finance for new car or throw money at current car?

[TheBreastmilksOnMe]

Our Ford is 2002 and I've received the news today, after taking it a local dealership to fix the speed sensor (£221!!) that it has a few things that need sorting on it. It would amount to £1000 + for these essential repairs.

Now we would like a bigger car as we are having a new addition to the family soon so would like to be able to stretch to a 7 seater or at least a car that has 3 full seats in the back but of course we are skint, I'm on maternity leave and my income is irregular due to being self-employed and we have debts so I really don't know what to do for the best?

If we were to part-ex our car we wouldn't get more than £1000 for it and that's being generous. WWYD in our situation?

I know it's a boring question, but anyone?

Change it. Once they start needing major work then it becomes not worth the hassle IME. I wouldn't spend £1000+ on a 11yo car.

Change it for a more reliable second hand car but use cash if at all possible-car finance deals are dreadful. Bank loan as a last resort.

Yep, change it. Both our cars became expensive 4 years ago and we couldn't afford the monthly cost of stuff going wrong so we bought 2 brand new cars as cheap as possible.

Now had 4 years of nothing going wrong and the peace of mind has been bliss.

Good advice thank you. We have no spare cash to rub together so a bank loan it is then. When you say a new car do you mean less than a year old, less than 3 or 5yrs?

One was brand new (got that 2 k trade in for the car scrapage scheme), one was one year old.