Just changed my mind about buying a new car after my old one needed a $2,000 repair

My 2012 sedan started making a noise, and the shop said it needed a full transmission service. I was ready to just trade it in for a new car payment. Then my friend, who's a mechanic, asked if I'd had any other big issues. I realized besides this, the car has been solid for years. Paying the repair is still way less than a new loan. Has anyone else fixed a big problem and been glad they kept the old car?

4 comments

4 Comments

ruby2906d ago

A NPR piece I heard said cars last longer than ever, and @the_stella, sometimes fixing is just smarter.

kelly.parker1mo ago

Notice how we fix things less often than we replace them these days.

the_stella1mo ago

Nah, sometimes replacing is the move. Fixing old stuff can cost more than just buying new, and new things work better anyway.

evangarcia6d ago

You said "new things work better anyway" and I gotta push back a little on that. In my experience, newer stuff is often built cheaper with planned obsolescence in mind, so it might work better for a year but then it's toast. I've got a 12 year old fridge that I fixed for $40 last year, a new one would have been $800 and probably wouldn't last half as long. Plus, fixing something keeps it out of a landfill, which matters more to me than having the latest thing. Not saying you're wrong for your situation, but I think we throw away way too much stuff that just needs a simple repair.