Repair vs. Sell

[Anonymous]

If a dealer says, I need $5,700 worth of work done on a 16-year-old Camry with 172K miles. How much would you estimate the cost for repairs with an off-brand mechanic? I am trying to see if the car is worth keeping. Carmax and the dealership both offered $1,500 to buy it. I am the op who started the thread about inheriting two cars from my deceased dad. I could use the car for local errands on the weekend and give my Acura a break. I'm exploring the most practical option.

[Anonymous]

What’s the work that “needs” to be done? Itemizing helps.

[Anonymous]

You need to call a few mechanics and ask.. Hard to guess, but it will be less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s the work that “needs” to be done? Itemizing helps.

Replace the front exhaust pipe - $2600; replace the front strut - $1,100; and replace the front upper strut shock -$530. These are the three most expensive items. Several other items range from $50- $300.

[Anonymous]

I did an engine replacement on 13-year-old Toyota 4Runner at that mileage. 15 years later it's still my daily driver--runs and drives great.

Trade-in costs or even private-party blue book prices are not good metrics for deciding on repair costs.

If it is a substantially sound car that you'd like to keep driving, then do the maintenance. The 4Runner I mentioned is at 365,000 miles now, with no end in sight. That kind of potential is simply not caught by the averages in blue book algorithms.

Minor note: keep up with the cosmetic stuff too, so you don't start to hate the car.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s the work that “needs” to be done? Itemizing helps.

Replace the front exhaust pipe - $2600; replace the front strut - $1,100; and replace the front upper strut shock -$530. These are the three most expensive items. Several other items range from $50- $300.

Does your exhaust pipe cause you to fail inspection or emissions?

I’d get a second opinion from a non-dealer mechanic. Dealers tend to replace things that may only need fixing. Plus their rates are higher.

Is your car in otherwise good shape? Body damaged or rust? AC work? How’s interior?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s the work that “needs” to be done? Itemizing helps.

Replace the front exhaust pipe - $2600; replace the front strut - $1,100; and replace the front upper strut shock -$530. These are the three most expensive items. Several other items range from $50- $300.

Ummm no, way overpriced. And what is a "front exhaust pipe"? The pipe running from the manifold to the muffler, and they want $2600 for a $100 part and $100 labor job? LMAO!

[Anonymous]

I would ask around (or tell us your local area) for a mechanic recommendation. It’s never the dealer. And I usually don’t let the mechanic who failed me on an inspection do the repair. I’ve had the same guy fail me twice and the guy down the road says there’s no issue (but makes suggestions for cost effective ways to repair).

[Anonymous]

You could easily get 250,000 miles on that car.

I bet a dealer could make quite a bit of cash on that car that you couldn't make yourself selling privately. Mark up the price and sell it with an extortionate rate loan.

My friend wanted to buy a 15-year old Subaru from me that the dealer would have given me $750 for. He knew the engine oil leaked at the gasket but that it had good regular maintenance and was clean inside. He gave me $1K. It lasted 1 year without work. When it broke, he sold it for $500 to someone who did the work to put it back on the road. It will probably last another 30-40K because of the parts I already maintained on it. Toyota are better than Subarus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would ask around (or tell us your local area) for a mechanic recommendation. It’s never the dealer. And I usually don’t let the mechanic who failed me on an inspection do the repair. I’ve had the same guy fail me twice and the guy down the road says there’s no issue (but makes suggestions for cost effective ways to repair).

Always good advice. If you have to have a vehicle inspected, get it done at a quick lube type inspection place not your regular mechanic, to avoid this issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would ask around (or tell us your local area) for a mechanic recommendation. It’s never the dealer. And I usually don’t let the mechanic who failed me on an inspection do the repair. I’ve had the same guy fail me twice and the guy down the road says there’s no issue (but makes suggestions for cost effective ways to repair).

I live in Rockville and def open to mechanic recommendations. If I can get a few more years out of an extra car, that is my preference rather than selling it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You could easily get 250,000 miles on that car.

I bet a dealer could make quite a bit of cash on that car that you couldn't make yourself selling privately. Mark up the price and sell it with an extortionate rate loan.

My friend wanted to buy a 15-year old Subaru from me that the dealer would have given me $750 for. He knew the engine oil leaked at the gasket but that it had good regular maintenance and was clean inside. He gave me $1K. It lasted 1 year without work. When it broke, he sold it for $500 to someone who did the work to put it back on the road. It will probably last another 30-40K because of the parts I already maintained on it. Toyota are better than Subarus.

This is very encouraging. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s the work that “needs” to be done? Itemizing helps.

Replace the front exhaust pipe - $2600; replace the front strut - $1,100; and replace the front upper strut shock -$530. These are the three most expensive items. Several other items range from $50- $300.

Ummm no, way overpriced. And what is a "front exhaust pipe"? The pipe running from the manifold to the muffler, and they want $2600 for a $100 part and $100 labor job? LMAO!

I appreciate you laughing. I swear it seemed bogus, but I don't know cars. Honestly, had the dealer listed one or two things, I would have just paid for it, given the car's age. It was their over-recommending repairs that sent me running. Who would pay that much for a 16-year-old car?

This is what I copied and pasted from the invoice if it makes any more sense:
REPLACE FRONT EXHAUST PIPE, EXHAUST LEAK FROM FRONT PIPE

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s the work that “needs” to be done? Itemizing helps.

Replace the front exhaust pipe - $2600; replace the front strut - $1,100; and replace the front upper strut shock -$530. These are the three most expensive items. Several other items range from $50- $300.

Does your exhaust pipe cause you to fail inspection or emissions?

I’d get a second opinion from a non-dealer mechanic. Dealers tend to replace things that may only need fixing. Plus their rates are higher.

Is your car in otherwise good shape? Body damaged or rust? AC work? How’s interior?

It's in good condition-- zero rust and dents, and the paint is pristine. The only issue that bugs me is the interior. The console is warping some, and the leather looks sun-warn.

Also, just me being nitpicky, but I see a noticeable difference in the "strength" of my Acura vs. the Camry. The Camry feels a bit flimsy, and I swear the strong wind today blew it around a bit on the beltway. I definitely have to adjust how I drive between the cars there is noticeable performance difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s the work that “needs” to be done? Itemizing helps.

Replace the front exhaust pipe - $2600; replace the front strut - $1,100; and replace the front upper strut shock -$530. These are the three most expensive items. Several other items range from $50- $300.

Ummm no, way overpriced. And what is a "front exhaust pipe"? The pipe running from the manifold to the muffler, and they want $2600 for a $100 part and $100 labor job? LMAO!

I appreciate you laughing. I swear it seemed bogus, but I don't know cars. Honestly, had the dealer listed one or two things, I would have just paid for it, given the car's age. It was their over-recommending repairs that sent me running. Who would pay that much for a 16-year-old car?

This is what I copied and pasted from the invoice if it makes any more sense:
REPLACE FRONT EXHAUST PIPE, EXHAUST LEAK FROM FRONT PIPE

Skip that and go to a muffler shop in the poor part of a town.

If there is just a leak in a pipe, 10 min on a rack with a torch welding tip and it's fixed. The only expensive part of exhaust is the catalytic convertor, and in many places that wink and let you go, they don't care if you are compliant about that or not.

An entire exhaust system replacement, manifolds, pipes, CC, muffler, tail pipe wouldn't even be close to $2600.