Fix it or Junk it? Five Signs that your Car is beyond Repair

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Maybe you need some new shocks, maybe a fresh set of tires will get your car back on its feet, and maybe the only real problem is that you need an oil change. Or maybe, just maybe, the sixty bucks you’d get to junk the car is a safer investment than spending thousands and thousands of dollars to repair it. Here are five signs that you’d be saving money in the long run by buying another car and leaving this one to someone with a little more time on their hands:

1. You’re Down to Duct Tape

A little duct tape to patch up the seat? No problem. Duct taping the steering wheel when the grip rips open? Sure, why not? The problems begin when you start using it to fix your engine. A little tape to hold a pipe in place until you can get some sealant or a new hose is fine, but when you’re using it for everything from loose gas pedals to leaky radiators, it may be time to think about trading up.

2. It Just Isn’t Safe

Not a single airbag working? Car stalls on the freeway? Tires keep blowing out because of a bent axle? Sometimes it’s less a matter of saving money on repairs and more a matter of trying not to be the one everyone blames for that twenty three car pileup on the interstate. If you just can’t really put any faith in your car to get you there in one piece, then you’re better off swapping up for something a little safer.

3. You’re Setting “Just in Case” Money Aside for Your Car… Every Month

It’s good to have some money to spare when you do need repairs, but when it gets to the point where you’re stuffing another three hundred dollars into that coffee can each month, you may be paying more than you would for payments for a brand new car, at which point keeping your Junker on the road just doesn’t make much sense anymore. You want to repair your old car to save yourself money, but once you get beyond that point, it may be time to call it a day.

4. It Keeps Getting You Pulled Over

Those blinkers that just won’t be repaired, the broken windows, the tailpipe that falls out of place and drags along the street sending sparks in every direction. If you can’t go a week without another warning from the cops, well, those cops are eventually going to get tired of giving you warnings, if they haven’t already. It may be time to get rid of that old lemon before the police get rid of it for you.

5. Only You Can Drive it… And Only on Good Days

A car that just won’t run reliably, that goes some days without even starting, is a car that’s eventually going to ruin first dates or get you fired. Not even a brand new car is 100% reliable 100% of the time, but a car that is guaranteed to make you late more frequently than it gets you there on time is more trouble than it’s worth.

Written by MyImprov

  

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