kai564•1d ago

My $450 wagon stranded me in Grants Pass, fixing it was my fault

Tbh I see people trash older Volvo wagons on here all the time, but my 1998 V70 was solid for two years. Then last Tuesday I'm driving through Grants Pass and the coolant light starts blinking, I pull over and there's steam pouring out from under the hood. Turns out the upper radiator hose had a crack I noticed the week before, I thought it could wait. A $22 hose and a tow truck bill of $180 later, I'm back on the road. Anyone else ever ignored a cheap fix and paid triple for the lesson?

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mila_sullivan1d ago

Wait, did you actually pay $180 for a tow truck in Grants Pass, or was that the total with the hose and labor? Because that math seems off, a tow for that distance should be more like $60 to $80 unless you went across town twice. Anyway, I get it, that little voice saying "it's fine for now" is a liar, and it always costs more than the part. I've done the same thing with a brake light switch on my old 240, figured I'd do it next weekend, then ended up stuck at a gas station in Medford for three hours. The real kicker is the cheap fix never takes as long as you think, it's just the mental energy of ordering the part and getting under the hood that feels heavy. So yeah, you're not alone, but next time just buy the damn hose and spend the 20 minutes, it's cheaper than a tow truck driver's lunch break.