Hello everyone: I have a '99 Civic LX sedan with 207,000 miles on it, mainly commuter miles. She's not the best shape cosmetically inside or out but she gets me from point A to point B. I might be able to get $2000 for it if I wanted to sell. The problem is I am going to have to have work done on the car (timing belt change and rear struts--have already replaced the front brakes for $560), that will end up costing almost as much as the worth of the car. I'm undecided as to how feasible that is.

Should I put $1000 in her now and hope she'll run w/o incurring any major problems in the next few years? Or fork over thousands for a used newer certified Honda I'll know won't have any major problems for the next few years.

I've heard time and time again that Hondas are reliable cars but after 207,000 miles just how much more reliable can they be? Is it worth putting $1700 more into?

I'd really appreciate your feedback. Thank you.

 

You should be able to get repairs for less than what you're paying. Find an independent shop who has done a Civic before, the timing belt replacement is not nearly as complicated as many other cars.

 

my question to you would be this: What would be the critical or cut off $ amt for you? I certainly agree with mk378 that you are not getting a fair price on your repairs. Paying $560 for front brakes seem excessive and I should know, I have a 98 Lx. I only paid $250 (if you do the repair yourself, it should cost under $100 easy). Shop around and see if you can get these things repaired for around $550. Would that amt be acceptable to you? I have used Pep Boys before and they install struts and shocks for a set price. Might be worth it to go to someplace like that for struts.

By the way, are you struts making your car bounce in the back?

 

In general, repairing your car is a much more economical option than purchasing a new or used car.

In addition, you can save a lot of $$$ by doing many of the repairs yourself. This is where a forum like this one can really benefit you.

 

+1 I just replaced my front pads and rotors myself. Got performance ceramic pads and new rotors for $75 on sale at Shuck's. Its a really easy job as well; all you need is a c clamp, a thin strip of wood, a metric socket set, and some brake cleaner. If you've never done it before, it might take you an hour or so for each wheel. Some WD-40 or PB blaster also might be a good idea to help loosen any stubborn bolts.

Also, when I had to do my timing belt, the shop only charged me $340 and they put in a new water pump, thermostat, and all new accessory belts along with the timing belt.

 

First, I appreciate the time you've taken to respond to my question. Second, I unfortunately don't have the mechanical wherewithall to work on my own car, so I guess I'm at the mercy of auto mechanics. I've gotten 3 estimates around town so far--all independent auto mechanics. From what you're all saying, I obviously need to get more estimates!

The front brakes were totally shot, metal to metal. :cringe: So the $560 included ceramic pads, rotors, rebuilt calipers. Oh and the bill included new spark plugs.

I'm not sure about the struts making my car bounce in the back, but the shop said that my rear tires were worn on the inside?

So back to the original question....after having these repairs done, regardless of how much, (and yes, I will call around to see if I can get better bids), how feasible is it to count on the car running w/o major problems for another 4 years or so?

Thank you!

 

Getting back to finding a good and reliable mechanic, i'd ask around and see if anyone can give you the name of a reliable and truthful mechanic. When you said the guy put in new calipers, I am not convinced that he was very truthful. I had the exact same situation, metal to metal and all they did was change the rotor and the pads. The calipers do not need to be changed unless they are in some way damaged. The spark plugs (4 of them)actually only cost about $10-15 so it does not add much to your bill.

If you continue to maintain the car, changing the oil at the appropriate time and doing the regular maintenance, changing the tires, brakes etc., I don't think 4 more years is a stretch. I plan on keeping my 98lx for another 8 yrs barring a collision.

 

well heres the thing... IMO no matter how many miles are on YOUR CAR milage means nothing.

at least the way i look at it.... anything can break at any time...... new cars still break down...

think of it this way.... you know whats wrong... just repair it and keep rocken the car.... always cheaper to repair than replace the whole car..

one thing ive almost always found out the hard way is if ya buy a car its got suprises somewhere on the car that might take you awhile to find!

 

Like everyone said its usually cheaper to repair your car than to replace it. Try asking your friends for references to find a decent shop. There are some things that I won't do on my car so I take my car to friends shop. I normally don't have the time to major jobslike pulling an engine or trans. Right now, I may have a headgasket problem so I probably do that myself.

 

I've owned 2 1983 Honda civics and both went over 270,000 with no major repairs and I sold both to buy another. I am on my third 1983 civic now. I found one with 34,000 about 1 year ago. Belonged to a little old lady who didn't go to church.

I would keep the car and find a cheaper shop but a good one.

Sadly the civic I have now keeps blowing head gaskets for some unknown reason. I decided to fix it myself this time. It is a big and time consuming task.

Keep the civi but treat it gently. Old cars tend to break more easily. Especially the trans.