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Hey there CD'ers. I value your opinions on this matter.
I really do not want to buy a new "new car" OR "used car" but wondered what makes sense. My current car is paid off and is just over 5 years old, 76.5K miles. It's a 2011 Volkswagen Golf. In the past 2 months I have replaced the Valve Cover ($1,100 covered by warranty luckily), Front Struts ($1,050 out of pocket), and the Throttle Body ($1,220 out of pocket). During the replacement of the struts they informed me that my suspension won't align fully and is not fixable. I live in Chicago where potholes are very common and very bad. Not only that but they also said the rims are bent out of round which would cost another $1,040 which I did not get done, yet.
I really want this car to last through next year until after my fiancee and I get married. I don't drive it everyday since I typically take public transit to work.
Two Questions:
1) Assuming I put around 7K miles per year, do you think I should just sell and move on or keep it?
2) Should I get my wheels fixed so they are round again? I feel like doing so may just be a waste of money considering I live in the city and rarely drive it. Any other thoughts or ideas welcome since I have never dealt with this particular issue before so I have no clue how serious it is.
Hey there CD'ers. I value your opinions on this matter.
I really do not want to buy a new "new car" OR "used car" but wondered what makes sense. My current car is paid off and is just over 5 years old, 76.5K miles. It's a Volkswagen Golf. In the past 2 months I have replaced the Valve Cover ($1,100 covered by warranty luckily), Front Struts ($1,050 out of pocket), and the Throttle Body ($1,220 out of pocket). During the replacement of the struts they informed me that my suspension won't align fully and is not fixable. I live in Chicago where potholes are very common and very bad. Not only that but they also said the rims are bent out of round which would cost another $1,040 which I did not get done, yet.
I really want this car to last through next year until after my fiancee and I get married. I don't drive it everyday since I typically take public transit to work.
Two Questions:
1) Assuming I put around 7K miles per year, do you think I should just sell and move on or keep it?
2) Should I get my wheels fixed so they are round again? I feel like doing so may just be a waste of money considering I live in the city and rarely drive it. Any other thoughts or ideas welcome since I have never dealt with this particular issue before so I have no clue how serious it is.
I would not put another dime into that car it’s going to nickel and dime you. Lease a car since you don’t drive that many miles a year. I would look into a small all wheel drive suv for driving in the snow. And try to avoid the pot holes because you can do more damage other than your rims, like your struts and your front end parts. I’ve seen people that hit a big pot hole and damage their oil pan and destroy their engines when the oil leaks out of the damaged oil pan.
WTF? A whole set, all 4 corners, of Koni orange struts for the MK6 platform is less than $400. Yeah, install costs some, but not $600+. Similarly, an OEM throttle body is under $250 and is a Simple thing to swap.
Sounds like you are being taken for a ride. How about looking for a mechanic with some ethics and morals?
As far as selling, you'll want the wheels fixed or replaced beforehand. If the roads are that bad, buy some steel wheels. They bend, but can be straightened on the cheap and won't shatter (or crack) like alloys. Yes, they don't look the part, but would you rather $50 wheel repair or $1000 wheel replacement?
WTF? A whole set, all 4 corners, of Koni orange struts for the MK6 platform is less than $400. Yeah, install costs some, but not $600+. Similarly, an OEM throttle body is under $250 and is a Simple thing to swap.
Sounds like you are being taken for a ride. How about looking for a mechanic with some ethics and morals?
As far as selling, you'll want the wheels fixed or replaced beforehand. If the roads are that bad, buy some steel wheels. They bend, but can be straightened on the cheap and won't shatter (or crack) like alloys. Yes, they don't look the part, but would you rather $50 wheel repair or $1000 wheel replacement?
This is informative. Thank you! What exactly is that recommendation based on? Is it based on your experience? Neither are very close to me since I live near Wrigley but would be willing to travel if it's worth it.
are all 4 rims bent? Even if so I was able to straighten a single wheel for 150 and it was a forged alloy
3 of the 4 are. I do actually need to hit up the local Discount Tire anyway so I did plan on asking them how much it costs there. I will see what they say as another quote.
+1 on find a reputable mechanic and stop paying those what I presume are dealer prices.
$1,040 for bent wheels? Hop over to tirerack.com(or any tire/rim shop) and check out all the options you have around $100/wheel that would look better than the factory ones. Or some steelies for winter for $50. Or used on Craigslist...anything but the dealer.
Those shops are just listed as TDI mechanics, which was a well curated list of shops who actually had a care. Maybe give one or both a call and ask if they know of anyone closer who they'd recommend? I'm assuming you don't have a TDI/diesel, so it's not like their specialty will help you.
Otherwise try there. I've heard of others who've had good luck finding a mechanic through that database, though it looks fairly sparse (might be more reviews elsewhere? dust off your search engine!)
Hey there CD'ers. I value your opinions on this matter.
I really do not want to buy a new "new car" OR "used car" but wondered what makes sense. My current car is paid off and is just over 5 years old, 76.5K miles. It's a 2011 Volkswagen Golf. In the past 2 months I have replaced the Valve Cover ($1,100 covered by warranty luckily), Front Struts ($1,050 out of pocket), and the Throttle Body ($1,220 out of pocket). During the replacement of the struts they informed me that my suspension won't align fully and is not fixable. I live in Chicago where potholes are very common and very bad. Not only that but they also said the rims are bent out of round which would cost another $1,040 which I did not get done, yet.
Assuming what you post is true this car is no longer safe to drive. It's junk !
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