How to pay for unexpected expensive car repairs when broke

“This is an emergency that we can hardly afford right now.”source ↗

“her car made a LOUD boom sound almost like an explosion, and then started leaking black fluid”source ↗

“We have barely any money so we can hardly afford a mechanic let alone a new car right now.”source ↗

“I have a 2003 Honda Civic and recently paid around $2000 to have the water pump and timing kit replaced.”source ↗

“Before the repair was done the mechanic told me there was a possibility that I had a head gasket issue, but he wasn’t sure and said he would need to have a proper look.”source ↗

“I’m worried I’ve now spent $2000 repairing the timing kit/water pump only to potentially need the engine pulled apart again for a head gasket.”source ↗

“I can’t afford it because I have already got scammed when I bought it.”source ↗

“Either way, a $1,000 repair bill at 52k miles isn’t exactly fun.”source ↗

“The Nissan dealership is charging me $2700 to fix it and I don’t have the money right now for that.”source ↗

“struts leaking at 37k on a 2023 is wild. nissan really out here building cars with parts made of wet cardboard”source ↗

“I am now driving a 2021 Toyota Rav4 XE and am not confident in doing my own work on a newer vehicle.”source ↗

“I dont actually know what they( the dealership ) do for high mileage maintenance but it seems unreasonable on pricing. ($1200)”source ↗

“Our driver’s side sliding door stopped working. I found this snapped cable. The mechanics we took this to quoted $1600 for repair, which seems nuts given that’s probably 1/10th of the total value of the car.”source ↗

“How do I know if it really needs both, and is this sort of markup remotely reasonable for this kind of job? DIY ease?”source ↗

“A few days ago I was sitting at a traffic light when the car suddenly started running extremely rough.”source ↗

“I’ve now received the quote: around 2000 EUR.”source ↗

“My question: how likely do you think is it that the calibration actually fixes the problem for good? Do I have a good chance of peace after this, or am I basically dropping 2k only to keep worrying?”source ↗

“I went to a shop that made me pay for a diagnostic that was suppose to take like 30min to 1hr but they took 3hr and I think they will make me pay again to start the repair.”source ↗

“I never went there before though. Like I said it took em 3.5hr to diagnose and I had to call em back first... it's just a thermostat they said. idk I guess I should pass on them?”source ↗

“What about the repair? Should I pay first or is it more appropriate to pay after?”source ↗

“I know but what im trying to figure out is, was it ok to pay first or should I have paid after? Especially with the repair”source ↗

“yeah, $1k for what's basically a bracket fix stings”source ↗

“Yea, they’re fixing the bracket and flushing the coolant. Like, 1k for that? Ok”source ↗

“These repairs are quite expensive and I need to know if they’re worth paying for, as the warranty is not covering as much as I would’ve hoped.”source ↗

“Unfortunately, I’m not mechanically inclined at all. I’d almost be afraid of messing something up if I were to attempt it myself. From what it seems though, the parts are much cheaper than what the work is quoted for.”source ↗

“I’m having a LOT of trouble finding a mechanic to replace the transmission with a used because it’s a CVT. I called the dealership and they quoted me $13,000.”source ↗

“I obviously can’t afford that off the rip. And I think that’s really high to begin with.”source ↗

“I wish I was having some better luck because I can afford to do a replace for a lower mileage used but not a brand new. /:”source ↗

“My car has a transmission that is going bad, and because it is a 2017 Nissan, I can't exactly just buy a new transmission. I don't currently have the money for a new car, and I don't know how much longer it will last.”source ↗

“I have a small savings account, but that money is being saved for school.”source ↗

“Between rent, car insurance, groceries, and debt repayment, I don't have much money to go towards a new car.”source ↗

“My 2016 forester transmission failed at 98k miles. Lots of them have the issue”source ↗

“Best quote i could get that included parts and labor was $4500.”source ↗

“Sadly, due to my mother ruining my credit i couldnt get approved for a personal loan with synchrony. (570 score..?:| )”source ↗

“What options do i have? I’ve heard of snap finance and sunbit. Even if i have to deal with 20% APR thats fine, i just dont know what to do”source ↗

“Similar issue with a vehicle that runs well but older. The paint is coming off of it because we had a pine tree that would drop sap on it.”source ↗

“Recently ran into a huge mechanic bill I can't pay in full up front.”source ↗

“Total is $9699.00”source ↗

“Option A: The dealership mechanic offers a short term loan program, but the terms feel sketchy and I would have to use the longer monthly payment option which is 18 months with about $1600 in total interest.”source ↗

“Option B: I have a credit card with 0 balance on it at the moment that has an $11,000 line of credit, buy the APR is higher (%24.99APR)”source ↗

“My car was towed 2 days ago I had received 3 parking tickets I had no one to help or the money to get it moved since the battery died , flat tire and needs registration it had expired I had called directly the officer that was giving me the tickets, left voicemails to give me a week so that I could try to find someone that could help me get the car moved, but it ended up being told two days ago and I found out that the total amount of tickets is $300 right now not including how much I need to pay to get the car fixed and get it out of pound it is now I don’t know what to do.”source ↗

“So my 2019 Jeep has a blown head gasket AND I’m upside down by about 10k. We also can’t afford to replace it we barely have $500 in savings. What would you do in my shoes?”source ↗

“So basically warranty isn’t helping me. These repairs are something I can’t afford because I’m in a very very difficult financial situation right now.”source ↗

“Is there anyway I can get out of this situation with minimal debt. I’m already in $18k of debt before this situation and I’m 27 years old”source ↗

“I could afford this repair, but i dont know if paying 2k for a paint job on a car that is worth $1000 (if that) is a smart idea.”source ↗

“I hit a cone on the freeway and lost the passenger-side mirror on my 2016 Honda Civic. It had a LaneWatch camera. I was given a rough estimate of $700–$1,000 for the repair, which is tough for me to afford right now.”source ↗

“I was on a time crunch because of work so asked the shop to give me a call after further inspection.”source ↗

“They call me back with “good news” that only a coil repair is needed and they can do everything without removing the cylinder heads or removing the engine. I was relieved and asked how much that would be only to be hit with $1500.”source ↗

“Working a 9-5 and needing my car asap, I was at their mercy and had to get the work done here.”source ↗

“To add insult to injury when I went to pick up the car the invoice didn’t have any itemized parts or labor. Just a flat 1500 figure.”source ↗

“Just looking at what my google searches and whatnot are saying the repair cost should be are vastly lower.”source ↗

“I'm not well educated on this subject so would appreciate any advice or input on this. Thanks in advance.”source ↗

“I took it to a repair shop and they are quoting £’000’s to fix it as apparently they have to buy a whole side panel and cut the bit they want to use out of it then weld it.”source ↗

“My question is can anyone suggest a cheaper repair option, perhaps something more refined than gaffer tape. I don’t want to leave it open to the elements over winter!”source ↗

“It’s been only 3 months and I have only driven less than 2500 km but now the car has been giving some major problems”source ↗

“Repairing/Replacing all of these would cost me around or more than $4500.”source ↗

“I am wondering if I can reach out to showroom dealership about this matter to see if there was already established problem while purchasing vehicle”source ↗

“This situation is already draining me financially and mentally”source ↗

“The people are replacing just the pads and rotors to my knowledge on the back, but that just sounds high end?”source ↗

“My mom got hers done recently on a Toyota rav4, so could just be flexes require higher pricing from difficult labor, but it was like 800 for hers.”source ↗

“It costs $120 before tax. Is this price normal? This is my first time with suv. Back then when i had a sedan, the synthetic oil change costed about $80.”source ↗

“Is $120 oil change normal for suv?”source ↗

“After doing my research I am unsure of what my best option is.”source ↗

“The quote came out to about 7000 which is not in the budget of a college student 😅.”source ↗

“i can't afford $80 in fluid alone. and i don't want to risk damage to my cvt but not using Subaru cvt-II fluid. please any help would be appreciated I really cant afford to go to the mechanic right now.”source ↗

“Hi I’m f28 and not sure what to do. But I bought an Honda HRV 2016, night a year ago. And now the transmission broke. I took it to the dealership and they said it would cost 9,000 dollars to fix it. I asked for a trade in or appraisal and they said they could only give me 100 dollars.”source ↗

“The dude is ripping you off like a mf.”source ↗

“I need to get my spark plugs replaced on my 2009 dodge ram 5.7L Hemi, I got quoted $1200, does this seem accurate to anyone else in the SoCal area??”source ↗

“i don’t have a lot of money and can’t afford those kind of repairs so I think I have to just not drive it till I can figure something out.”source ↗

“I asked him what was the most important thing to fix safety wise”source ↗

“what would you do in my situation? can I get away with j ust tires for now?”source ↗

“do you know the cost of new cvt-II fluid? i don't have $100 Im a broke trade school kid and im trying my best, I had to skip dinner for 2 days to afford a oil change”source ↗

“i live in the middle of nowhere PA, I literally cant not have a car I need it to get to school. car ownership isn't optional for me i would love to have the change to live with public transport but I cant. im broke and trying my best I just want some help to avoid spending money I don't have at the mechanic.”source ↗

“The fuel door release lever when pressed down does not open the fuel door. I went to an auto body shop, and I was quoted $800-900. Is this reasonable?”source ↗

“Emissions check is coming up fast and a new cat isn’t something I can do rn.”source ↗

“Really cant do the cat at the moment.”source ↗

“I guess I need to bite the bullet and take it to a shop. Just worried they’ll say new cat immediately.”source ↗

“Cost for ONLY spark plug replacement is $1,364 (parts $580). Based on my quick research this seems really high? it looks like you can get the plugs for about $100.”source ↗

“Is there something about the promaster that makes it especially difficult to replace, even so, why would the parts be so high?”source ↗

“Even if they rounded it to 4 hours labor, 1350$ is fucking bananas lol”source ↗

“I’m not a genius, but I was quoted 3500 for cylinder head repair before the mechanic noticed I only needed timing cover replaced.”source ↗

“I feel taken advantage of though, like something is not right or being explained to me properly.”source ↗

“Around $2K for a front wheel brake job is a ridiculous price.”source ↗

“You can save about 1/2 the cost going to highly rated 3rd party shops. They will use non Toyota parts and labor rates are usually 1/2 what the dealer charges.”source ↗

“$1615 plus tax….”source ↗

“pls tell me what to do before i go broke i am so stressed”source ↗

“not that my situation matters but im still paying this car off.. so im in a tough spot if that makes sense”source ↗

“i need to pass emissions in january tho”source ↗

“That's pretty horrific, but not surprising. Those Hemi engines have 16 spark plugs, and they're probably using OE parts which are not cheap.”source ↗

“Yeah unfortunately I have no option to do them myself, nor inclination lol. I don’t mind paying, as long as I don’t get screwed over on the price being artificially inflated.”source ↗

“I have a 2014 ford Taurus 4cyl turbo that hesitates at high acceleration and mechanic says bad catalytic converter...are products that clean your catalytic converter snake oil?”source ↗

“They want $2000 to install new converters”source ↗

“I have a 2003 Honda Civic and recently paid around $2000 to have the water pump and timing kit replaced.”source ↗

“The day after getting the car back, I drove it and it suddenly struggled to accelerate past around 20km/h and there was a large amount of white smoke coming from the exhaust”source ↗

“I’m worried I’ve now spent $2000 repairing the timing kit/water pump only to potentially need the engine pulled apart again for a head gasket.”source ↗