, some more), making their total cost of car ownership (including insurance, which is low since they need only liability) roughly $300 a year. This is an option to consider, though it wouldn't work in our state because a $500 car is not likely to pass the safety and emissions inspection, so it would *have* to be repaired in order to be legal.

As for Subarus, we have a 2001, and we love it. I have heard nothing but good things about them, that they are bullet-proof and will last forever. One car dealership I was talking to about pick-ups, when I mentioned that we were considering selling our Subaru and buying a pick-up, said "Don't EVER sell a Subaru." He recommended selling our Camry instead, if it came down to it. So there you go. Better reviews than Toyota, and Toyotas are awesome cars. :)

Only problem with Subarus is, they are hard to find used because people don't sell them. And even when they do, they retain their value so well it's hard to find an inexpensive one. We bought ours new when we had two incomes and thought we were invincible. We still are paying for it :(.

Anyway, good luck. Cars are such a headache!!!!

Blessings,

Heather

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2004
Mon, 01-03-2005 - 2:12pm
That is my problem, I don't want to put a lot of money in it if it's just going to be having more and more problems. I get the uneasy feeling my car is not very reliable right now. I drive 25 miles to work one way, and I have a 4 year old, I need to depend on my car. I don't have the ability to take time off work for it to be in the shop a lot, and I don't have anyone to help me get around while it is. In any case, I will find a mechanic or two and get some professional opinions on what to do :) Thanks everyone.

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