Should I continue to repair my car, or sell it and get another? (car loan, vehicle)

[Ctos23]

Hey all.

So I am looking for some advice. I have a 2005 Nissan Altima 3.5 SE currently with 103k miles on it. It's the upgraded Altima with the V6 engine. I bought it used in 2011 with 56k miles on it. At the time I purchased it, it appeared to be a great conditioned 1 owner vehicle.

About a year into ownership however, everything quickly went downhill and this car has literally been a money pit on me ever since, which sucks because I really love the car a lot. I'll give a list of the repairs I've done in nearly the 5 years of ownership I had the car.

The very first issue was something wrong with a heat pipe in the bottom which was causing a horrible screeching type noise but was fixed at the dealership.

- Timing chain broke / replacement
- Two instances of the crankshaft sensor failing
- Catalytic converter went out and had to be replaced
- Two O2 sensors
- 1 Axle repair
- Vacum leak
- ORing Seal broken and had to be replaced

There could be some other minor things I'm forgetting.

Now the car is leaking lots of oil. And the axle is once again acting up. I forget the correct term the repair shop used, but he described "metal on metal" and it had grease everywhere when he looked at it. I also have to replace all four breaks as they haven't been replaced yet. Last time I took it into the dealer last year they said the breaks were fine, but I don't know.

I've also kept up with routine maintenance. I've been pretty diligent taking it to the dealership, I've had the drive belt replaced, fluids changed, new tires, oil. etc.

It used to be my daily driver but I've gotten a new car. It's primarily used by my parents now. Unfortunately due to my past living situation the car sat out in the driveway most of its life and wasn't garaged, it is garaged now. But it had 4 years of Arizona sun beaming down on it just about.

But just literally every 3-4 months something happens to the car, it's always on the dot too. Aside from the first year I owned it, literally every 3-4 months something has happened to it, and has costed me literally thousands of dollars. Right now, I'm looking at an axle repair/replacement, new breaks, radiator hoses need to be replaced.. the tire shop said they were hard as a rock. I also have oil leaking and they weren't able to officially diagnose it. They quoted me about $1,800 to fix "everything" I of course took it and drove it home.

The car is paid off. It's primarily used by my parents who are older. It gets driven about maybe once a week to go to a doctors appointment and a few very close store trips here and there. Although, once my mother starts working again, it may become a daily driver once again, which may be soon.

But it's frustrating. This car feels like a lemon. When it works, it's great, but when it doesn't.. it sucks, and its costly. I have some minor disabilities in my hand that prevent me from doing my own handy work, and I am not mechanically inclined on cars at all.. above all else I don't have the tools, equipment, or anything to do my own maintenance. I work way too much as it is, and I don't really know any solid car mechanics personally, so I'm pretty much at the mercy of the dealership and/or local repair shops to help me.

Part of me wants to sell it, dump it off at a car max and buy a cheap beater as a daily driver that I know is proven and reliable (Ford Crown Victoria Panther platform / Toyota Corolla). But I know that has risks too. Like I said, it's primarily used by my parents who are older.

I really have no where else to turn too. I don't know if I should take it to the dealer or stick with the tire shop that has been helping me or some other piece of advice. I feel like if I fix it, something else will happen to it. Do I have a lemon?

Thanks for any advice given.

[GregW]

I usually keep cars for a couple of hundred thousand miles but yours sounds like scrapping it is in order. They try and find an old Ford Crown Victoria Cop car. Give it tune up and replace the seat cushions. It should last until the rust demons get it.


If you like Chevy's see if you can find a RWD full size car. It should also last forever. My station wagons lasted until I could see the road through the floor.

[Labonte18]

None of that is massive, tho..

Not sure what "O-Ring" needed to be replaced.. but the timing belt is a maintenance item. Oh, you show chain.. Looks like they might have some with a chain, some with a belt. If it was legitimately a chain, that's odd.

O2 sensors.. It happens. You're a little early for it, but.. 100k is the time stuff like that tends to start.

2 Crankshaft sensors is odd.. I'd check on what brand they replaced with. You can save alot of money getting cheap sensors.. It can cost you alot as well.

A vacuum leak.. Again, hoses dry out.

The CAT and the axle are concerns. I've lost 2 cats before and both of them were the catalyst dislodging.. So, the vehicle ran fine, but sounded like crap. The axle.. you don't mention the problem. I had to have an axle seal replaced.. Was spraying rear end grease all over my right rear brake.

You seem to be having.. Mostly routine problems, just slightly earlier than I would expect. If you had said the vehicle had 150k vs 100k miles on it.. I wouldn't bat an eye.

If you're looking for permission to replace the car, you don't need it from us.

What will happen in the future? We can't tell you that, either.

[JONOV]

It might make more financial sense to fix and drive it, but it isn't worth your sanity. You don't trust the car, and the car has been problematic for you. Trade it off. Get something else.

[Rivertowntalk]

Most Reported Problem Reports for the 2005 Nissan Altima

I liked the looks of the Altima, but ruled it out when car shopping last Fall. The car has way to many known problems. If I were you, I would look for an opportunity to sell it.

[ukrkoz]

Repairs cost = or > car value = rid of the car. Simple formula.

[Ctos23]

Thanks for the input so far guys. I'm definitely not looking for permission on buying another, as I wouldn't take on another car loan, I'm just looking for some insight. This car has had lots of enjoyment but it's been incredibly frustrating as well. It is by far the most problematic car I've ever had or experienced within my family. I want to fix it, I am just apprehensive because, what else is going to happen down the line?

Thanks so far though. I would love to get a Crown vic / Marquis as I've heard those cars are practically bullet proof. I get a little leery of buying the ex-police cars because I know they've been driven so hard. But I'm going to take my time on this and not rush things.

[peabodyn]

Stop taking the car to a dealer and a tire shop. The dealer is too expensive and the tire shop "mechanics" probably don't know what they're doing. Find an independent mechanic that specializes in Japanese cars.

Most of the items you mentioned are maintenance issues. A broken timing belt can be a serious issue requiring the replacement of the engine (unless you meant the serpentine belt).

I would take the car to the independent mechanic and ask his opinion and get a price to fix the items you mentioned.

I would not trade this car for a "beater" 'cause that's what you already have.

[Mandalorian]

Nothing you listed is really that unusual for a car of around that age. My honest opinion is that financially you would probably come out around even if you traded it in versus kept and fixed it.

[WyoNewk]

If you have the repair records, add the total cost per year. That'll give you a good starting point for what they'll cost you in coming years. But you also stated that it's recently changed from your daily driver to a little-used car, so you should also throw that in there with your calculations. If future yearly mileage will be 20% of past use, repair costs should be reduced a like amount -- not a linear decline, but certainly much less.

As an example, the last couple years I drove my old F250 pickup, annual repair costs were $8-$10K. The third year of this I decided it was costing me more than payments and maintenance would be on a new car, so it was a pretty easy decision. I was driving the truck about 35K miles per year those last three years. Had I been only driving it like I did the first 10 years I had it, 7K miles per year, repair costs would have been manageable, but they were not at the rate of driving I was doing.

My **guess** is that you'd be ahead to simply have the repairs made and keep the car, but I don't have the annual repair costs to look at. Despite what you hear and read, 10-year-old cars with 100K+ miles on them are seldom trouble free if used much. But as garage queens that are used to go to the grocery store and bank twice a week, they're almost always cheaper than buying a new car. And trading one old car for another one will normally cost you more than simply keeping the old one.