Is it worth fixing an old car when repairs cost more than it's worth?

“I drive a 2003 Toyota Tundra and I sometimes think about buying a new truck but it is so hard to justify the cost.”source ↗

“My question is, when my engine eventually dies, why would I buy a new car for 40k-80k rather than buy a factory engine for 13k and have it installed?”source ↗

“Honest answer is that most shops won't repair this as it's on the outside tread of the tire and the cords could become compromised.”source ↗

“I’m wondering if replacing both axles is actually necessary. I don’t hear any clicking when turning, have no vibrations, and haven’t noticed any issues at high speeds.”source ↗

“I'm struggling to figure out if I should throw more money into this car and potentially waste my savings, or if I should use that savings for a down payment on a newer car.”source ↗

“Bought it for $7000 Leaky coolant from water pump - $900 Leaky oil - don’t know exact cause yet - $500–$1000, maybe $2000 Control right front lower control arm - $hundreds ($500?) Labor cost - ~$1000+ If all of these are addressed, is it still worth driving? Is the cost even worth how much I’m paying for repairs?”source ↗

“Looking for some perspective on whether we should buy a new vehicle, or drive ours into the ground”source ↗

“The older vehicle has 170,000 km mileage and is starting to gather more issues”source ↗

“we are struggling if this is a smart decision or if we should keep using our older car until it dies? Where do you draw the line on if a vehicle is worth saving and when new safety features are more valuable?”source ↗

“Just got it out of the shop for $1,500 today and they brought this up in the photos. Said they’re pretty sure I would not pass inspection. Is this a repairable frame member or it the car just junked atp? The motor is strong and I enjoy the ride, but if this is gonna be another $1,500 in work idk.”source ↗

“2001 sienna, almost 300k. Fuel tank fell, full of gas (probably a factor on why it fell). Scrap or fix?”source ↗

“Hate to be that guy, but the puncture is pretty huge so I thought I’d ask anyways.”source ↗

“I’m honestly pretty overwhelmed by this. I was crying on the way to work this morning because I’m scared that I made a stupid decision and that this $1,400 purchase is going to turn into thousands of dollars of debt.”source ↗

“Should we just take the $1k or is this a low ball offer and should keep calling different wreckers?”source ↗

“I currently have an old car(2000 Camry) that needs say $3000-$4000 of work in its state of sneakily falling apart.”source ↗

“When I think of getting another paid in full used car for $3-5k I feel that car is bound to have problems that need fixing on its own or at least will in the near future.”source ↗

“On the other hand I’ve thought about financing a newer used car now that I’m making better money that will need less maintenance and be better on gas but I already have around $3k credit card debt.”source ↗

“They will need to be replaced eventually, but if you don’t have the cash now I wouldn’t worry about it.”source ↗

“Im in canada and the mechanics I went to dont feel comfortable welding it or they just want to make a buck off scrapping it , I cant find any talented mechanics here.”source ↗

“I know it would require removing the windshield and could get pricey to fix, so if it's not going cause any major problems in the next few years I don't want to throw money at it.”source ↗

“This is my first car and I'm in socal so I don't really have an idea of how fast rust spreads, or at what point it becomes a problem.”source ↗

“Worth more than you’d want to put into a 10 year old Focus, that’s several grand.”source ↗

“When an injector starts acting up, is rebuilding it actually worth the hassle, or is replacing it with a new/reman unit usually the better move?”source ↗

“For those who have actually dealt with this, what route worked better for you, rebuild, clean/test, or replace the injectors altogether?”source ↗

“Is this an urgent level of wear?”source ↗

“They quoted me ~$1000 to replace both of them.”source ↗

“I've booked me in for October 1 but everything they're saying suggests they're probably going to try and replace the gearbox and ringing around transmission specialists nearby and other garages has only reinforced that concern for me.”source ↗

“Not sure it’s worth putting another $1-2k into the car for a cat with that many miles? Help!”source ↗

“Today the break lines went along with calipers and the fuel regulator. Roughly $1,500 - $2,000 to fix it. Do you think that would be worth fixing? Would a scrap yard even want this car?”source ↗

“im $5300 into a 2005 mitsubishi eclipse spyder (v6 with an after market exhaust) (im not use to a loud car)”source ↗

“tldr idk when to give up on the project. it's just so sentimental to me”source ↗

“i do have like $3000 to put into it but i really don't want to have to do that”source ↗

“I'm trying to decide if it makes more sense to just fix the Mercedes or keep the cadillac.”source ↗

“I'm having buyer's remorse because I don't like the idea of having a monthly car payment, though I can afford it.”source ↗

“I haven't really had the time or money to put into it to figure out what is actually wrong with it.”source ↗

“There is a slew of codes and was wondering if anyone has any idea if its worth looking into or not.”source ↗

“boyfriends gearbox was like this this morning, with the engine running its completely loose, is this a broken gearbox and is it even worth replacing if so?”source ↗

“Have a screw in my rear passenger side tire. Not leaking air yet.”source ↗

“Is this in a spot of the tire that it can be repaired or am I going to need to replace?”source ↗

“Problem is that this is a 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz that has 63500 KM on current set and is All wheel drive so I would have to buy 4 new tires.”source ↗

“In general its fairly rusted underneath, no rust proofing done ever and what you spuld expect from 25 winters. The side door had a minor collision so the body isnt in great condition and that sliding door doesnt work but functionally the engine and transmission is still great”source ↗

“My question is, is it worth the fix or do I get a new car? Am I looking at more repairs down the pipeline?”source ↗

“I don’t want to put money into a car that isn’t worth it or is going to have more issues soon.”source ↗

“I'm currently on medical leave from work so it'll take over a month to get paid so I'm struggling on what to do for now.”source ↗

“My battery recently gave out too so my car savings had already gone to that, so since it's fwd I just got the two front tires for now.”source ↗

“I still can't afford to get the two rear tires and alignment so if I have to choose what should I do first?”source ↗

“If it’s been 10 years, I’d replace it. Just due to the rubber degrading over time.”source ↗

“What kind of money would be associated with fixing the rockers on this prius, is it cheaper just to buy something new? Can it still be patch welded or is this totally gone?”source ↗

“I have a 2012 Vauxhall Zafira (112,000 miles, manual) that’s been losing oil for a while, I haven’t seen any signs of a leak so I guess it must be internal.”source ↗

“What I’d like to ask is what would you do now? I’m looking at either getting it scrapped if the job is going to be extremely expensive or paying for a mobile mechanic to come out and diagnose the problem so then I can better gauge whether or not to scrap it and get another car, bearing in mind I have very little money to waste.”source ↗

“family member smacked a car park pillar and somehow this is the damage. cost for full repair?”source ↗

“Idk much about collision repair but that’s gonna be around like 4k realistically if I had to guess”source ↗

“Most shops will say no, since it's within an inch of the sidewall. You could prolly plug it tho.”source ↗

“They are asking 3500 for engine leak fix and new parts for the engine worth it? Chevy suburban 2008 LTZ 8 cylinders 5.3L vortex flex”source ↗

“I don’t really have the money to drop the estimated $500+ (his quote) right now, so I’m curious how long I can put this off (or if I should at all).”source ↗

“Should I expect this to cause me to fail the inspection?”source ↗

“I found my sway bar is broken. (I had the sway bar links (black) replaced just 3 weeks ago). I have a 400mile trip tomorrow. Could a $300 welding at local mechanic be enough for a temporary fix?”source ↗

“It’d probably be $900-1000 to change the whole sway bar itself because apparently the whole subframe needs to be dropped.”source ↗

“Do I NEED this right now or is it something I can punt on.”source ↗

“Well if I buy these things then I won’t be able to afford new tires so that won’t be an issue!”source ↗

“I also know zero about cars so what do I know”source ↗

“I was told by a Toyota dealership that I need a new engine.”source ↗

“They said it was a cam gear failure.”source ↗

“My question is… would you replace the turbos and whatever else is making it chop like this or should I just do the full swap.”source ↗

“I do have a 3 months warranty on the dealership if the engine break. So, I don’t know if I should just run it within that time or just fix it”source ↗

“It’s very loud, no engine lights and just got my oil change that was totally empty.”source ↗

“Are these front lower control arms bad? I got quoted about 1900 to replace both, wondering if I should or not”source ↗

“I'm wondering from a mechanic's point of view, when would it be wise to purchase a new car rather than repairing and maintaining what you have?”source ↗

“This is the first big breakdown since I bought it and I'm wondering if I should cut losses or give it a second chance with an engine swap?”source ↗

“is it worth paying to have the sensor repaired considering my situation?”source ↗

“can I skip out on this $300 repair or do you recommend I get it fixed?”source ↗

“Just wondering if it's worth fixing it. I already have a 26 camry and a 18 rav4 so I won't be driving this that much anyways.”source ↗

“After investigating my garage feels it's probably a crack somewhere in the engine block and advised I get rid ASAP. Thoughts on whether this is even remotely worth further investigating / getting a second opinion?”source ↗

“That’s fair. I need a car for an 8 hr and back road trip soon and am kinda scared because it’s important to me. What are other signs to look out for?”source ↗

“Got this car from a family friend 4-5 months ago, and he said the car was in good condition. I’m already about to spend so much on it”source ↗

“And how do I know where to get a second opinion? I’m very new to cars and got this car from a relative 4-5 months ago. Said it was in good condition. Now it’s already stacking up in issues.”source ↗

“How do I do these myself? I don’t have much time on my hands bc I’m a full time college student, do part time, research, and volunteering. And how do I even get the parts? I don’t want to wreck my car by doing these myself”source ↗

“Dash lights work but no turn over at all, I can hear the click with the hood open but that's it.”source ↗

“I am borderline broke, as in: if it's not broke I can't fix it.”source ↗

“Should I just call a mechanic or first try to clean the connections and replace the battery.”source ↗

“However if I try the battery/connection first and it doesn't work out that puts me even further from affording a tow/mechanic.”source ↗

“Worth it in your book? The truck is probably worth $3k to $4k private party.”source ↗

“I don't know about putting $3k to $5k into a truck worth that much.”source ↗

“I want to drive to LA from San Jose, and then back to San Jose a few days later. I want to leave tomorrow. I have some issues with the car however: front struts leaking, rack and pinion leaking, valve cover gasket leaking, front left and right axles clicking, outer tie rod end bushings torn, sway bar links worn out, and lower control arm broken bushing.”source ↗

“I’m not a car guy at any means and my cars been driving otherwise pretty well but I also know there’s all these problems that, if I took to any shop would be more repair money than the car is worth.”source ↗

“One year later (now) it needs a new steering rack and other steering components - to a tune of just about $3k.”source ↗

“Mentally I can’t get myself to repair the steering components when I’ve checked out of the car for everything else.”source ↗

“I wish I could say having a beater has saved me money, but over the 6 years of ownership I’ve probably put about as much money into maintenance have just buying a newer car.”source ↗

“I hem and haw about it occasionally but the path of least resistance continues to be do nothing.”source ↗

“Recently, the car had a CV axle replacement for around $500, but found that it would not pass it's upcoming inspection during this time due to rust from my mechanic.”source ↗

“Rusted out areas include the rocker panels, pinch welds, and the quarter panel (which has a large rust hole in it).”source ↗

“Best case scenario is $2000, worst case is $4500.”source ↗

“Mostly just wanted to check to see if any of these scenarios are absolutely stupid or if the repair costs are finally exceeding the car.”source ↗

“If the repair/maintenance costs more than the value of the car itself then I'd rather get another car.”source ↗

“Is this too close to the shoulder to repair? Ive read that its not recommended to repair if its less than 1/2 inch from the sidewall, but "not recommended" isnt the same as "it wont work." Its on the tread”source ↗

“Trying to sell my second car. But wondering if this repair is worth it or not.”source ↗

“Rust is forming a bit everywhere but this is the worse as it’s gone through the metal.”source ↗

“Sell it as is. Or get this repaired ?!”source ↗

“Would it ever be worth it to pay someone for repairs out of pocket and try to get this fixed, or am I better off just buying another car?”source ↗

“I just need help on my recently purchased Charger from a sketchy dealership. It have 70k miles on it but I noticed that the timing belt on the engine hasn’t been replaced since 2008, so can ya’ll please advise me if I should spend money on an old car?”source ↗

“Can I ask if it’s worth getting my car fixed? Engine timing changes on a 2016 equinox with 70,000 miles. I’m sure they will tell me of course, we’ll take your 3k dollars.”source ↗

“A car that is too old will cost in maintenance more than it will save you in a purchase price. What is the lowest number it's still worth?”source ↗