When is it Time to Replace Your Automobile?

When you come up against your second big repair in a year on your 100,000 mile vehicle you are probably asking if it’s worth repairing or would it be better to replace it with a new or a lower mileage used car. Most cars nowadays will make it to at least 200,000 miles, so yours is not even middle aged yet.

Consumer Reports in its October 2007 issue wrote that you could save $20,000 by driving a Toyota Corolla to 200,000 miles versus trading in and buying new every 5 years.

So what should you consider when making the decision to repair or replace? First, has the car been problematic year after year? If so it will probably continue to be. Is the car one of the ones listed as reliable by JD Power or Consumer Reports? If so chances are good that after fixing it you’ll have smooth sailing for a time with minimal expenses. Third, have you kept your maintenance up to date? If you haven’t, the cost of getting “caught up” should be factored in. finally before making any decision, ask the repair facility to do a thorough inspection of the rest of the car to determine if anything else needs to be done now or in the near future.

A moderately priced new car will cost at least $20,000. Sales tax is around $1600, on top of that is ownership taxes, license plates and interest, not to mention a payment every month. In most cases it is less expensive to keep and fix a car than to replace it, but if it has been unreliable and expensive to keep running, a purchase of a new or lower mileage used car may be in order. Just be sure the make and model you buy is one with a reliable rating.