When to trade cars

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Larry$

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My wife's Subaru Outback has 140,000 miles on it and was just at the dealers for an oil change and inspection. Two oil leaks, the semi-self driving system camera & computer have quit working, the check engine light is on continuously. They said it will need brakes on it's next service. Wife only wants the dealer to work on it because it's "safer." She likes that car. But I'm looking at how much it may cost to fix the electronics and oil leaks by a dealer and thinking maybe it's time for a new car. I always serviced my own cars. And drove them until they wouldn't go any more. We drove Hondas for a long time with less costs. My daughter drives a Toyota and it has cost quite a lot in repairs. Electronic failures, plastic parts breaking and a long list of stuff that should last the life of the car but.... Recommendations for a new car??
 
oogenshire said:
i would wait till next year when the car bubble pops and prices come back into the stratosphere....
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If used car values and new cars values are both up, then it’s a wash when you sell one and buy another.
 
Larry$ said:
My wife's Subaru Outback has 140,000 miles on it and was just at the dealers for an oil change and inspection. Two oil leaks, the semi-self driving system camera & computer have quit working, the check engine light is on continuously. They said it will need brakes on it's next service. Wife only wants the dealer to work on it because it's "safer." She likes that car. But I'm looking at how much it may cost to fix the electronics and oil leaks by a dealer and thinking maybe it's time for a new car. I always serviced my own cars. And drove them until they wouldn't go any more. We drove Hondas for a long time with less costs. My daughter drives a Toyota and it has cost quite a lot in repairs. Electronic failures, plastic parts breaking and a long list of stuff that should last the life of the car but.... Recommendations for a new car??
Click to expand...
Stay away from Subaru.. I had so many issues. Not a solid car. Was good in snow, but weak where it counted.
I don't know what you would go with these days. The electronics are the weak link.
 
Wife just traded in her ‘13 Sequoia w/ 97,000 miles. Zero issues, someone will get an outstanding vehicle with a lot of life left in it.
 
Yeah, I've had too much trouble with Subarus, mainly with WRX/STI and their wonky wobbly transmission interface. On other hand I had:

- Supra as teenager for 10-yrs and it went 245k-miles
- My wife had Corolla sedan that went 313k-miles and 25-yrs.
- I had Porsche Turbo for street/track car that went 220k-miles before I got greedy with boost and blew headgasket. Replaced headgasket in parking-lot of Willow Springs overnight to get back into races on Sunday. It made it to 287k-miles when I sold it.
- I currently have 31-yr old Corolla wagon I use as track tow-vehicle with 187k-miles and it's moving along great!
- My wife has Scion xB with 189k-miles. Many samples of this model has made it to 400k-miles! :)

All older cars. Newer stuff just seems to have too many electronics that die. Gimme mechanical door-locks, seats, windows over modern stuffs. Who the hell needs heated electronic seats and ashtray smoke-sucker anyway!

DansCorollaGreenBike1b.jpg
 
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I'd give toyota another try...

20240820_194638.jpg

This is my 2006 Tacoma... taken this week.

Aside from regular maintenance, I've replaced one idler pulley, one set of front wheel bearings, and had the universal joints replaced twice. It's still on the original clutch (6 speed manual).

The TPMS light is on because the sensors were removed a couple of years ago...

-Bear
 
Yeah, dealerships hire new young mechanics because they're cheaper. Dealerships also get subsidized for many jobs by manufacturer, so laziness sets in. Once these new mechanics get experience, they jump ship for higher pay at specialty independent shops.

I haven't taken my cars or motos to any dealerships in over 20-yrs because they seem to mess up simplest of procedures.

- Toyota dealer messed up on oil-change on my mum's Camry V6. Left oil-fitre loose and it started leaking oil couple months later. My mum called me up and asked, "Why do I have to keep on adding oil every week?" I come home on spring-break and take look. Entire bottom of engine and car is coated with oil that spilled out from loose oil-filtre, arrghh!!!!

- Honda dealer did 1st oil-change on my CBR250R since it was free. Got it back and went for ride. I stopped by end of driveway because I can feel engine running without oil. They had put oil-filtre on backwards (cartridge type). Backwards blocks oil-flow and nothing was flowing to engine. Luckily I stopped and pushed it back to garage before damage was done. There's TONNE of reports of dealerships blowing up brand-new bikes because their mechanics installed oil-filtre backwards!

- Kawasaki dealer was last ever. I got used Ninja 250 for racing and was rushed to get everything done for season opener: trailer, registration paperwork, lodging, food, spares, etc. So I sent it to dealer for basic tune-up, figured they can at least handle that. Three-days go by, nothing... Give them a call, "We can't find where to plug in diagnostic scanner!" Eeeidiots!!! This is carbureted bike with no ECU!!! Went and got my bike as soon as I hung up phone before they could do any damage.


I suspect a lot of extra costs and reliability issues OP has is due to taking his cars to dealerships. There are tonne of specialized shops that focus on specific makes & models that will do way, way better work for less money.
 
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