I have a 2001 Pontiac Sunfire. Nothing fancy, but it gets me where I need to go. There is a little body rust, mainly around the door frames. I bought it used and it hasn't caused me much difficulty in the 6 years I've had it - just some brake problems when I first got it...and I replaced the fuel pump last year..that cost about $900. I also got new all-seasons for it 2 summers ago, for about $500.
Although I'd like something newer/bigger (like a compact SUV), I don't really need it at this point. I was hoping the Sunfire would last me another year or two and then I could get something larger that will last me several years (ie. would be sufficicent when my boyfriend and I start having kids, etc.)
The transmission started acting up on me a couple weeks ago so I took it in this week while I was off. They've had it since last Friday doing tests (hoping to find a problem that could be fixed externally), but they ended up having to remove the transmission from the car and taking it apart. The problem was the torque converter and it caused wear and tear in the rest of the transmission, so it needed a complete rebuild. The quoted cost was $2700.
Ever since I took it in and it looked like the problems would require a pretty major fix, I've been looking at other vehicles. New and used. For what I want, I couldn't get anything cheaper than $10000 used (and that's a few years old), or $20000 new. So, either way, I'm going to have to finance it and pay payments. And, if I go used, there is no guarantee that things won't go wrong on that one and it wouldn't cost me so much to fix. I'm still paying of my student loan and have been making really good progress doing that and still saving a bit of money. I wasn't thrilled with the idea of adding a monthly payment to the mix because I know that would limit the amount I could save.
The problem is, a 2001 SUnfire is worth probably $1500 MAX. So, if I fix the problem, I'll be spending more than the car itself is worth. But, $2700 is still cheaper than getting a new car. I can't even sell my car as-is for $500 or whatever because it's currently sitting in the garage with the transmission parts on the table. I was already at $350 in labour costs, and it would likely be another $50/$100 to just tow it out of there if I were to sell it.
So, I decided to just go ahead and fix it. I spoke with the guy at the garage - who I know is trying to make a service sale - about how the car looked overall. He said the engine runs well (and sunfires tend to run forever), there are no strange noises, and the rust underneath is managebale. He said for a 2001, the car was in really good shape. If I got this fixed, he predicted the car should run without any major problems for another couple of years. It will also get me a vehicle likely tomorrow...and I'm really bored without a car!
I can pay cash for the repairs and be done with it...no payments. Which was the main reason I decided to go ahead with the repair instead of buying new (or late-model used). However, I know my boyfriend is going to say I should have just found something else. While I don't really care what he thinks
(he's never liked the Sunfire anyway) I'm still left wondering whether I did the right thing.
Maybe someone who knows a little about cars can give me a bit of reassurance!
(On another note, I wish I could be like my brother and his wife who have had 4 new cars since they got married - currently 2 NEW car payments, a mortgage, and probably some furniture/electronics thrown in there on credit. They make good money, but I wouldn't want their monthly payments! He just doesn't seem to care!)
Although I'd like something newer/bigger (like a compact SUV), I don't really need it at this point. I was hoping the Sunfire would last me another year or two and then I could get something larger that will last me several years (ie. would be sufficicent when my boyfriend and I start having kids, etc.)
The transmission started acting up on me a couple weeks ago so I took it in this week while I was off. They've had it since last Friday doing tests (hoping to find a problem that could be fixed externally), but they ended up having to remove the transmission from the car and taking it apart. The problem was the torque converter and it caused wear and tear in the rest of the transmission, so it needed a complete rebuild. The quoted cost was $2700.
Ever since I took it in and it looked like the problems would require a pretty major fix, I've been looking at other vehicles. New and used. For what I want, I couldn't get anything cheaper than $10000 used (and that's a few years old), or $20000 new. So, either way, I'm going to have to finance it and pay payments. And, if I go used, there is no guarantee that things won't go wrong on that one and it wouldn't cost me so much to fix. I'm still paying of my student loan and have been making really good progress doing that and still saving a bit of money. I wasn't thrilled with the idea of adding a monthly payment to the mix because I know that would limit the amount I could save.
The problem is, a 2001 SUnfire is worth probably $1500 MAX. So, if I fix the problem, I'll be spending more than the car itself is worth. But, $2700 is still cheaper than getting a new car. I can't even sell my car as-is for $500 or whatever because it's currently sitting in the garage with the transmission parts on the table. I was already at $350 in labour costs, and it would likely be another $50/$100 to just tow it out of there if I were to sell it.
So, I decided to just go ahead and fix it. I spoke with the guy at the garage - who I know is trying to make a service sale - about how the car looked overall. He said the engine runs well (and sunfires tend to run forever), there are no strange noises, and the rust underneath is managebale. He said for a 2001, the car was in really good shape. If I got this fixed, he predicted the car should run without any major problems for another couple of years. It will also get me a vehicle likely tomorrow...and I'm really bored without a car!
I can pay cash for the repairs and be done with it...no payments. Which was the main reason I decided to go ahead with the repair instead of buying new (or late-model used). However, I know my boyfriend is going to say I should have just found something else. While I don't really care what he thinks
Maybe someone who knows a little about cars can give me a bit of reassurance!
(On another note, I wish I could be like my brother and his wife who have had 4 new cars since they got married - currently 2 NEW car payments, a mortgage, and probably some furniture/electronics thrown in there on credit. They make good money, but I wouldn't want their monthly payments! He just doesn't seem to care!)