I absolutely hate dealing with repairs on cars.
This is why I’m in the minority group that believes a new car is the best investment every single time if you can afford one.
Imagine this comparison for just a moment. After five years of a car payment, you now have a vehicle with low miles, few if any mechanical issues, and full knowledge of the car’s entire damage and repair history. You could only dream of getting a car in this condition if you went for a used car in the first place. And after five years of using an old, used car, you’ll be dealing with constant repair costs taking it to the mechanic. These mechanical repairs definitely add up quickly. My sister’s old Pontiac is finally out to pasture after thousands of dollars in repairs over the past six years. She paid for the car three times over because of the issues it had from the start. It’s really bad when the problems are as extensive as the transmission or the car’s air conditioning system. The transmission replacement was $3,000 in total with parts and labor, while the air conditioner was $1,000. I just couldn’t believe it when my sister told me how much money she was paying. I knew the transmission was a lot, but replacing the a/c in a car isn’t cheap either. I don’t even want to know how much it would cost to replace the heater if that had ever failed when she was still driving that old car. But now that it’s undrivable, it’s anyone’s guess what would actually work if the engine was started again.