Fix it or dump it?

rainbow64

New to the boards, so apologies for just barging in and for any hideous errors inadvertently made...

Daughter's car died on the way home from uni earlier this month, leaving her stranded on the hard shoulder of the motorway in the dark, freezing and on her own (she's 20) while she waited for the AA to get to her. Not good. Her car has been a reliable runner until now.

We bought this 2005 Vauxhall Corsa 1.0 two years ago and have spent money on new tyres and on work to get it through its MOT just after we bought it, but nothing since then. The head gasket has blown (or whatever head gaskets do), apparently, and it will be about £450 to fix; then there's the MOT coming up, which we were already anticipating might make us wince a bit, and I guess the various expenses around an ageing car...

My question is, should we invest the money in fixing this car or in replacing it? Reliability is a key thing but then so is cost.

Any thoughts very gratefully received. Thanks for reading.

Aylesbury_Duck

I'm in a similar position with an old car. I use a decent garage who do what's needed and give me their best view on likely upcoming expenses. Offset that against what it would cost to buy another car, not forgetting to factor in potential costs for the other car. If you buy an old car again, you could be in the same position in 6 months. Or it could last several years with no major expense. It can be a bit of a lottery when you're buying and using cars of that age.

I've got a 2003 car, worth pretty much nothing other than scrap value. However, it's economical, cheap to insure and drives well. In the last two years it's had a replacement starter motor, clutch, brake discs and pads and various other consumables. Worth it because I know the car, its history and what's likely to need doing in the next year.

spadoosh

Its hit and miss. Essentially youve got an 11 year old car that should be good for another 11 years (maintenance will be required), my next door neighbour is drivng a P reg corsa (~20 years old) and it works perfectly.

I personally think its better to repair otherwise its just a massive waste of resources and energy but economically (financially) it might work out better in the long run to replace. It would also depend how much the car is looked after, if no maintenance or servicing is done and you just put it through its MOT every year chances are youre going to get more and more niggles. But that will happen with most cars if they arent looked after properly.

rainbow64

That's really helpful - thanks AD and spadoosh.

bouncydog1

This could be us!! DD's car (2005 Corsa) broke down and she had to be rescued by the AA. Over the past few months we've spent several £00 getting it fixed, including a new exhaust, water pump, some electrical work etc. She's had it for 7 years.


Now the timing chain (which has already been replaced once as its a known fault) is slipping. Parts to repair are around £400 so for us enough is enough as we have to pay somebody to do it so the labour will be on top. There comes a time when no matter how good the maintenance programme, and ours has been, you need to walk away.

BeenThroughItAll

Personally, I'd repair it - if indeed there is anything wrong with the HG... an issue regularly mis-diagnosed by roadside patrols in my experience.


On another note (and no, I'm not having a go at anyone or trying to start an argument - I'm genuinely surprised) I'm amazed that there are so many people seemingly having to get involved with the minutiae of their children's car ownership. If the kids are old enough to drive/get a job/go to university, are they not old enough to sort their own motoring issues out?


When I was 17 and passed my test if my car broke, I mended it, or paid from my own pocket to have it mended. Same with tax, insurance, MOT, fuel, tyres, breakdown cover (not that I ever had breakdown cover) - and speeding tickets.

rainbow64

Thanks again for these replies. BeenThroughItAll, I can't speak for anyone else, but there are reasons why we all need my daughter to have her own transport, not the least of these being that I have cancer. Over the last two years, she's been able to pick me up from places, drive me to hospitals and - most memorably of all - go on the Great Morphine Hunt of 2014. I'm a single parent who works when I can and sometimes I need some help - the car makes life a lot more liveable with.

I guess other people will have good reasons too, but I take your point. She definitely pays her own fines (not that there have been many!)

Thank you again.

bartelbe

The old bangernomics argument is when cost of repairs exceed value of car, best to get rid. Of course you're after reliability, you know the car and if it can be repaired economically it maybe worth a bit extra to you. The only note of caution I would ad is that we have always had old cars and I have found at at a certain point things start to fail one after another.

If you are replacing my advice would be to talk to a mechanic at a good independent garage about what to get, they know which cars are bullet proof and which are lemons.

arcon5

Corsas can be picked up dirt cheap on every corner. Get rid and buy one with mot on it

patronniall

Head gasket failed either because you didn't change the oil regularly enough or less likely (considering the freezing cold weather) the antifreeze was not effective

Mercdriver

patronniall wrote: »

Head gasket failed either because you didn't change the oil regularly enough or less likely (considering the freezing cold weather) the antifreeze was not effective

Still here then, Matter of Darkness?