To replace my 2012 Focus or not - That is the question

chelt_Robin

I am in two minds about if it is time to replace my 2012 Focus. It has just passed its MOT but it had notes that their is a brake fluid leak in the slave cylinder and that the clutch and slave cylinder needs replacing and that there is also a small leak of oil from the front drive shaft seal, so that needs replacing.

The work comes to £2K ish. 

Car has about 60K on the clock so low milage 

Last year I spent about £1.5 getting the timming belt replaced as it is an eco boom engine and also had a couple of senors replaced.

Prior to that it has been a good runner apart from the timming belt I have only spent about £600 on replairs in the last 4 years. 

The suspension arm pin or bush is worn on both sides, but does not need replacing this has been worn for years, so might need doing in the future, another big bill! 

I am now at the stage of thinking do I sink another 2k into the car or do I get a new car, I could buy a four year old car for cash, but a 4 year old car could have isssues too. Or I could afford a car on PCP in a 0% deal (which I have seen on a focus). I can't see how people afford new cars for cash these days. Even 3 year old cars seem to cost a fortune (especially if you factor in interest as it makes it almost as expensive as a new car if on 0%).

Interested to know what you would do, I enjoy driving my car.

Also I am going to Cornwall in a couple of weeks from GLoucestershire, will the car be ok to drive with the brake fluid leak, I did not know it was there until I was told. If i take the car I will take a bottle of brake fluid. 

CliveOfIndia

This is an age-old question.

chelt_Robin said:

Interested to know what you would do, I enjoy driving my car.

Me, I'd pay for the repairs and keep on enjoying it.  You've replaced the timing belt, which is a "known" job that's fairly pricey.  The other repairs you've mentioned are relatively minor - it's not like there's major structural work to be done, presumably the engine and gearbox are fine, as far as you know?  60K miles is pretty low by modern car standards.

chelt_Robin said:

I could buy a four year old car for cash

Not for 2 grand you couldn't.  And as you say, that could well have its own issues anyway.  Look at it this way - what could you buy for 2 grand?  If you repair your car, that's (hopefully) several more years of motoring for £2000.  You know the car, you know its history, you know how well it's been looked after.  You've probably got some idea of whether there are any major repairs lurking just around the corner.

And if you say you like driving the car as well, that's another reason to keep it.

Yes, of course, you'll almost certainly have more repairs to do further along the line, hopefully fairly minor.  And yes, there does eventually come a time where a car becomes uneconomic to keep on repairing.  But in terms of cold hard cash, when you weigh it up against the cost of a new (or newer) car, very often it makes sense to keep it going for a lot longer than many people would imagine.

chelt_Robin said:

Or I could afford a car on PCP in a 0% deal (which I have seen on a focus). I can't see how people afford new cars for cash these days.

What you've got to remember with PCP is that you're still shelling out for a brand-new car, which is an expensive game however you dress it up.  Yes, it has attractive monthly payments, yes, you tend not to look at the overall cost.  To my (admittedly old-fashioned) mind, you're paying a hefty monthly fee for something that you never own.  Sure, you don't have the worry of repairs and such-like, but personally I much prefer an older car that I can buy for cash and look after myself.  I've never actually done the sums, but I'm willing to bet my current car (and pretty much all the cars I've ever had) cost a fraction of what I'd have paid for a new PCP deal, even factoring in every single repair along with the purchase price, quite aside from routine maintenance and running costs.

It's your choice, of course.  Some people just like having a new car, and that's perfectly fine.  Me, I just want something fairly reliable that'll get me from A to B in reasonable comfort, and I'd prefer to spend the money I've saved on other things.

( Oh, and the other advantage to an old car - when you get back from the supermarket and find someone's put a little ding or a little scratch in it, it's a case of shrugging your shoulders and thinking "Oh well, that's nothing that a bit of T-Cut won't sort out", rather than flying into a rage about it  ).

<Edited to add> As regards the brake fluid leak, you should be fine - if it was at all serious or dangerous, it would have been an MOT failure rather than advisory.  Yes, keep a bottle of brake fluid with you, check it every few days and top it up if necessary.  If you do need to top it up, leave the bottle of fluid to stand for an hour before you use it.  If it's been rattling around in the boot of your car, it'll be full of tiny little air bubbles, which you don't want in your brake system.  Give them time to disperse before you use it.

fatbelly

Obvs keep an eye on the brake fluid but with a new timing belt that car should be good for years.

The two jobs you mention shouldn't cost 2k. Ask around

For others reading this, there are specialists that do ecoboost timing belts for a fixed fee of £1195. There's one in Exmouth

Arunmor

Where did you get the quotes from?  Are they wanting to replace the clutch as well?  If it was me I would concentrate on the leaks first and take it from their.

Barkin

Me? With only 60k on the clock, and provided it's structurally sound, I'd do the work.

You won't buy much for £2k, and who knows what it'd need spending on it. 

chelt_Robin

CliveOfIndia said:

This is an age-old question.

chelt_Robin said:

Interested to know what you would do, I enjoy driving my car.

Me, I'd pay for the repairs and keep on enjoying it.  You've replaced the timing belt, which is a "known" job that's fairly pricey.  The other repairs you've mentioned are relatively minor - it's not like there's major structural work to be done, presumably the engine and gearbox are fine, as far as you know?  60K miles is pretty low by modern car standards.

chelt_Robin said:

I could buy a four year old car for cash

Not for 2 grand you couldn't.  And as you say, that could well have its own issues anyway.  Look at it this way - what could you buy for 2 grand?  If you repair your car, that's (hopefully) several more years of motoring for £2000.  You know the car, you know its history, you know how well it's been looked after.  You've probably got some idea of whether there are any major repairs lurking just around the corner.

And if you say you like driving the car as well, that's another reason to keep it.

Yes, of course, you'll almost certainly have more repairs to do further along the line, hopefully fairly minor.  And yes, there does eventually come a time where a car becomes uneconomic to keep on repairing.  But in terms of cold hard cash, when you weigh it up against the cost of a new (or newer) car, very often it makes sense to keep it going for a lot longer than many people would imagine.

chelt_Robin said:

Or I could afford a car on PCP in a 0% deal (which I have seen on a focus). I can't see how people afford new cars for cash these days.

What you've got to remember with PCP is that you're still shelling out for a brand-new car, which is an expensive game however you dress it up.  Yes, it has attractive monthly payments, yes, you tend not to look at the overall cost.  To my (admittedly old-fashioned) mind, you're paying a hefty monthly fee for something that you never own.  Sure, you don't have the worry of repairs and such-like, but personally I much prefer an older car that I can buy for cash and look after myself.  I've never actually done the sums, but I'm willing to bet my current car (and pretty much all the cars I've ever had) cost a fraction of what I'd have paid for a new PCP deal, even factoring in every single repair along with the purchase price, quite aside from routine maintenance and running costs.

It's your choice, of course.  Some people just like having a new car, and that's perfectly fine.  Me, I just want something fairly reliable that'll get me from A to B in reasonable comfort, and I'd prefer to spend the money I've saved on other things.

( Oh, and the other advantage to an old car - when you get back from the supermarket and find someone's put a little ding or a little scratch in it, it's a case of shrugging your shoulders and thinking "Oh well, that's nothing that a bit of T-Cut won't sort out", rather than flying into a rage about it  ).

<Edited to add> As regards the brake fluid leak, you should be fine - if it was at all serious or dangerous, it would have been an MOT failure rather than advisory.  Yes, keep a bottle of brake fluid with you, check it every few days and top it up if necessary.  If you do need to top it up, leave the bottle of fluid to stand for an hour before you use it.  If it's been rattling around in the boot of your car, it'll be full of tiny little air bubbles, which you don't want in your brake system.  Give them time to disperse before you use it.

Thanks all, for clarity they are saying I need to replace the clutch as well. It's main dealership.

In terms of the 2k that's repairs. 

If buying new I have 20k I could spend and also pcp option. But it's really useful to see people's views on this

CliveOfIndia

chelt_Robin said:

If buying new I have 20k I could spend and also pcp option. But it's really useful to see people's views on this

And that's the bit that comes down entirely to personal choice.  Ultimately you have a perfectly serviceable car that, with a few repairs and a bit of TLC, should last you for many more years to come.  You could spend the other £20k on a fantastic family holiday, home improvements, a garden makeover, 1001 other things.  You could stick in into a savings account for a rainy day and earn some interest on it.  Or you could spend it on a car.

Depends on your priorities, your preferences and you level of income, savings, debt, and such like.  To me, £20k is a heck of a lot of money, to others it may represent just a couple of months of savings.  Don't get me wrong, if I could afford it I'd buy a Ferrari tomorrow.  Back in the real world, I'd find it hard to justify spending that amount on a car.  But that's just me personally, I'm not saying it's right or wrong to splash out on a nice new car.  If you can afford it and you want a new car then go for it.  But if that £20K represents a fairly hefty chunk of your savings, then it's just worth thinking about whether it might be better to either save it, or spend it on something else.

And don't forget, any car (with a very few rare exceptions) is a depreciating asset, it won't be long before it's worth far less than what you paid for it.  Of course, the same could be said if you splash out on a holiday - 2 weeks of having a fab time, but at the end you've got nothing to show for it.

It's not my place to "preach" about how you should spend your money, I'm simply offering some thoughts to consider.

sheslookinhot

Get that brake fluid leak repaired immediately.

Confusedlad

Pretty much agree with all that's been said. In a similar position with a 2012 Polo I've owned for 9 years.  Will need (a set of) new tyres soon, brake pads, timing belt, and so it will go on.  Part of the cost of owning a car.  

Personally I would never use a main dealer for repairs because of their inflated costs. Find a good reputable local garage. Get quotes for all work in advance and if possible get them to agree to use genuine parts.  For tyres etc wait until places like Kwikfit have deals and save that way. And enjoy a car that's probable build quality is better than any new car (or nearly new car).  

As regards your brake fluid leak, it's something I would get sorted ASAP. You know it makes sense.

Herzlos

If you get a new car, you'll lose more than £2k/year in depreciation alone. If you like the current car the sensible option is to get it repaired and run it for a bit longer.

If you *want* a new car though, then use this as an excuse to go for it.

If you are selling it now though, note that the faults will be listed in the MOT history so you'll get the price knocked down badly unless you can show they've been repaired.

Bigwheels1111

My Peugeot 5008 is 8 years old in September and just hit 24,000 miles yesterday.
I kept up the Peugeot extended warranty, last year needed an adblue tank, main dealer fit only.
I aim to keep it until it’s around 15-20 years old if possible.
ULEZ might be a deciding factor as visit family monthly inside the zone.
Might need tyres as edges are cracking, £300 this year.
In 2026 at 10 years old it will need a timing belt etc, maybe first set of new pads, battery, all in £900.
Main dealer price.
It starts first turn of the key, stops on a dime. 
Keep what you know.
20k to upgrade is, 20k wasted.
You would loose 2-3k the second you drive off in your new car.