For more than a year, I've been saving up to buy a better car and I'm at the point where I could. All I can afford at this point is something about 10 years old. Chances are, whatever I bought would need repairs sooner rather than later.
My 20 year old minivan has been running well. It always starts, even on the coldest days, and gets me where I want to go. I had pretty much resolved to keep driving it until it died. I was hoping to get through the winter.
That plan might be out the window. It overheated last night. Not bad enough to boil over but the temperature gauge got up in the high range while I was at a drive-thru and stayed hot until I got home.
The radiator has a leak, which I've known about for almost a year. I checked the coolant - a little low but not that bad. What worries me is the fan didn't come on when the engine got hot. It might be a broken belt or maybe the fan motor burned out.
The radiator itself would cost about $300 but odds are that I'll need hoses and other things replaced too so the price goes up. And who knows what the fan would cost. It doesn't make sense to put $500 (which is probably a low estimate) into a 20 year old car, does it?
Other problems I know of:
1. The intake manifold leaks oil. I add oil every couple of months. The mechanic said as long as I keep doing that, I could probably drive it another 100,000 miles.
2. The electric window on the driver's side gets stuck halfway down. Not a problem in the wintertime - I don't have to use it. But in the summer time ...
3. The air conditioner doesn't work.
4. The windshield wipers are temperamental. Sometimes they won't come on when they're supposed to, other times they won't go off. Sometimes they come on even when they're turned off. I try to avoid driving when it rains, but when I have to go somewhere, so far, I've always been able to get them to work enough that I can see.
5. The heater doesn't work. I get some heat off the blower - enough to keep the windshield defrosted.
6. My tires should probably be replaced within the next few months
7. The power steering fluid leaks. I have to fill it every few months.
8. The latch on the back door is broken. I haven't been able to open it for a couple of years. The sliding door on the side is really hard to open. Major pain in the ass but I'm used to it.
The transmission and engine block seem to be in pretty good condition. No problems there, but it's only a matter of time, right? The car has 160,000 miles on it, most of them in town. The brakes are good, the battery is about 1.5 years old. It's been a couple years since it's had a tuneup.
I've had this car for ten years and I think I've spent less than a thousand on repairs in all that time. It's the best car I've ever owned. Buying another one would be a crap shoot. Who knows what I'd get.
And that's my dilemma. Put the money into Old Reliable or roll the dice on something else.
