We spend 2-3 k a year on repairs every year on our 2009 BMW with 150 k miles. That's normal,

Your problem is you own a Ford Flex. With 150k miles. It’s not going to last much longer.

Get a Honda or Toyota next time. Notoriously reliable past 200k.

Start saving for a new car over the next 2-3 years. Save $5-10 this year, 5-10k next, etc.

Then in 2020 or 2021, buy a 2-3 year old minivan or midsize suv with less than 50k miles on it. Preferably a Honda or Toyota. And drive that sucker into the ground.

Think about the stress and inconvenience of being without the car when it needs repairs too

How often is there a $2000 repair bill. I used to buy late model used but after I got a lemon that I put a ton of money into repairing I became a fan of buy new and drive forever. We don’t put a ton of miles on our cars, I have a 2010 with 70K miles on it.

Anonymous wrote:$2,000 to $3,000 per year on an older car is money well spent. A new car would set you back MUCH more.

This

I am so not a car person and I value reliability/safety above all else. The car I'm driving has over 100K on it and it is performing pretty well. But, I'm getting a little nervous about the idea of breakdowns and repairs. I'm hoping to replace this vehicle with something newer soon.

I suppose I could drive the older car into the ground like I've done in the past but now that I'm in my 50's the idea of doing that is simply not appealing to me at all. In fact, it sort of stresses me out thinking about it....because I know all to well what that involves.

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, those repairs sound normal for a car with that many miles on it. Those hoses and timing belts don't last past 100k miles (speaking as a Ford owner). If you are putting that many miles on your car, this is par for the course.

I would stick with the old until you need truly major repairs, like transmission, where the cost of the repair is greater than the value of your car.

+1 OP if you're worried about the occasional car repairs eating into college savings just think how much money you'll free up when you no longer have a car payment.

Anonymous wrote:I would stick with the old until you need truly major repairs, like transmission, where the cost of the repair is greater than the value of your car.

That's not a good measure at all. "Value of your car" has no meaning unless you are selling your car. If you can keep a piece of crap car on the road for a couple grand a year (even though the value of the car is lower), that's money well spent.

Honestly, those repairs sound normal for a car with that many miles on it. Those hoses and timing belts don't last past 100k miles (speaking as a Ford owner). If you are putting that many miles on your car, this is par for the course.

I would stick with the old until you need truly major repairs, like transmission, where the cost of the repair is greater than the value of your car.

It sounds like you don't want to pay for a new car. The current car is going to be cheaper to keep for now.

I'd get a newer used car. Enterprise and some of the car rental places have reasonable prices and have larger cars.

$2,000 to $3,000 per year on an older car is money well spent. A new car would set you back MUCH more.

I wouldn't buy a new car in your situation. As long as it's safe and not breaking down when you've got 4 kids sitting in it, ride it until the wheels fall off (or, ride it until just before the wheels fall off)

We have 4 kids and two cars (we take public transport to work). One car is an old little Toyota that we bought very used and that is fine when we need a second car in a pinch. The family car (which is what our nanny drives kids around in) is a 2013 Ford Flex, 150K miles. We bought it used in 2014. It has needed an annoying number of fairly pricey repairs over the years (various belts/hoses). The latest is a water cooler / timing belt issue for over $2000. Our finances are fine, but with 4 kids we really need to be saving a lot for college, and we are trying to put a lot toward retirement. So car repairs really take a bite out of our budget, and of course a new car would too. Trying to decide if we should trade in and buy a new car. Problem I see is that most cars that are big enough to fit a family of 6 seem pretty pricey - I recall when we bought it that the Flex seemed to be one of the few lower cost options. We still have a car payment on the Flex. Thoughts? I'm not a car person, and don't really care about having a nice car, but also don't know if it makes sense to keep dumping money into our current car. How do other people decide when/if to buy a new car? Also any recommendations for something large, inexpensive and reliable?