Hello,
Please let me know if it is worth the effort to keep throwing money at my 2001 XC70. It is in the shop right now. My mechanic is still diagnosing the current problem. He thinks the EMT will need replacing. Other items such as the dash board lights are starting to fail. The odometer reading is not visible now. However, the following big ticket repair items are on the horizon:

• Engine/Trans Mount Bushings
• Alignement, (to include replacing the tie-rod ends)
• Timing Belts
• Spark Plug replacement with fuel system cleaning
• Total estimated cost is $2400

The car's aircon/heating is on the blink as well...but I can suffer through the winter and hot summers to avoid repairing this issue.
It's body condition and interior is excellent. If I do the needed repairs, do you think it can last another 5 years? I drive from Sacramento to San Francisco 1 x's per week.

Thanks in advance for all your insights and recommendations!

 

No way would I would drive an old European car if I took it to a mechanic. In fact, I don't think I would drive a new European car.

 

The way I look at things, a car costs you $400 a month. If you lease a new car, you pay $400 a month no matter what. If you drive an old car, you hope that your maintenance (and associated inconveniences) are less than 400 a month. So if you invest 2400 and get to drive your car another 2 years, its cost you 100 a month. If you can do some of your own work, you can shrink the 2400 to something manageable. The downside is then what happens next? Do you get 2 years of driving without any additional repairs? That's really where you roll the dice. My personal example is my wife's Highlander has proven to be the most reliable car on the planet (2004 with 190K miles only one $500 repair) until it needed a new upper gasket set, control arms, tie rods and 4 new brake calipers for a total of $4000. Car's book value is $4000 tops... I wound up paying for the repairs and have had 6 months of trouble free driving and expect to keep the car another 2-3 years which will make my $4000 a $100 a month investment vs dropping $40K on a new model.

 

Hi mt6127,
Thanks again for your quick response and valuable insight!

 

Dear Rowster, to able keep the old and high mileage car you have to able to do the repair yourself, old and high mileage car's parts will eventually wear out, even small indy garage would charged $50+/hr, the dealer will charged $120+/hr, the car become money pit; I ordered the parts online and do the work on the car mostly by myself: fore example: I buy a good set of brakes rotors @$90-$120 and brake pads $50 do the work @1hr myself, the indy garage would charge $300+with the cheap parts and dealer will charge $500+with genuine OEM(still base quality but cost more) for the job plus the down time you leave the car in the shop, just a small thing to you considering; for over 200Kmls there no such thing as run for 2 years without additional repair, one thing will break down after the others, So here my two cents: Buy some good tools and learn to do some repair yourself if you want to keep the car ( you gain the knowledge and satisfaction that you done the work yourself, otherwise buy the best low mileage car you can afford.(still don't know any thing and worry about monthly car payment plus still have pay for brake replace some times)

 

Hi Thang Vora,
Thanks so much for your valuable input. I decided to sell my dear sweet Volvo for parts.

Best regards!