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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think we should just get a new car

35 replies

PoliteSquid · 18/07/2025 19:56

I have an old car worth approx £5k and the bills are mounting up. Took it to the garage today, it’s knackered… looking at £2k or more to get it back on the road!!! We’ll know for sure after the weekend.
Our second car is similar in age and condition and no doubt something dreadful will happen to that one too 🙄
DH thinks repair, I think replace…. thoughts?

OP posts:
Original poster
PoliteSquid · 19/07/2025 08:55

Ford ecoboost engines have a wet belt, submerged in oil! It had its annual service in March and it wasn’t picked up then. The belt has disintegrated and bits of it are clogging up the engine. So they’ve got to empty the sump, and clean/flush the engine from the inside and obviously replace the broken parts. Basically take it all apart and rebuild. The labour is what’s costing the money I think. We’ve been using the same independent for about 10 years so I trust them.

So frustrating that it happened without warning because it’s not visible like a normal timing belt would be!

OP posts:
19lottie82 · 19/07/2025 08:28

PoliteSquid · 18/07/2025 20:57

It’s 8 years old, a boring but practical ford cmax with 80ish thousand miles on the clock.

It went in because despite running fine the oil and engine management lights came on. Turns out the timing belt had disintegrated and I’m bloody lucky the whole engine didn’t seize up!!

That’s not particularly old or a high mileage at all.

re the timing belt, if the engine hasn’t seized up then it sounds like the belt hasn’t snapped, and it just needs changing. This shouldn’t cost anywhere near 2k, more like £500 BUT changing belt is a routine part of maintenance on any car that has one. And it sounds like your car is about the age / mileage that it needs doing anyway. It certainly shouldn’t be a reason to get rid of a car.

What has the garage says needs doing exactly? Is it a dealership or an independent?

Finally, it sounds like this issue should have been picked up when the car was last serviced, have you been servicing it regularly? Usually every 12 months or 10,000 miles, whatever comes first.

Original poster
PoliteSquid · 18/07/2025 20:57

It’s 8 years old, a boring but practical ford cmax with 80ish thousand miles on the clock.

It went in because despite running fine the oil and engine management lights came on. Turns out the timing belt had disintegrated and I’m bloody lucky the whole engine didn’t seize up!!

OP posts:
user1476613140 · 18/07/2025 20:43

DS needed a new clutch for his car but it got replaced then packed in again a few weeks later! He decided he would trade it in as he didn't want to waste anymore money on it. I agreed with him. Sometimes you just have to cut your losses.

BIossomtoes · 18/07/2025 20:34

19lottie82 · 18/07/2025 20:30

You can’t make a total blanket statement like that. If spending 2k on repairs gets the OP 2 more years of driving the car, I’d say that seems like a good deal.

Show quote history

It’s a better deal if putting the same £2k towards a new car gets her ten years of driving.

19lottie82 · 18/07/2025 20:30

BIossomtoes · 18/07/2025 20:24

Replace, it’s just wasting money to repair.

You can’t make a total blanket statement like that. If spending 2k on repairs gets the OP 2 more years of driving the car, I’d say that seems like a good deal.

19lottie82 · 18/07/2025 20:28

That’s depends, what work needs doing? If it’s just wear and tear, then those parts won’t need doing again for a long time.

was it in for an MOT? If you spend 2k and it gets you through another MOT, and most of the one after that, then it could be worth it, if you think of how much it’s costing you a month to run a car.

What age / price are you considering for a “new” car? Unless you're buying brand new, then there’s no guarantee that another car will be without issues. It’s may be out of the frying pan and into the fire.

BIossomtoes · 18/07/2025 20:24

Replace, it’s just wasting money to repair.

sxcizme3010 · 18/07/2025 20:23

Depends completely on the car, mileage, age.. how much a replacement would cost but Id opt for a repair than replacement if mileage were relatively average for age.

Dangermoo · 18/07/2025 20:23

Replace, rather than throw good money after bad. Cut your losses.

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