Not sure what to do!

Nara

Come next August I know my car will not pass its MOT again as it failed this time and there are even more pointers for next time:mad:

I only paid £500 for it so can't complain but i have spend nearly £300 this year fixing it and getting it thro the MOT so by next year it won't be worth it.

A work friend is selling his wife's car and it sounds like a good car for me, but i have no money and its gonna be around 4 grand, which means extending our loan if the bank let us.
I hate being in debt and am trying to get out of it atm by overpaying stuff but to go and borrow more money makes me want to cry! but at the same time if i leave it until next summer i will still be in the same position of needing a car. I'm sure i could get a cheaper one but am worried about not knowing if the car you are buying will break down any second or have any problems that need fixing. At least with this car i know where i stand and my friend wouldn't lie to me about how good a condition the car is in, so it will deffo be a good buy in respect of knowing what i am getting, i suppose its just more money then i would like to pay!

Help i don't know what to do!

jaydeeuk1

Well you can't afford your friends car, so rule that out.
How do you know that it won't pass its MOT? Take it to a council place and get it done. Unless its a complete wreck, it shouldn't be too bad, and far far cheaper than £4k! And if there are obvious things like dodgy brakes, wheel alignment, get it sorted first. Just check the obvious things like bulbs, wipers, washer fluid, etc before you take it in. At worst, borrow a small amount just to cover the repairs.

Jeff_Bridges_hair

When does the MOt run out? Do what Jaydeeuk1 has said above first and foremost and then think about what the extra payments on your loan would be then save that. Then you should have enough to fix anything that may be bad with your car or if not be able to put it towards a new car if it fails miserably

Nara

My MOT doesn;t run out until next August, the car is pretty old and rusting away, it needed some welding done on it this time round as it had a hole in the floor. TBH the potential problems it will have aren't worth the money to fix it, guess the best option would be for someone to steal it and set it on fire, but kinda illegal lol!
I would love a better car, for the safety of me and my child but yeah we don't have much money and to increase our debts makes me die inside, I guess i was worried about waiitng until next MOT them saying it needs this work doing, me saying i can;t afford it/its not worth it and then being stuck without a car, which means i will be unable ot get to work and theres no public transport where i live.

Guess my only real option is to go for another cheap car oh well a girl can but dream...

boyse7en

If you can't afford a newer car, don't buy one.

Just because a car is newer, won't necessarily make it cheaper to run. And remember, if you drive the car until next August and then scrap it, it will only have cost you £800ish for two or more year's motoring (less whatever you can get for scrap). A newer car will lose that in depreciation easily.

Buy a Haynes manual for your current car and learn how to do basic maintenance yourself and you will be able to save a packet on stuff like replacing bulbs, checking fluids, oil changes.

mikey72

It'll last until August, so keep it until then. Send it in for a the MOT a month early, and you can then decide to keep it if it's reasonable, or have a month looking for a cheaper runaround until the MOT runs out.. My wife's 106 was less than £500, and it sails through MOT's.

Jeff_Bridges_hair

And remember to save as much as you possibly can between now and then so you could have 800 notes to spend on a cheap runaround that could last a few mores years should yours fail

Hammyman

Nara wrote: »

Come next August I know my car will not pass its MOT again as it failed this time and there are even more pointers for next time:mad:

Legally you're supposed to keep your car maintained to MOT standards regardless of when the test is due. Depending on the faults, a roadside VOSA inspection - of which there are many starting at this time of year - could land you with fines, points and prohibition notices.

As for the other comments about a newer car not being cheaper to run...

I bought a 4 year old Mondeo for £5.5k. Its cost about the same per year to service and repair as the 12 year old one it replaced HOWEVER IT COSTS ME £30 PER WEEK IN LOAN REPAYMENTS TO PAY FOR IT until the loan is repayed.

I put that in bold because its an important thing to remember if you're struggling to afford to run a car now.

forgotmyname

How will your finances be after shelling out £100 every month for the next 4/5 years.

How will you pay to have the car serviced and for repairs it will need, For £4000 it wont be that new i guess.
A decent service will cost you £300.

Save £200 and keep it handy for a cheap runabout if the current car dies. I have had cars for under £200 and a
couple for less than £100. Bit of work & 2nd hand parts can keep them going for a long time.

Electric windows, Aircon, Cruise? Who needs them? Working brakes and steering are more important.