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Cars are man made they are just machines all machines need maintenance nothing last forever without anyone having to spend money to keep them up and running. Some people amaze me they think that car should last forever i don’t get it. You go to the doctor for a check up don’t you well cars are the same they need a check up now and then.
Either they bought a POS beater that was already falling apart and neglected, which what else would you expect? Or they bought nicer vehicle from the get go and ignored it the entire time they owned it, and now that it's getting some age on it, things are starting to break, and they're peeved they have to spend ANY money on it, other than for fuel.
Does it suck when your car breaks? Of course, especially if money is tight. But you can't expect a vehicle to NEVER need repairs or to NEVER break, you're just setting yourself up for disappointment at that point. And to delude yourself into thinking "I'll just get a different car and it won't need anything" is an exercise in perpetual frustration. You'll dump time, money and effort into trying to find something that just doesn't exist.
Same goes for people who, when their vehicle breaks, they want the cheapest possible fix that's out there, even if it's only temporary. They'd rather cheap out and spend MORE time and money trying to save a buck than if they'd just fix it right the first time and be done with it. I swear some people are so short sighted that they can't see past "right now", either that or they like creating more work for themselves. Personally, I don't.
So I say anyone who complains that a vehicle "nickel and dimed them to death" either brought it on themselves via neglecting their vehicle, or they had unreasonable expectations of the vehicle that they own (ex. bought a $700 beater and then whine that "it needs x,y,z" or "things are always breaking"). WELL DUH!!! People don't sell a car cheap for NO reason, likely they also neglected it and now the cost of repairs exceed the value of the car, so they're "cutting their losses" and getting rid of it.
What do you guys think?
Really? Not.
We buy new cars. Always. We take them in for every maintenance appointment. Always. At a dealer. Always.
Yet our cars get to the point where it is no longer worth piling money into them. Once they are 12-13 years old if the yearly cost to maintain is over $2k they go away.
So is it your father? Mother? Brother? Sister? Wife? Someone has you wound up over this. I guess you're tired of hearing it from someone and are just bursting at the seams to yell at them. Since you can't you rant on CD.
I'd say that in many cases the people saying this can't do basic math. The reality is that after paying a car off, it is almost always cheaper to keep repairing that car than buying a new one. New vehicles these days cost $30,000 dollars. When even in the worst case, you can put in a rebuilt engine or transmission for $3K or so.
Keeping a car to 300,000 miles or even more, and keeping it under repair, is almost always more economical than buying a new one. Do the basic math of adding up the nickles and dimes. Once paid off, keeping a car under repair is money in the bank.
Some of us don't want to keep a car for 300,00 miles. We have the money to buy a new one. Cash. So we do. Economical reasoning is fine for those who can't afford to buy a new car when they want - for us it's about every 13 years, and the average mileage at trade in has been around 65k.
As for doing basic math. I'm a math wiz. Always have been. Wife is an accountant. We understand math better than 99% of the population. Doesn't enter into the equation for us at all.
While your observation may apply in a lot of cases, it’s not always true. I’ve purchased brand new cars maintained/serviced and did not abuse them and they were problematic from the get go.
Some cars are just crap quality no matter how well you maintain them.
But yes a neglected car will nickel and dime you to death.
Yep, some run like a dream while some don't. Just a fact of life. And another fact of life is not all people choose to put off car fixes but instead have to. It's that or rent. It's that or food.
I bought new cars for my wife and only kept them during the warranty period not because new cars don't break, but when they break, the warranty takes care of the fixes and I don't have to. I buy cars because I like them, Sometimes that's a new car, sometimes it's a used car, sometimes its a WELL used car. My current daily driver is 17 years old that I bought when it was 14 years old. My previous daily driver was bought new. My next one could be new, could be used, depends on what strikes my fancy at the time. I never intend to keep cars very long, either, as I like variety.
As for maintenance, I do what the need in order to drive properly. On a new car with the maintenance package, the dealer takes care of it on schedule. On the used cars, if it doesn't affect drivability, it can wait until I have the time to spare. On my current car, the coolant level sensor float is bad and tells me to "check coolant level." I know what it is, I've checked the coolant level (which is fine) and so I'll wait until it gets warm outside and I have the time to replace it. I'll bet that gives the OP apoplexy that it hasn't been done immediately by a shop.
Either they bought a POS beater that was already falling apart and neglected, which what else would you expect? Or they bought nicer vehicle from the get go and ignored it the entire time they owned it, and now that it's getting some age on it, things are starting to break, and they're peeved they have to spend ANY money on it, other than for fuel.
Does it suck when your car breaks? Of course, especially if money is tight. But you can't expect a vehicle to NEVER need repairs or to NEVER break, you're just setting yourself up for disappointment at that point. And to delude yourself into thinking "I'll just get a different car and it won't need anything" is an exercise in perpetual frustration. You'll dump time, money and effort into trying to find something that just doesn't exist.
Same goes for people who, when their vehicle breaks, they want the cheapest possible fix that's out there, even if it's only temporary. They'd rather cheap out and spend MORE time and money trying to save a buck than if they'd just fix it right the first time and be done with it. I swear some people are so short sighted that they can't see past "right now", either that or they like creating more work for themselves. Personally, I don't.
So I say anyone who complains that a vehicle "nickel and dimed them to death" either brought it on themselves via neglecting their vehicle, or they had unreasonable expectations of the vehicle that they own (ex. bought a $700 beater and then whine that "it needs x,y,z" or "things are always breaking"). WELL DUH!!! People don't sell a car cheap for NO reason, likely they also neglected it and now the cost of repairs exceed the value of the car, so they're "cutting their losses" and getting rid of it.
What do you guys think?
I think the oxygen might be too thin way up there on your soapbox.
At an age, many cars begin to break in lots of little ways. Sometimes something new breaks every week or even every day. Many of these things are annoying, but not safety or operationally necessary so you let them go. Things like latches, heater blower speed switch, or the diverter (as long as defrost works, that is all you need). AC, struts, torn headliner, radio, electric door locks and even windows, heated seats, fog lights, parking brake, wheel covers, paint, moonroof mechanism, door seals, slide out cupholders, counsole covers, cigarette lighter outlets, even ABS of you are a competent driver. There are many things you might let go if the car is older, if you are busy, or if they all come at once. Then some major repair is needed. You might spend the $1500 or $2500 for the new or rebuilt transmission, however there are another $5,000 things that should be fixed as well. The car has died by 1000 cuts.
As a car ages, it is often not worthwhile to fix the little things, especially if they are constant
Chrysler in particular has an earned reputation for lots of little things breaking. Things like console or glove box latches, or seat mechanisms. It can be endless. Honda seems not far behind Chrysler in this regard. GM and Toyota seem to do a little better, but they can still have tons of little issues that eventually make the car not worth a necessary major repair.
I learned a long time ago, Jimmy, that a person shouldn't get too far up on that high horse. When you fall it hurts even more.
I've had very prosperous times in my life, and also have been in the pits of desperation financially at times. Same guy, same work ethic, same skills, but life has a way of teaching us humility when we least expect it.
Things always looks so black and white, simply work hard and you will make money. Not always the case, because unforeseen events can kick you in the butt with no warning.........health issues, divorce, job loss, etc, etc.
Hope you never find out, like many of us have, that your life can change in a millisecond.
No, Don, I think he needs that fall. Maybe he'll learn something.
S . . . about every 13 years . . . . average mileage . . . . around 65k.
5000 miles a year? You need to get out more. 500% more.
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