Car Woes

[marymoo86]

Could be worse, it is paid off and 8 years old so I knew things would need replacing due to age/miles/wear & tear. I am not upset about that.

BUT.DOES.EVERYTHING.HAVE.TO.BREAK.AT.ONCE?!

Replaced timing belt, water pump, thermostat, and a few other items last month and now have to replace the radiator and some valve things.

So thankful that I didn't have to pay taxes b/c I overestimated what I need to withhold so I guess this is karma making sure I didn't miss out on the yearly April fun.

Oh and I mention we are about to start remodeling our bath too? Sigh.

[s7714]

I had a car that did that periodically. Definitely annoying and stressful! :hug:

[larig]

that stinks... when it rains it pours here too. the joys of older car ownership...our car is a 2000, and goes in the shop tomorrow--we'll see what we have in store for us. I know at least something with the A/C.

[Indianamom2]

Been there and done that...recently. Just look up any posts from me since, oh, I don't know...last October. Just had the water heater overflow for the second time in the last month and the third time (at least) this year. Of course, there's "nothing wrong with it" according to the repair guys.

Anyhow, I'm truly sorry. I understand.

[crl]

Hate that! I was whining to dh when my 2004 Forester needed new belts because it has less than 40,000 miles on it, but he just shook his head and said those things age even when you aren't driving.

Catherine

[sste]

Oh no! Have totally been there. I still remember when DS was born, the coldest winter in recorded history of a cold city, and our car died and we couldn't afford to replace it.

Sorry to hear this!

[AnnieW625]

Sounds like you have a Subaru with miles between 60,000 and 90,000 miles. Good luck. Lost the timing belt at 63K miles first, then the water pump, and thermostat and somewhere in there the calatitc converter went out too. Good luck!

On my 90 Corolla though I needed a new radiator and a headlamp so I got that replaced and then went on vacation, came back from vacation and drove it for a week and it was totalled in an accident, there went $200 or so down the drain.

[marymoo86]

Sounds like you have a Subaru with miles between 60,000 and 90,000 miles. Good luck. Lost the timing belt at 63K miles first, then the water pump, and thermostat and somewhere in there the calatitc converter went out too. Good luck!

On my 90 Corolla though I needed a new radiator and a headlamp so I got that replaced and then went on vacation, came back from vacation and drove it for a week and it was totalled in an accident, there went $200 or so down the drain.

90k

Mechanic called and while it needed the radiator - the head gasket is cracked. He isn't sure if the radiator cause the gasket failure or the other way around but it is going to be a 2k repair on top of the $1200 in repairs just done :gloomy:

[liz]

90k

Mechanic called and while it needed the radiator - the head gasket is cracked. He isn't sure if the radiator cause the gasket failure or the other way around but it is going to be a 2k repair on top of the $1200 in repairs just done :gloomy:

oof, that is a lot of expensive stuff to happen all at once :(

[o_mom]

90k

Mechanic called and while it needed the radiator - the head gasket is cracked. He isn't sure if the radiator cause the gasket failure or the other way around but it is going to be a 2k repair on top of the $1200 in repairs just done :gloomy:

Yep. That's what happened to our Subaru at that mileage. We had the tranny go out the month before, so it was tranny ($3k), radiator a month later ($1200) and then another month later, the week after they finally got the last part for the tranny in (on back order) and installed, the head gasket went ($2k estimate). That's when we limped it down to the dealer and traded it in for DH's Accord.

[wellyes]

When people talk about how reliable and long lasting Japanese cars are, I know they have never owned a Subaru. Former Forrester owner here - loved that car, but it completely self destructed just before 100K.

[hellokitty]

That timing belt on subarus is something that MUST be changed before it goes out on its own, I don't think that ppl are aware of how important this is. We have had two subarus. DH watches the timing belt like a hawk and gets them changed BEFORE the manual says to get them changed. It seems like it has helped to avoid a lot of problems. My subaru that we sold two yrs ago was 13 yrs old and in great shape, no trouble at all, but we kept up with regular maintainance. It had low mileage, but dh still changed the timing belt before it was due. The same with his current 12 yr old WRX. We do love subarus for the reliability and AWD, and would get one again in a heartbeat (we've been eying the legacy), but yeah, the timing belt is a biggie.

OP, I feel your pain, but it's with our frickin' house, not cars! So, even more expensive, but yeah, when it rains, it pours!

[o_mom]

That timing belt on subarus is something that MUST be changed, I don't think that ppl are aware of how important this is. We have had two subarus. DH watches the timing belt like a hawk and gets them changed BEFORE the manual says to get them changed. It seems like it has helped to avoid a lot of problems. !

Ours was maintained perfectly. We actually did the timing belt and water pump 10k miles AHEAD of schedule when the radiator was replaced. We thought it would be a good investment in a 'reliable' car only to have the head gasket go a month later.

[hellokitty]

Ours was maintained perfectly. We actually did the timing belt and water pump 10k miles AHEAD of schedule when the radiator was replaced. We thought it would be a good investment in a 'reliable' car only to have the head gasket go a month later.

That stinks. What yr and model did you have?

[o_mom]

That stinks. What yr and model did you have?

'99 Outback.

I loved it up until that point, lol. It was fun to drive, the fit and finish were fabulous, not a rattle or squeak to be heard. Up until that point (96k) we did nothing but routine maintenance. If it had all gone at once, we would have just traded it in, but it was the three months and $4k+ that we sunk into it thinking that would getting us another 2-3 years out of it that really stung.

[hellokitty]

'99 Outback.

I loved it up until that point, lol. It was fun to drive, the fit and finish were fabulous, not a rattle or squeak to be heard. Up until that point (96k) we did nothing but routine maintenance. If it had all gone at once, we would have just traded it in, but it was the three months and $4k+ that we sunk into it thinking that would getting us another 2-3 years out of it that really stung.

Wow! My legacy sedan was a 98, but it had less than 100K miles on it when we sold it. Who knows, maybe it would have had problems, but the car overall, was just in really awesome shape. We were surprised that there was not a bit of rust on it (we're in a snowy area), they must have sprayed something special on the underside of the body that yr. Dh's WRX is a 2001 and is doing well, but he babies that thing. He will probably just drive it until it doesn't run, but I hope it doesn't die an early death! It really is such a roll of the dice though, you never know how long a car will really last. Or in my mil's case, she wrecks cars before they even get much of a chance to age and give her problems, lol. Or you can be like my parents and get, "reliable" brands, but they don't take care of their cars at all, so they don't last as long as you'd think.

[AnnieW625]

90k

Mechanic called and while it needed the radiator - the head gasket is cracked. He isn't sure if the radiator cause the gasket failure or the other way around but it is going to be a 2k repair on top of the $1200 in repairs just done :gloomy:

Same thing happened with my 88 GL Wagon (last year before it became the Legacy, I think) years ago (timing belt and catalytic converter went out in 95, and the rest of the stuff went out between 99 and 2000 with some sporatic stuff in between that my dad wouldn't let me take the car to San Diego with me) when I had it although I am not sure if we ever had to replace the radiator or not. It is do interesting that models 16-17 yrs. newer are still having the same issues my 88 did.

Good luck!

[marymoo86]

Yep - we had the timing belt changed ahead of schedule and did the other things too while they could easily get to it.

The mechanic isn't sure of the cracked radiator caused the head gasket failure or the other way around but he said it was a fluke for both to happen.

Lucky me and 3k later..... sheesh.

If the tranny goes out I am done. I hope this will last me another three years.

[marymoo86]

Just for grins and giggles - some valve or other is now leaking so tack on another 600 to the 3k. Will this just stop!!!!

[crl]

Just for grins and giggles - some valve or other is now leaking so tack on another 600 to the 3k. Will this just stop!!!!

Oh man. I am sorry.

Catherine

[WatchingThemGrow]

Oh goodness!!!! That's a LOT to spend. At what point do you call it a loss and go buy a new one?

I just wrote to my friend to find out where the auto shop that her DH just bought is... DH's 2001 Accord is in need of a timing belt and all sorts of stuff. It needs about $2000K of body work as well from a poor immigrant neighbor backing into it. DH doesn't have the heart to ask his insurance to fix it. But the guts of the car....you can't put off those kinds of repairs!

Sorry yours are getting SO expensive!!!

[marymoo86]

Oh goodness!!!! That's a LOT to spend. At what point do you call it a loss and go buy a new one?

I just wrote to my friend to find out where the auto shop that her DH just bought is... DH's 2001 Accord is in need of a timing belt and all sorts of stuff. It needs about $2000K of body work as well from a poor immigrant neighbor backing into it. DH doesn't have the heart to ask his insurance to fix it. But the guts of the car....you can't put off those kinds of repairs!

Sorry yours are getting SO expensive!!!

Problem is that it isn't driveable or tradeable without the repairs :(

The mechanic thought I would be able to get a lot of use out of it once done. So will keep driving it hoping nothing else major comes up.

[hellokitty]

Problem is that it isn't driveable or tradeable without the repairs :(

The mechanic thought I would be able to get a lot of use out of it once done. So will keep driving it hoping nothing else major comes up.

Ugh, you are right. You can't sell it like that either. I hope that with the fix, you will get at least another 3 yrs out of the car. I read somewhere about deciding when to get a replacement vs. fixing the car and the article (which I cannot recall where I read it) said something about how a fix is usually still cheaper than car payments, so to look at it that way. It's painful though when everything happens all at once. It's like the 10 yr mark for houses, that's when everything starts breaking all at once.