​​Repair or Replace Your Old Car A Discussion With No Easy Answer​ 

“Should I fix it or replace it?” is a question anyone who bought a used car and kept it for a while, or a new one and kept it even longer, has asked. The frustrating thing is that there is no definitive answer. The best we can do at Michael Hohl Subaru is offer some perspective and suggestions.  

The question usually comes up when you have to undergo a repair, possibly a big one, big enough that you are considering the repair’s cost as a percentage of the vehicle’s current worth. Usually, you will make the repair because the vehicle’s value may be worth next to nothing without it, but you wonder how long until the next costly repair. Should I make a move before then? 

The sad truth is that if you keep your car long enough, even meticulous maintenance won’t shield you from some costs. Timing belt replacement, a labor-intensive job, is usually needed around 100,000 miles. Fuel pumps, water pumps, and brake rotors are additional time bombs, and each car has its own weaknesses that surface over time. To quote Indiana Jones, “It’s not the years, honey, it’s the mileage.” Things are just going to wear out.  

However, there is a flip side that is just as definitive. It is always going to cost less to repair a car than to buy a new one, particularly when the average new-car price has risen to almost $50,000. Even if you take luxury brands out of the mix, the price is still in the mid-$40,000s range. The repairs on your car are surely not going to reach that kind of cost, and they are probably not going to reach the cost of a used car either, assuming it is significantly newer and has lower mileage than yours.  

But then there are other costs to consider. The cost of downtime while your car is getting worked on. The cost of not feeling confident about taking your car on an extended trip, compounded by the security issues of breaking down away from help. On the other hand, (we may be on the fourth hand now), there is timing. You may have had an idea of when you would replace your car. You may be setting money aside for a down payment, but you are not there yet, and purchasing now, particularly if you just spent big bucks on a repair, fouls up your plans.

Reasons to Replace

Michael Hohl is in the business of selling new cars, used cars, and fixing existing cars, so we don’t have a clear bias in this decision. However, there are scenarios where we would choose to purchase another vehicle: 

• Repairs are approaching the vehicle’s worth. A repair of over half of the vehicle’s value is a good time to consider replacement. 

• You don’t want to stress over future breakdowns. Older cars can be unpredictable, and fixing one issue doesn’t guarantee another won’t arise elsewhere. A new car’s warranty typically covers at least three years, often longer, reducing worries about major repairs. Alternatively, choosing a more dependable used car, such as a certified pre-owned vehicle, can provide peace of mind. 

• You’re tired of constant trips to the repair shop. It disrupts your life, you have to find another way to get around, and the repairs always seem higher than you first thought. 

• Predictability. Yes, a new or newer car will cost more, but the monthly cost will be the same. You can budget for it, and the warranty means no surprise car expenses for the next few years.  

• You’re tired of your old car. Even with the big things fixed, it has nagging issues that bother you. It rattles excessively, a speaker buzzes when you turn up the volume, or some features don’t work as well as they used to. These are all good reasons to consider a change. Review your budget carefully and honestly assess your financial state.  

• You value safety and are aware of the many advanced safety features on modern cars that your car doesn’t have and may not even have existed when it was new. 

• There are other new vehicle features calling your name. It could be the capability of new infotainment systems, you would really like adaptive cruise control for your commute, or there are one or more other features that really seem to have your needs in mind.

Reasons to Repair 

Putting aside any sentimental value, the argument against the purchase side basically comes down to costs:  

• As mentioned, repair is almost always less expensive than replacement. And if you are purchasing a used vehicle, you now have a vehicle you don’t know. If the car seems so good, why did its previous owner sell it? There could be plenty of valid reasons, but you just don’t know. 

• A new or newer vehicle will also likely raise your insurance rates, as it now has a more expensive car to cover.    

Again, there is no definitive answer, but the best plan is to have a plan. Perhaps set a repair ceiling and, if the car exceeds it, replace it. Or perhaps set a time limit and stick with it. Either way, even if it may not be the most cost-effective move, it is on your terms, not your old vehicle’s.  

Of course, when the replacement decision comes, we hope you will start and, more importantly, end your shopping at Michael Hohl Subaru. The entire Subaru brand has received significant accolades from the dry but accurate Consumer Reports, including being named “the Most Reliable Automotive brand.” And after racking your brain on the repair-or-replace question, what better description for a vehicle brand is there?