should i fix my car or trade up???

[luckydog]

well, now my starter is starting to act up on my 1999 ford escort with 83,000 miles ( the car misses sometimes while driving, the front end makes noise that gets louder in curves, the headliner sags and my air quit working last year
I'm trying to decide if I should invest more money into it or just give up and trade into a newer used car with close to the same miles??
the only thing that's holding me back is having to make car payments again!! part of me says I deserve a better more reliable car

[compirate]

Sounds like you need something else. Maybe a small pickup so you can haul more stuff from Goodwill to pay for it

[RaymondV]

Yeah sounds like you need a new car.
My 2005 Dodge Stratus is getting a little worse every year...this winter has been brutal on it, still in great shape though.
I am going to start looking for something else this summer.

[Moparformances]

sad that a car with only 83000 mils is having problems.. it really says something about american cars.. if it was a toyota or a honda i would say fix it.. but it sounds like your needing a replacement

[heima]

Hmm, if it was my car, I would probably invest in a max of $1000 to get those things straightened out.
Misfiring, could just need new plugs, wires or distributor cap and rotor.
Noise in corners could be tires, alignment, brake pads, or cv joints.
Starter might be the starter solenoid dirty, the starter needing to be rebuilt (brushes and/or bearings), or the ignition key.
Air conditioning could be a small leak, a blown fuse or relay, loose compressor belt, bad switch, or a recharge.
Headliner could be a quick fix with 3M spray glue.

[luckydog]

in Sept I did invest around $700.00 and got a new battery, tires and brake pads, the air was checked at the same time and its a major problem!!

and I'm too old with poor back and aching joints to attempt repairs myself anymore

[MrGneiss]

Since its not my money, I say...Get a new (used) car!!

[Drunkenclam]

Had to change the front brake calliper on our 96 escort last month. But it's got twice the mileage of yours. Scrap yard special
If you think it's to much trouble use your money on a new one.

[Card Shark]

I would suggest getting a newer car rather than keep putting money into that one. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. Let me know if you want me to look into a new BMW for you

[daverob]

I've always been the sort of person who prefers to keep repairing an old car. I do most of the work myself, and so I know the car (and it's faults) inside and out. Buying a second hand car can be a bit of a lottery, and I'm always worried I'll end up with something that's got more things wrong than the car it's supposed to be replacing.

If I wasn't doing my own repairs, then I'd just work it out on the financial side of things. Work out what your budget is for a new car and/or what the loan repayments would be, and when the old car needs more costly repairs than the repayments on a new car would be, then it's time to get rid of it.

I'm pretty much stuck with my old '94 Volvo now, I've had it for 15 years and added 250k to the 70k that was on the mileometer when I bought it, but it's still pretty reliable and only costs me a few hundred a year to keep it in road-worthy condition. As long as I can still get the parts to keep it running, I don't think I can justify the cost of replacing it.

[mxfaiman]

Since its not my money, I say...Get a new (used) car!!

Have you taken it to a dealer to see how much they would give you for it?

[luckydog]

when I had my 87 T-Bird as soon as i fixed one thing another problem would pop up, after about 2 grand in repairs, I finally gave up and traded it in "when it still needed more work" for my Escort
I'm still undecided right now, I don't think I will get much offered as a trade in??

[compirate]

Other Makes GTO | eBay

Other Makes N A | eBay

Other Makes Dynasty It Electric | eBay

Other Makes Daihatsu Hijet Hijet | eBay

Other Makes Vanguard Citicar Citicar | eBay

[mxfaiman]

Other Makes Dynasty It Electric | eBay

Man that one is really green.

Spoiler

$_57.jpg

[luckydog]

WooHoo!!!

my car is running smoothly again, its almost like driving a different car

my problems posted above were really getting bad, I finally decided to invest some more into my 99 Escort

my car was in the shop 2 days "the wheel bearing had to be pressed in at a machine shop"

I got a tune up with new plugs and wires installed

front wheel bearing replaced with alignment

oil change and new filter

total with tax was $554.00

I'm a happy camper

[JACKSJE4]

I have agonized over the same issues with my 1994 Chevy Silverado. Every time something goes wrong with it, I debate on whether I should keep it, or get something newer. I love the truck, but with 185K miles, I always wonder what the next issue will be. I've already invested A LOT into it for repairs over the past 2-3 years, so it makes the decision that much more difficult - I want to get a return on my investment.

When it runs, it runs very strong and purrs along. It doesn't use any oil and the interior looks almost like new. If I could justify a new paint job, the truck would look like new inside and out. In the long run I think fixing it is still cheaper than financing another vehicle, paying the sales tax, and paying higher insurance premiums and registration fees.

Glad your decision to repair you car worked out, LD. I hope she runs problem free for a long time.

[Card Shark]

I am very glad everything worked out on your car. I would definitely hold on to it for now. You really would not see much for it as a trade in. Hopefully that will be that last of your troubles with the car for a long time.