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I'm completely torn on my car situation and thought I would post here to see if someone could help sway me one direction or another.
I'm driving a 2010 Toyota Camry with 165K miles on it. The car is at a point where it needs some major TLC.
I'm looking at probably needing a complete brake job, new tires and my power locks don't work. So maybe 2K in repairs right there.
Even worse, the car makes a thumping sound when driving slow, rides very rough at fast speeds with my hands shaking or vibrating on the steeling wheel. A friend told me it could be as bad as needing a new rear suspension. I looked online and all that could cost me another 2K. So I'm looking at maybe 5K total.
Also I read that Kia have more leg room which is important for a tall guy like me.
Is it really worth sinking that much money into a car that has pretty much no resell value or just trading up and getting a new used one? I found a 2016 Kia with only 43K for 13K here. I bet I could talk them down to an even 10K after my trade in. That would only put me paying out 5K more than if I keep the old car and fix it up. OTOH, the car engine is solid and could hold up for much longer.
Course the other thing is I've always been a Camry guy and trust their reliability. I read that Kia's are less reliable. Would that even be that much of a factor back in 2016?
before making this decision, have a mechanic you trust check the car over and let you know what repairs are necessary, and which ones can wait, and how much the total repairs would be. then decide whether to replace the car or not.
I'm completely torn on my car situation and thought I would post here to see if someone could help sway me one direction or another.
I'm driving a 2010 Toyota Camry with 165K miles on it. The car is at a point where it needs some major TLC.
I'm looking at probably needing a complete brake job, new tires and my power locks don't work. So maybe 2K in repairs right there.
Even worse, the car makes a thumping sound when driving slow, rides very rough at fast speeds with my hands shaking or vibrating on the steeling wheel. A friend told me it could be as bad as needing a new rear suspension. I looked online and all that could cost me another 2K. So I'm looking at maybe 5K total.
Also I read that Kia have more leg room which is important for a tall guy like me.
Is it really worth sinking that much money into a car that has pretty much no resell value or just trading up and getting a new used one? I found a 2016 Kia with only 43K for 13K here. I bet I could talk them down to an even 10K after my trade in. That would only put me paying out 5K more than if I keep the old car and fix it up. OTOH, the car engine is solid and could hold up for much longer.
Course the other thing is I've always been a Camry guy and trust their reliability. I read that Kia's are less reliable. Would that even be that much of a factor back in 2016?
Personally I’d go with getting another car and perhaps selling your current one to someone who does mechanic work or can do the repairs themselves based on th engine being in good shape.
Regardingbthe Kia’s, I would assume the newer ones are slightly more reliable but that being said, I’ve always favored a Toyota or a Honda but that’s not to say that the Kia is not your best bet. Difficult to acutely evaluate a used car.
Where are you getting your $2k figure from? You're probably at $500-700 for brakes, tires and an alignment. Do your locks work manually? If so why would you spend money on having the power locks work?
The thumping and shaking at high speed sound like tires and bad alignment to me.
2010 is not all that old, I think you need to get an opinion of someone with experience.
Unless you're just looking to buy a new car, if so go for it.
I'm completely torn on my car situation and thought I would post here to see if someone could help sway me one direction or another.
Is it really worth sinking that much money into a car that has pretty much no resell value or just trading up and getting a new used one? I found a 2016 Kia with only 43K for 13K here. I bet I could talk them down to an even 10K after my trade in. That would only put me paying out 5K more than if I keep the old car and fix it up. OTOH, the car engine is solid and could hold up for much longer.
Course the other thing is I've always been a Camry guy and trust their reliability. I read that Kia's are less reliable. Would that even be that much of a factor back in 2016?
Sounds about right for a Camry of that era. I'm expecting work will be needed on my Tacoma about that time. Five thousand in repairs, huh (estimated)?
You said the resale is low or nonexistent, then consider trading it in on a Kia. And if you're done your homework on Kias and they are less reliable, think that one over and keep it while it's in-warranty, then dump it too. I have no idea.
For pure utility, I too would stick with Toyota and Lexus. Others, meh. Personally, I'd consider a Panamera as well, but that's out of bounds in this case.
Pretty simple, and you'll be shelling out some dough regardless. Take a small loan if you need to.
Where are you getting your $2k figure from? You're probably at $500-700 for brakes, tires and an alignment. Do your locks work manually? If so why would you spend money on having the power locks work?
The thumping and shaking at high speed sound like tires and bad alignment to me.
2010 is not all that old, I think you need to get an opinion of someone with experience.
Unless you're just looking to buy a new car, if so go for it.
x2
OP, what you refer to as "repairs" are really just maintenance of wear and tear item. Only repair item is the thumping and shaking if you can manually use the locks.
Unless you DIY most of it, it is not worth for you to repair it.
Same time, you will not be able to sell it for any meaningful amount or trade it in, unless it's repaired.
For me, to DIY would have been about less than a thousand. Tires are 50-60 bucks each, brakes are $100 or less all four, "rough run and shaking" at speeds is likely power train mounts, what is another 200-300 bucks, if not less. Parts are abundant for Camry. So that's it.
Late to say, a fine vehicle Camry is, it should have never been brought to such a misery. But it is what it is.
Brakes and tires would most likely fix those "suspension" problems. Locks could be as simple as a blown fuse.
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