Nina Once Again: Dipping Into the Emergency Fund for Car Repairs

Nina, seriously.

I love my car. It's reliable and we've been through a number of scrapes (y'all have read some of my auto horror stories, most of them my fault) and get out pretty well.

Well now that Nina is all paid off, she is acting up.

I was driving home from yoga class when I turned a corner and BOOM! The car rocks and suddenly I'm riding a little low on my side, the rear tire making a funny noise. I get home and park, and find a big, jagged hole in my rear driver tire that looked like a velociraptor tore into the tire.
AAA put on the spare for free, but I had to pay Sears $220 for a new tire and an alignment.

Not four days later, I noticed a crack in my windshield way down low, so much so that I didn't even see it until I was dusting off the top of the dashboard. It's longer than a dollar bill, so the whole windshield has to be replaced.

I eliminated comprehensive coverage from my auto insurance to save money on the premiums, so there is no free glass repair. I have to pay out of pocket to get a new windshield. Thankfully, I did sign on with AAA, and can get a decent discount using one of their glass partners.

But that's still $194 (about $60 cheaper than the other two companies I called for quotes).

Then Nina started shaking. A silent rumble, but you could feel the vibration in your chest and it made my hands dance on the steering wheel. The Service Engine light came on, then went off. Came on again, went off again and the rumble disappeared. Then they both returned with a vengeance when I came back from Hawaii. I take Nina to get checked out. They told me to go to a dealer to get the definitive diagnosis, but it's either the spark plugs, an inexpensive repair, or something wrong with parts of the engined, which could cost upwards of $1,000 to repair.

The check engine light has gone off and the rumble disappeared... for now.

Cutting my insurance premium in half for the past year will pay for the tire and the windshield, but that still leaves the engine. And all of this will still set back my six-months-of-living-expenses goal... hopefully by no more than a month, but still.

At what point do you stop putting money into a car?

I was hoping to keep Nina running for at least another five years with routine maintenance and simple repairs (like brake pad replacement, new tires, etc.). A whole new engine? Is it even worth doing that with today's cars or should you just get another one? As much as I DO NOT want the hassle of getting another car (and making a car payment for years AND paying higher insurance, lord no, help me), I also don't want to pour what could amount to a new(er) car into this one. Come on Nina, you're only five, work with me!

How do you guys decide when it's time for a new (as in new to you, it could be used) vehicle?

Comments

[LaShaune]

Ok - as Queen of keeping cars until the wheels fall off (my volvo is an 82 - I bought for 700 bucks and have had for 4 yrs now), I will say this - do NOT get a new car note - if your car is paid for - it can't be repo'd. Find yourself a good, trustworthy mechanic - do not pay dealer prices - I know it's easier said that done - but NTB is a good place to start or even the Goodyear mechanic shops, but you should eventually find yourself an independent mechanic who is certified to do the warranty repairs, etc. You can also ask the service mgr at the dealer, they are good for referrals.

One lesson I had to learn with the volvo - stop taking your car to Sears. I did use Sears for repairs on my Nissan Sentra (which, when it finally died had over 250K miles) and it was great having nationwide warranty coverage, however, with the volvo, they have ripped me off left and right on tires, brakes, etc. Start getting your tires at Discount tires (even better tires, you can usually talk the mgr into giving you a price break on the tires and pay the $10 for the tire warranty - it comes in handy).

Also, depending on what type of car you drive - look into car clubs and their websites. You can find handy tips and helpful referral information.

My last thought about girls and cars - spend some time with your mechanic of choice and learn what signs/symptoms to look out for, learn how to change your tire (yes, it's a pain, but when AAA takes over 2 hrs to get to you - it's worth the effort), learn the proper color and smells of transmission fluid, oil, brake fluid, radiator fluid and check them at least monthly when getting gas.

The one thing I heard that sent me over the edge (cuz I did buy my 1st new car this June at the age 36 as a gift to myself) is that oil changes for new cars is 5K miles - dont believe the hype - get your oil changed at 3000 or max 3500 miles. Usually Jiffy Lube is ok, but try to take it to the same place each time and ask them to check your fluids, tire pressure, etc. Never buy their suggested wipers or air filters - you can get those cheap at autozone and are easy to put on yourself.

Ok - Im done for now. By the way, the rumble needs to be checked right away.

[LaShaune]

Oh, one more thing - don't get rid of your car that you put your hard earned money into. It may seem like things are breaking at a steady rate, but it's paid for. No need for taking on someone else's headache when yours could possibly be as simple as a tune-up and an oil change.

[Grace]

No advice from me--just a lot of empathy. I'm nursing my 1999 Dodge Caravan to the Nth degree because I do NOT want to go back to car payments--at least not until I get my credit cards under control (as in GONE!) At least you have your debt paid off. Here's hoping it's just the spark plugs!

[Robert]

Car repairs are lame...and costly.

[Cindy]

Thanks for all your advice LuShaune, I definately wish I was a girl who could handle a car without having to run to my dad for car advice. It's my aim in 2015 to buy a new car with a 50% deposit, so I must start saving about $20 000 to start saving. I think buying a car cash is probably the best option, but very few that most can afford now a days.

[Auto Body Parts]

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