M5M5
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 07/29/05
Posts: 11736
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When it rains it pours!! Ok...some of you know that we have car problems. A few months ago we were able to get our van fixed only to have our cavalier break down (AGAIN) a few days later. NOW the van is starting to have problems again...I'm not sure how much longer it will last! I get so sick and tired of pouring money into these cars (at least they are paid off..so that is good) only to have them break down again a few months later. The van is a 95 caravan and the car is a 97 cavalier..sort of a little sports car.
I would love nothing more than to trade one in and get something dependable but there is just no money for that at this time. How much longer do you keep pouring money into vehicles that only last a few months before the next break down? It's going to cost us over $500 to fix the car and I'm not sure how much it will cost to fix the van. It sucks having to depend on my mom or brother to get me to work if my DH can't. I mean really! I'm going crazy!
It seems like once we get one problem solved..another pops up....or more accurately...one problem pops up and 20 others soon follow it before we solve the first one. How do you deal?
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Buckeye
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 12/08/05
Posts: 7857
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BTDT - finally had to bite the bullet and buy a new one. But our situation is a lot different from yours as we didn't have CS.
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matart1
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 09/01/05
Posts: 2798
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we bought a "used" vehicle in Sept because the blue value on the van I was driving was basically nil compared to the repairs that were needed.
the "used" was current year, 7k miles and I now have a job otherwise I probably would have went for something far older than what I got or done without.
when it rains it seems to pour a hurricane though so I know what you mean.
hopefully your able to find some relief in your nexxt court date that might help with the vehicles....
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Life is a long lesson in humility.
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M5M5
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 07/29/05
Posts: 11736
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were do I find the value of our cars? They are 95 grande caravan and 97 chevy cavalier
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LeAnne
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 08/18/05
Posts: 10232
Loc: missouri
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www.kellybluebook.com
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Empty Nesting
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Dee78
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 06/02/05
Posts: 11820
Loc: TN
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That sucks. I hated driving used vehicles for that reason, our cars were always breaking down, luckily ex was pretty good at working on them so our repart costs were minimal.
I hope the van doesn't cost that much to fix.
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LeAnne
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 08/18/05
Posts: 10232
Loc: missouri
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People always ask H how much one of their old cars are worth? He always tells them that if it's 10 years old or so, has 4 wheels, passes state safety and emissions, it's worth about a 1000.00 Vehicles are the worst investment you can make as far as an everyday driver. Over the past year or so, we have seen the small cars come out of the woodwork, mainly due to the high gas prices. ALL CARS BREAK and need maintenance. Here's how we tell people they need to look for another car. Add up what you spent last year as far as repairs, plus insurance on the vehicle, divide that by 12, giving you a monthly cost. Then price a new one, plus the full coverage insurance that you will need. Don't forget to add in sales tax on the new one(big cost here) then divide by 12 and come up with the monthly cost. If you are spending way more on the clunker, it might be time for a new one. Last year we have had a bunch of peple replacing engines and tranmissions in their cars, much cheaper than buying a new one. We always try to push our customers away from buy here pay here(basically high priced junk). We have a 40.00 checkout that we do for our customers looking to purchase a used car(well worth the 40 bucks) before you buy. Just because it has been inspected for license, doesn't mean that it is not a oil leaking pig from h#ll, that the brakes aren't weeks away from going metal to metal or the antifreeze leaking from the head was spillage. Never trust a used car lot, most are junk they bought at an auction. If both of your cars are under 150,000 miles, they are probably worth fixing engine wise, just depends on what is wrong with them.
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Empty Nesting
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M5M5
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 07/29/05
Posts: 11736
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Thanks! I checked and if our van was in excellent condition (which it's not) it would only be worth less than $3,745. Trade in value is less than 2K though lol. Our car is worth 2840 and trade in is only 1K. We pour more money that that in both cars just with repairs.
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Gecko
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 19893
Loc: Third rock from the sun
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I know that it's difficult to see having a car payment given your current financial situation, but then again...how much much have you spent in the last year on auto repairs? If you spent more than $2,000, then you could be driving a GOOD used vehicle.
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If you air your dirty linen in public, expect people to comment on the skid marks!
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M5M5
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 07/29/05
Posts: 11736
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Last year when we got our car fixed it was transmition and something else (I know nothing about cars). I think this time its the water pump and something else. The van...DH thinks its the oxygen censor and something to do with the starter or crank or something. Heck I don't know. It's just getting crazy...One car gets fixed and the other breaks down. At one time they were both broken down at the same time and DH had to us my mom's old truck.
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