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[Poltergust]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. Looks like an electric car is in my near future. =)

If it wasn't your fault, why did you have to pay repairs?

I didn't want to take it to court, so I told the other guy to give me $2000 for the repairs after I got my estimate back for it (ended up costing around $2800).

Yes, I know, you don't need to say anything else.

 

[Peter Ian Staker]

OP you should a have cashed out and bought something better after the accident. I hear US Fords from that era aren't that reliable.

European market Fords are alright

And cost a lot more as result.

 

[SLV]

Just teasing hehe. Love the Focus for sure.

xD Well i have got my ST for a year now it had 103 k KM on it, have done 15 k, it was used, and not loved by the previous owners, other than regular upkeep and two parts that had to be exchanged due to wear i cant say anything bad about it, have had various Ford Focuses 2001, 2002, 2007 (my current) 2010 and 2013 in our family. All have been reliable, but i guess the US ones are worse ? On the average

OP you should a have cashed out and bought something better after the accident. I hear US Fords from that era aren't that reliable.

And cost a lot more as result.

Well you can say that about any car IMO when looking at the price, i got my car very cheap, 5 k EUR, so i have been more than happy with it.

 

[CapitalismSucks DonkeyBalls]

Come on guys it aint that bad, at least the European market Fords are alright ;(

I can give them credit and say that they've likely improved over the years. But when I was a kid, that notion that Ford cars were shit was reinforced all the time, to the point where I can't rid myself of stereotyping it and vowing never to buy one.

 

[Poltergust]

Yikes lol : CARCOMPLAINTS.COM NOTES: The 2002 Ford Explorer is hands-down our worst vehicle on record. "Avoid like the plague" is putting it lightly.

MY COMPLAINTS ARE VALIDATED!

 

[E92 M3]

I find that people that "hate" cars don't bother to maintain them then complain they are always breaking down.

I remember being young and dumb (and poor) water pump was leaking like mad on my golf but I was like "naw its fine! I'll just top off the water at the gas station" engine finally seized on the highway lol.

Hahah, "it's okay who needs engine cooling anyways?" We were all dumb in our younger years.

Some people buy a car and don't expect to pay for maintenance and upkeep, then they complain that it's breaking down all the time.

I can't comprehend that level of ignorance lol.

I've known multiple people who tell me they've never had as much as an oil change. They usually have many car troubles.

I've heard people say they haven't changed oil for 30k miles. It's just crazy to me; way to fuck up your engine.

--

In terms of car ownership, I can't imagine not having a car. Not a fan of public transportation and the freedom given by owning a vehicle is rather valuable.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

The crash did bring to light that my car was already a death trap waiting to happen, though. Apparently the frame for the front-left part of the car was busted, so if I hit a pothole or a bump with enough speed it would've popped my front-left tire off. That was fun to learn. Also fun to pay to fix it up.

You should have stopped here. Frame damage is a walk away sort of issue.

 

[Poltergust]

You should have stopped here. Frame damage is a walk away sort of issue.

I know, right? However, at this point I was still a student with no disposable income, and no matter how much I pleaded with my dad to abandon the car he wouldn't have any of it.

Trust me, I would've dumped it 10 times over already if I could.

I think I'm finally gonna put my foot down on this, though. I've had enough of it.

 

[thekonamicode]

I have 160,000 miles on my 2006 scion tc and aside from regular maintenance (tires, oil changes) Ive only had to replace the trunk struts ($40) and the clutch (brother in law did it for free).

 

[User 479360]

Where do you live?

Canada.

 

[eddie4]

Canada.

Yeah, unfortunately it's only available in the US - California, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington.

If anyone is in those states, I encourage you to look into it if you don't drive a lot.

 

[Peter Ian Staker]

xD Well i have got my ST for a year now it had 103 k KM on it, have done 15 k, it was used, and not loved by the previous owners, other than regular upkeep and two parts that had to be exchanged due to wear i cant say anything bad about it, have had various Ford Focuses 2001, 2002, 2007 (my current) 2010 and 2013 in our family. All have been reliable, but i guess the US ones are worse ? On the average



Well you can say that about any car IMO when looking at the price, i got my car very cheap, 5 k EUR, so i have been more than happy with it.

Lucky you. I wish taxes in my country didn't make owning any car well above 2 liters prohibitive to own. I hope i can get a Fiesta ST in a year or two though.

 

[Volimar]

Wait till you try home ownership. All the fun of car upkeep at triple the price.

 

[SLV]

Lucky you. I wish taxes in my country didn't make owning any car well above 2 liters prohibitive to own. I hope i can get a Fiesta ST in a year or two though.

I paid together with MOT check, road/transport tax and obligatory insurance, 230 ~eur, that is 25 for mot, 155 for tax, and 50 eur for insurance. last year it was more expensive that that. (Latvia btw)
And that is for 12 months, insurance included.

Edited, it was 50 for insurance lol.

 

[Ploid 3.0]

Rent for long distance travel. I got a nice rental, and my cars are sitting pretty at home.

 

[E92 M3]

Wait till you try home ownership. All the fun of car upkeep at triple the price.

DIY work is the best invention

 

[platocplx]

Honestly, just get a Toyota or Honda

Yup. I have an acura TL 200K miles still going strong. Highly reliable cars.

 

[Quick]

I was given a car (2006 model) that's logged over 200,000 kms and it's running okay. It's had a couple of major problems through the years, but it was fairly well maintained. I had a mechanic look at it and he said it was fine.

That being said, mechanics at oil change chains (Mr. Lube, Jiffylube, etc.) always tell me there's something new that's busted or should be replaced, and they can fix it for a discount, so I'd end up just going to my mechanic to get it looked at.

 

[hydragonwarrior]

Full license but I've opted to just use public transit to get to work (helps that they pay for it lol). The biggest savings aside from having to pay like 500 a year for parking is also saving about 1k from paying car insurance.

But the sacrifice is speed. If I want to go to a diff city, I'm bound by the speed of a Greyhound/train times. Or exploring a city on my own. It requires a lot more patience but I've grown used to it.

And if I need to I could always rent a car.

Note: I live close to amain public transit line. If you live in a house that's partially or all outside the city, I think you have to get a car.

 

[Euphoria14]

How much of it is due to not keeping up with fluids and such? I've seen many people not take care of their vehicles and constantly run into big issues and then complain when something goes wrong.

I ask because I have a 2001 Galant with 174,000 miles on it that I have owned for the last 11 years (my first purchased car actually) and I drive ~60 miles a day with it, so ~300 miles per week.

It has a bit of a muffler issue right now that makes it a bit noisier than I would like, but that is minor and will be fixed soon.


Maintenance may seem like an annoyance, but it is more than anything a real big money saver. My wife's car is also a 2001 with 95,000 miles on it. Both are our first purchased vehicles and have lasted us over 10 years each.

 

[TylerD]

A lot of newer Fords are now global cars so you are getting the same vehicle wherever in the world you buy it.

 

[Iorv3th]

Yea this mileage kinda screams "repairs every few miles" kinda thing. Just recently got rid of my '02 325xi with nearly 170k miles, had just done a coolant system overhaul and a valve cover gasket replacement (common problems for an e46) only to be met with a blown head gasket. Well beyond what I was capable of (and more costly than I wanted to spend on repairs), so I traded that sucker in the next day.

Hyundai's are super cheap to repair, from what I've heard. Which is part of the reason I got a 2014 Accent.

Have a 2003 Accent that still runs well. Has some minor annoyances but usually easy enough to repair yourself. I wouldn't say they are any cheaper than other cars though as far as repairs go.

Haha, we're long past that point.

Your not. You are still going to run into problems with the vehicle you drive and have to spend money on repairs and maintenance.

First car is a 2002 Ford Explorer, with over 150,000 miles on it. Dad's car is a Ford Escape (dunno the year and frankly do not care) with over 120,000 miles.

That's probably part of the problem. If you don't care enough to even know the year model are you even doing regular maintenance to it? It didn't sound like you were by the way the first car broke down, coolant leakage and then radiator failure sounds like the first problem never got fixed right.

Part of owning a car is going to be getting it serviced and having maintenance done at regular intervals (look at your owners manual). Unless you want to run into problems with it once it gets over 80,000 miles (or earlier).

 

[Poltergust]

Your not. You are still going to run into problems with the vehicle you drive and have to spend money on repairs and maintenance.

No, by this point the cost of repairs have definitely overtaken the cost of getting a new car. It's not even close.

That's probably part of the problem. If you don't care enough to even know the year model are you even doing regular maintenance to it? It didn't sound like you were by the way the first car broke down, coolant leakage and then radiator failure sounds like the first problem never got fixed right.

Part of owning a car is going to be getting it serviced and having maintenance done at regular intervals (look at your owners manual). Unless you want to run into problems with it once it gets over 80,000 miles (or earlier).

Of course I do routine maintenance on it. It didn't matter though, because a majority of the problems I ran into are mechanical and irrelevant to things like oil changes, checking gauges, etc. The only issue I ran into that is at least partially my fault is the coolant leakage, since it was my first time driving the car in months and I didn't check on it before going out.

As for not knowing the year, it's to do with me not giving a single fuck about cars in general. Just give me a car that can reliably get me from point A to point B and I'll be content. I don't care what the make, model, or year is.

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

Pretty much guessed your car wasn't Japanese brand based off the descriptions. I think you're attitude will change once you get a more reliable brand. Hell any modern car these days. It looks like you're going electric which will further lessen any needed maintenance. When are you looking to buy?

 

[Poltergust]

Pretty much guessed your car wasn't Japanese brand based off the descriptions. I think you're attitude will change once you get a more reliable brand. Hell any modern car these days. It looks like you're going electric which will further lessen any needed maintenance. When are you looking to buy?

Probably gonna hold off on it for a few more months, unless a bunch of new major problems come up.

 

[AndyD]

The only issue I ran into that is at least partially my fault is the coolant leakage, since it was my first time driving the car in months and I didn't check on it before going out.

You should take a car out for a drive every week even if it's a 10 minute run to the store. It should not sit for long periods unattended.

 

[Poltergust]

You should take a car out for a drive every week even if it's a 10 minute run to the store. It should not sit for long periods unattended.

I was in Texas. The car was sitting unused at my parents house in Florida for months since the last time I went there for vacation.

 

[Smokey]

I have unfettered access to a car garage that my dad owns and runs (I actually was part owner at the start) with tens of thousands of dollars in equipment, and I still opt to lease a car because I get sick of investing time into repairs.



Dealership will rip you off. And my dad is a VW/Audi technician of 30+ years, running a euroshop meaning he gets to charge high prices on repairs and often has to turn away customers (or schedule them weeks down the road) because of a growing demand for a specialization that has low supply.

I own a Euro car. Never had this problem. You take it to a dealership while it's still under warranty. If you decide to keep it you take it to a reputable Indy shop that's vetted on the many forums for your paricular car.

I got my car when it had 19k miles, and it now has 102k. Its never been a "pain in the ass" to have a problem addressed.

 

[AndyD]

I was in Texas. The car was sitting unused at my parents house in Florida for months since the last time I went there for vacation.

In the future, always make arrangements for someone to take it out every week or two for a 5-10 minute drive. Sitting for months can cause significant degradation that can lead to even some of the issues you mentioned like a leaky/burst radiator. Also issues with the engine, fuel system and so forth.

I know it's not always easy, but its part of basic maintenance and upkeep. If is sits for months, they sometimes recommend a variety of fluid exchanges before it's driven again to prevent damage.

 

[Poltergust]

In the future, always make arrangements for someone to take it out every week or two for a 5-10 minute drive. Sitting for months can cause significant degradation that can lead to even some of the issues you mentioned like a leaky/burst radiator. Also issues with the engine, fuel system and so forth.

I know it's not always easy, but its part of basic maintenance and upkeep. If is sits for months, they sometimes recommend a variety of fluid exchanges before it's driven again to prevent damage.

It's funny, they were doing a good job of keeping it actively driven for all the other times I visited them. I guess that one time was the exception.

 

[Vegetable Lasagna]

Just had to replace both valve covers at $500 and had to remove my front coilovers that already had to be rebuilt 6 months ago after only 6,000-10,000 miles of use. Sounds like they're going to hook me up with a new set, but if not that's another $3,000 coming out of the bank account. I've put a ton of money into this thing... Cars! Huge money pit.

 

[Cocaloch]

This is what I loved about Austin when I went there for undergrad. They have an amazing bus system. Florida as a whole is like "public transportation? What's that?".

I've never in my life heard anyone else say that. Public transit here is an absolute mess.

 

[Poltergust]

I've never in my life heard anyone else say that. Public transit here is an absolute mess.

I used it for 4 years and had no issues whatsoever.

Although the fact that students get free bus fare may have factored into my experience.

 

[Pagusas]

This is why I stay on the new car train. Sure its expensive, but the budget can support it fine and I get 60,000 miles of worry free driving. Come 60k, I trade her in and buy a new one. I've done it enough times now that I've went from breaking even on the trade it to now paying a majority of a car off and taking a short auto loan out. Next new one I buy I'll be down to likely only taking a 12 month note out on it if I dont just pay for it outright.

I recently switch my wife onto this path too and its work very well.

 

[jacob armitage]

Rather happy in my teens i decided not to buy a vehicle. I'm 31 and its never been an issue, though i do choose where i live carefully. I bus, walk and bike everywhere. If i go shopping i'll take a cab back. If i had children though i'd likely buy a vehicle.

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

I recently inherited a 1999 Toyota Sienna with 133k miles on it. Being from NYC, this is the only car I've ever owned, and though it's only been about five months I've driven it tons without much issue. Pretty surprised, actually.

 

[Cocaloch]

I used it for 4 years and had no issues whatsoever.

Although the fact that students get free bus fare may have factored into my experience.

I think what may have factored in more is the fact that the system seems designed for students in particular. Getting from the campus area to elsewhere is fairly doable, but good luck doing much else.

 

[family_guy]

I think you'd have a different perspective if you had a good car. I was in the same spot as you from 17-27 so I can feel your pain. Then I got a really good paying job and a luxury vehicle.

 

[DrM]

i love my volkswagen golf, haven't had a problem with it at all

Wait till it reaches 10+ years. Then rust starts to appear (very common for earlier Golf V models), at least this happened to mine Golf V and guys at the shop said that I should start thinking about replacement in 1-2 years.

 

[zephervack]

From January 2015 to now (in order):

Replaced windshield
Replaced Radiator
Replaced front train

Replaced Thermostat
Replaced the whole engine (for $4k canadian)
Replaced breaks, bushings, some other crap

Space between repairs means I changed mechanic cuz I thought I was getting ripped off.

Car is: Hyundai Accent Hatchback 2006 with 70,00 km (44000 miles)

Im absolutely sick of this car, but I need it and every repair has been cheaper than getting a used car.

 

[Pagusas]

From January 2015 to now (in order):

Replaced windshield
Replaced Radiator
Replaced front train

Replaced Thermostat
Replaced the whole engine (for $4k canadian)
Replaced breaks, bushings, some other crap

Space between repairs means I changed mechanic cuz I thought I was getting ripped off.

Car is: Hyundai Accent Hatchback 2006 with 70,00 km (44000 miles)

Im absolutely sick of this car, but I need it and every repair has been cheaper than getting a used car.

...Why did you have the engine replaced and why wasnt it done under the 100k/10 year transferable warranty?

 

[Pantaghana]

A guy in high school told me Ford stands for: Fix or replace daily.

All joking aside problems with cars can vary greatly, I'm still driving a Ford Mondeo from '98. Very few issues.

 

[Daft Bird]

Yup. I have an acura TL 200K miles still going strong. Highly reliable cars.

Same here a 2000 TL 3.2, 180k miles. I'm really impressed with how little goes wrong in the car.

 

[zephervack]

...Why did you have the engine replaced and why wasnt it done under the 100k/10 year transferable warranty?

No such warranty here, I bought the car used and didnt have any warranty on it.

Should be some decent used cars for under 5k in your area?

Nothing with as little km, and most of them would end up being more expensive after taxes, etc.

That being said, I hope it stops giving me troubles now.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

I feel like I'm going go to be like the OP in a few years when I get out of school and will inevitably need a car.

I hate cars, I hate driving, and the things seem like completely ridiculous money sinks. How have we not figured out how to make cars more cheaply by now? Actually, don't answer that, because I'm sure there's a ton of stupid reasons I'd know if I owned/cared about cars. But still.

 

[platocplx]

Same here a 2000 TL 3.2, 180k miles. I'm really impressed with how little goes wrong in the car.

yeah its pretty crazy. Ive done very little up till about last year i just bit the bullet and got a ton of work done engine stuff like my power steering pump and engine mounts etc.

I justify any repair as that it once its fixed its fixed and i have no new car payments to worry about. im trying to drive this one into the ground until the transmission goes then i would get a new car.

 

[Pagusas]

Honda or Toyota.

Acura or Lexus for the respective "luxury" lines.


Also, I take my car in to get serviced at least once a year, but usually once every six months.

Yep, Hyundai's upper level cars like the Genesis have been pretty reliable also, plus a nicer warranty that I've found to be very good.

Just always follow the service plan, even if its ridiculous. A little money there will save you lots of headaches in the future.

 

[PseudoKirby]

get a similar year Rav4 or 4runner and never worry again

From January 2015 to now (in order):

Replaced windshield
Replaced Radiator
Replaced front train

Replaced Thermostat
Replaced the whole engine (for $4k canadian)
Replaced breaks, bushings, some other crap

Space between repairs means I changed mechanic cuz I thought I was getting ripped off.

Car is: Hyundai Accent Hatchback 2006 with 70,00 km (44000 miles)

Im absolutely sick of this car, but I need it and every repair has been cheaper than getting a used car.

Hyundai spent something like 20 years just being shit, I personally dont think they have changed

 

[Evo X]

It's cool OP. Not your fault. I'd hate driving too if my only experience with cars was shitbox Ford.

Perhaps don't let that paint your view of an entire industry.

 

[TheAbsolution]

I feel like I'm going go to be like the OP in a few years when I get out of school and will inevitably need a car.

I hate cars, I hate driving, and the things seem like completely ridiculous money sinks. How have we not figured out how to make cars more cheaply by now? Actually, don't answer that, because I'm sure there's a ton of stupid reasons I'd know if I owned/cared about cars. But still.

Just get a Corolla. They're cheap and they're easy to maintain.