ARGH! NOT AGAIN!

[Michaelangelo]

I can't believe this... not at all...

Ok, let's see...  

Car Accident : March  
Car break down in PA (including left axel): June
Axel break down : August

And now again the AXEL is broken!   And here's the report...

The new repairs is another $899

Excuse me while I go off and be sick.  This is like a big blow to my gut I can't take it.  And now my dad's deal is, he'll only help me with this if I agree that as soon as it's fix we look at trading it in for a used car.  Though my credit is in a BAD spot because of hospital bills that should of been handled by insurance.

My dad really wants me to go for a PT cruiser... he's so against me getting another bug, which is the car I love most.  I don't want my dad ruleing what type of car I get.  He knows PT is my second... but the bug... it's my #1 and always has been.   *sigh*  

[Michaelangelo]

Well the repairs are now going to be $1532.00  we're doing what we should of done from the get go and getting a VW Axel so it doesn't break down again in 200 miles.   *sigh*  

$300 will be from returning the two bad axels to the store they came from.
$232 will be from the car care credit
$1,000 will be loaned to me from my folks.

Car should be done by Friday.

[Raphael]

Sorry you're having such crappy car luck there, Mikey.

Should the repair place have found any of these problems before? It's ridiculous that so much stuff keeps falling apart.

[Michaelangelo]

They mentioned the Engine Mount before, but than said it's ok.  So we didn't have to fix it that time.

I'm just sick with all of this being done.  If I do get another car, I'd like to get a bug.  My bug was REALLY good till the accident.   So I don't look down on VW bugs, I just had a run of bad luck there.

I might get a PT, but I don't know really.  It's really going to depend on what is the best offer.  Though that's only if I do get another car... like my dad wants.   *sigh*  I know he's going to be pulling me to places to look at PT's.  Best thing about PT would be 4 door, and more room for stuff when going on trips.

[OnnaRaphael]

  Jeeze!  How much bad car luck can one person have?  They need to lay off and (this sounds so mean) give someone else some bad luck for a while.

[Raphael]

I don't think the problem is that you have a bug, seems to me more that your repair place isn't very good. If they're the only ones that service bugs, then I could see opting for a different type of vehicle.

[Donatello]

Ugh.. that doth suck.  

But I won't llisten to your Dad though.  Considering the fact you can't afford a car with constant repairs, you should put all car favorites aside and get what is the MOST reliable and practical.  If buying a Honda Civic would not sit well with your family (I dunno if your fam is picky about American made cars vs foriegn ), then look for a Saturn.  Saturn's had a real good reliability record, and don't burn up a lot of gas too.

Bottom line.. seriously do your homework on the next car you aim to get, before getting it.  

As for the bad credit, you could find a dealer that doesn't care if you got a crap history.  The down side to this ia that their interest rate on the dealer loan will be enormous.  So as soon as you buy the car from the dealer with the dealer loan, go to a bank or lender who has a far better auto loan interest rate... and refinance.  They can refinance loans with less fuss, that if you tried to get a loan from scratch from a bank lender. Refinincing the loan will make the price much cheaper too.  (Why do I know this? It's how I bought our first car.)

[Michaelangelo]

*blink* why do people always try to lead me away from my top favorite cars?


I love VWs, that is my main choice in cars.  My bug wouldn't be bad if it wasn't for the accident.  And really PT is my second choice of car if I can't get a bug.  Those are the two cars that I always notice on the road.  Most other cars all look about the same to me, don't stand out at all.... don't scream buy me in my eyes.  And yes I know people who own PTs... so I have people I can talk to when looking at it.  Though I'd rather stay in the VW area.

[Leonardo]

I know you love the Bugs, but my friend who works for AAA and knows about which cars have the most/least problems said the Bugs are not considered reliable and are often more expensive to keep going in the long run.
I agree with what others are saying here.
So it's either something that may not be your fave kind of car but saves you money....and the Honda Civics have an excellent rating and are something I am looking into for my next car if I can find a deal! I recently test drove some Toyota and Honda cars and I really liked the Civic. So I am crossing my fingers I can nose out a good deal in the next couple months. With the 07s now coming in, I'm hoping to find a good lightly used '06.
Or...you accept that the Bug is going to continue to cost you money. Whether you keep fixing the one you have or get another that is used, it's probably going to need things done to it, too.
I do hope you find something that works out for you!! Good luck!

[Leonardo_Mystic]

No one's trying to lead you away from anything, Ivey dear. We're only trying to help, give suggestions, etc. None of us like the fact you're having to suffer all this misfortune, and no one wants to have you to continue so.

To me, a specific model or make of a car is not my deciding factor when getting one. Since I tend to like small cars, like my Dodge Neon, it's not hard for me to find any in a range that suits me. What is, though, is I can get rather particular about exterior color, interior color/decorating, etc. I'm obsessed with the meticulous details. I also judge on how well the car drives, how many miles to the gallon it gets, and how much room it might have in case I go on long trips, or have more than just me in the car at one time. Price is also a very big factor, so it's always good to have a contingency.

Make and model, if it comes into play at all, is at the very bottom of the list. My parents have gone through a variety of different makes, from Toyota, GMC, Chevrolet, to currently a Chrysler Town and Country. I was the first one to break the mold with my Dodge Neon as they were so adamant once about Chevrolet being the only make for them for years, and urged me to do the same. I, however, given that choice between a white Chevy Cadvieler and the maroon Dodge Neon, I ultimately chose my Neon. Why? Because one, white is not my color ( )  and two, I just liked the feel of sitting and driving in the Neon better. I gave up power windows, power locks, and a CD player because that's what I wanted. I've not regreted it, except maybe the CD part.  

Everyone said I chose a good car, and it has been, though it's had its fair share of trouble too. I guess that's with any car really. Although more cosmetic than mechnical. Poor thing will soon get the third hood its had. The original had to be replaced along with the fender when I had my accident last year October. Now someone backed into the front end this week while leaving it at the Carl Gregory service to have the emission lines repaired because there was a leak in them. At least this time nothing's coming out of my pocket for the accident.

[OnnaRaphael]

If you get a PT Cruiser get a purple one... because they look like eggplants.  

But I prefer bugs personally.  

/useless comment

[Michaelangelo]

     

I think I'll stick with blue my favorite color

Though deff going either PT or Bug...  though we'll see what happens from here.  The last three fixes has been focused on this Axel problem, at least now I'm getting a part that they'll warrenty.

[Donatello]

*blink* why do people always try to lead me away from my top favorite cars?

Cause practicality often overrides financial reality when it comes down to what you can afford at the moment?

Man.. I have an interesting list of cars, SUVs, and trucks I like too, but since I don't have the good paying job to keep up with all the expenses.. I'm driving a boring ol Camry.  The day I land a 50K job, I would be so much more tempted to check out the Mini Coopers, or the Porsches, or the Lexus SUVs, if not one of those cute looking Scions, or a Jeep Wrangler.  My dream classic is a 1964 Ford Mustang, ragtop.

You know.. just our friendly advice on trying to help ya out from going down the same miserable money pit, since this current one sounds like such a b****.  *shrugs*  But if you are a brave soul to risk it again, then more power to ya.

[klork]

Mm, gotta agree with the practicality & necessity vs. what's desireable.

I got lucky when I got my jeep, and even luckier that it's had little to no problems. (Found out the most problems that people have with them are roll overs, but if you don't drive like an insane maniac and take corners in a top-heavy vehicle too fast, you never have a problem with it)  I think the only problems, really, that I've had with it, are the battery, but that's not always singled out to be the type of car.

Sadly, my husband gets to drive that car now as we've both judged that it's not nearly as safe as his old Buick LeSabre....not nearly as comfortable too, for a woman with a bulging belly. ;P  I think he made out like a bandit in that deal.  

One of the best things I did to help me become more knowledgeable in the type of car I got (as I really didn't go SEARCHING for my Jeep to be honest, my dad's boss was selling it and we got a great deal on it at 8,000 --esp. considering it only had 50,000 miles on it.) was to well, learn about it.  If you go to any auto store you might find these big books on certain types of cars, I think Chilton makes some of them.  Essentially the people who wrote them, took that type of car that you singled out, and tore it apart and put it back together, and then wrote out how you can do the same.  That thing helped me figure out how to do a lot of simple maintenance things in my car that've helped avoid many major problems that could have happened down the road.  I'm no mechanic, but I can usually sense warning signs in my car early on now because of that thing, and catch the problem before it turns ugly.

I can't offer any advice on bugs, as I've never had one, and the only person I know that had one had one that she just couldn't afford to maintain due to college expenses, so it was gone within a year.  As for PT cruisers?  All I know is that we had one on our honeymoon and the thing was a gutless wonder.  Not necessarily in a bad way, but I swear I felt like the engine belonged in a lawnmower instead of a car (and yes, this was a 2006 model). Though, I am used to a very loud engine, driving a jeep, but even my husband's LeSabre had more power than the PT we drove.  My best friend's mother has had several problems with leaks in her PT cruiser as well, which is a 2005 model.    She's already had to take it back to the dealership 4 times and she's only owned it for a few months.

I think, in a rambling way, we're just tellin' ya to do all the research you can before buying a car.  Not everybody has problems with their cars, some have all of the problems you can think of, but either way it's good to do a little looking around, even if the car doesn't jump out at you and say something, you might find there's a reason why not very many people drive them and why they *do* stand out.

Besides, f you want it to really stand out, go down to a local sign shop, ask for some small turtle-type vehicle graphics to be made, and put em' on your car.  That might make it stand out a bit more.

[Jephael]

*blink* why do people always try to lead me away from my top favorite cars?

Hey, I went through the same thing while trying to get my liscense. I kept thinking about how cool it would be to have one of those Jeeps but my family kept on warning me about how easily those things can flip over in an accident.

[Phoenix]

When I was shopping for a new car, I did a lot of research online at Consumer Guide Automotive.  If you find a make of a certain car, you can look at the recall history and how they felt about it. But let me tell you... every car is different. If you take two lets say Jeep Grand Cherokees that have the same mileage, same year, same accessories... guess what, they won't be the same. I have two friends in the local area that have Jeeps. One has no problems with well over 70,000 miles and the other has tons of problems and less than 60,000 miles. Both take it in for regular maintenance and everything.

Unless you go out and buy a brand new right off the truck car, you don't know what the previous owner has done to it. Some people luck out and get good used cars. I did with my first used one, until I hit 80,000 miles and then it was down hill from there on. Faulty part, expensive part too. My second used car (a Toyota, you know, the ones that are suppose to last!), well.... not even a year after having it the axle was ready to snap in two. Thank goodness it was still under warranty (50 miles to spare!!!). Right now, I have a PT Cruiser. Its ranked near the top in its class. I enjoy it for the most part, yeah, the engine is a little annoying after long trips, but its due for a little loving in the next 200 miles.

Anyway, the point of this is that you never know when you're going to get a good car. You never know how well it will stand up to your driving. You never know until its too late and you've already laid down thousands of dollars.  Its kinda like Russian  Roullette, except there's more than one bullet :p

[klork]

*blink* why do people always try to lead me away from my top favorite cars?

Hey, I went through the same thing while trying to get my liscense. I kept thinking about how cool it would be to have one of those Jeeps but my family kept on warning me about how easily those things can flip over in an accident.

They *can* be dangerous, but like anything tricky you just have to learn how to use it safely and you won't have a problem, really.  I've had my wrangler for 4 years and have never once gotten it into an accident.


Speeding ticket however.......

[klork]

Unless you go out and buy a brand new right off the truck car, you don't know what the previous owner has done to it. Some people luck out and get good used cars. I did with my first used one, until I hit 80,000 miles and then it was down hill from there on. Faulty part, expensive part too. My second used car (a Toyota, you know, the ones that are suppose to last!), well.... not even a year after having it the axle was ready to snap in two. Thank goodness it was still under warranty (50 miles to spare!!!). Right now, I have a PT Cruiser. Its ranked near the top in its class. I enjoy it for the most part, yeah, the engine is a little annoying after long trips, but its due for a little loving in the next 200 miles.

Anyway, the point of this is that you never know when you're going to get a good car. You never know how well it will stand up to your driving. You never know until its too late and you've already laid down thousands of dollars.  Its kinda like Russian  Roullette, except there's more than one bullet :p

Definitely agreed.  I lucked out MASSIVELY with my jeep, mainly because we know that the previous owner didn't do *anything* with it.  My main problem was the muffler because it was rusted through, and the battery dying because it was the *original* battery from 1992.  My wrangler just hit 100,000 miles and it's still sailing smoothly, and from what my father says whenever he looks at the engine, it'll probably run for another 100,000 more. (Though, honestly, I'm probably gonna end up cleanin' it up real nice and then selling it to someone who will retire it into a nice Mudding life before it gets there. )

My husband has had much worse luck with his used cars--his LeSabre has been good to him, but his previous Honda Civic just outright bit it OVER and OVER when we were up in school.  The only thing wrong with the LeSabre has been his driving--but like roll-over crash rates on Jeeps, honestly that's based more on the driver's carelessness than the actual car itself.  99.9% of people know they roll easily when they buy them, it's just those that don't care and feel they can do anything that end up hurt in them.  (Honestly, Jeeps anywhere before 1995 were not meant to go over 70 mph unless you want the entire thing to essentially turn you into a milkshake, yet I see people flooring it over 90 on the freeway between here and Seattle, and changing lanes erratically.  People are so used to things adapting to them that they don't realize they have to drive a car different from a truck, a jeep different from a sports car.)

....and I'm rambling again, but my main point was....essentially Phoenix's....  Oy gevalt.

[Aignatius]

Heh... one must face the facts, cars are expen$ive.

You can buy a new or almost new car, and make payments, and if under warranty, it shouldn't give any trouble. Sadly, I've known people who had new cars who have had troubles with them, and dealing with the dealership (pardon teh pun, not intended) it was one long series of headaches.
Me, I'm usually the last owner of a car. Down to the dregs. But the cars I've had were pretty good for the price.

What it boils down to is 2 things:
a) what you can afford to buy
b) what you like so much you don't mind putting money into it

The decision hinges on whether it's worth putting more money into it, or turning around and buying another car, and possibly dealing with its problems, if any. Usually the biggest factor is rust. Rusted cars ultimately aren't worth fixing up.

The other thing is, how you treat it. If you don't tear around town like most people, then it will last longer. If you change the oil and maintain it regularly, it will last longer. If you live in a place that does not have harsh weather conditions, like salted roads in winter, etc. then it will last longer. If you don't have to commute every day to work it will last longer. In other words, in a perfect world, it will last longer.  

The car manufacturers don't want their cars to last too long, or they will go out of business. Look what happened to the Checker cars. Sure, they were bought up by the cab companies, but you probably could put half a million miles on them, and so after a while, no one is going to need to buy another. You could buy a used Greyhound bus, those last a long time... many of those literally have a million miles on them.

To be honest, if I may ramble on, the newer cars to me seem too flimsy and don't hold up long after they're paid off. Older cars may be clunky and not good looking, but they are better built. Having driven a few rental cars over the years, the only one I liked was the Nissan Altima. The Buick Century was atrocious, and the 2000 something Chevy Astro van, ehh, wasn't bad. Toyota pickup, gah, no power, and a pathetic little horn. The Subaru Outback is nice, but it doesn't last. The engine plppts out at about 130K miles.

Probably not very helpful commentary, I don't exactly fit the status quo, LOL!

[Lisardo]

I was just gonna say buy a new Bug maybe, but after all these reviews that they aren't reliable, perhaps you shouldn't.  I didn't know they weren't reliable.  But they don't seem like the most economical car, that's for sure.  I myself am happy with my Saturn.  The top three cars I hear the most reliable and ecomonical are:

1) Honda
2) Toyota
3) Saturn

The cheapest being Saturn, which is another reason I went with them.  Do online searches, saves a lot of time (how I found my car actually).  And like others have said check places that aren't so finicky about your credit.  Most places also do a 'Car Facts' or whatever youc all that shows the history of the car and any possible accidents it's been in, though you can go online and do it too.  Good luck though and sorry for your car troubles.

[Brinatello]

Saturn was one of the top choices I was looking for when out buying a new car.  I really like the look of them, they get good gas mileage, fairly reasonable-priced, and the most important, it gets me from Point A to Point B.  Although, Christine went on about how great Rav4 vehicles are.  They're not SUVs, or more like a smaller version of them where I won't get yelled at by other drivers.  SUV drivers get such a bad rep.  But, Toyotas are very good cars.  Our 1985 Camry before the Rav lasted a very long time, but when it started to go, it scared me while driving.  I don't feel scared driving the Rav and it's a '99.