To scrap my car

[TheSquitz]

I have had my car for 17 years (from new). It's very basic but has served me well. It failed its MOT a few months ago so I paid £80 for various minor things to be put right. A few weeks ago, a light started coming on the instrument panel and last time the garage sorted the problem, it cost £200. It's also a bit leaky. I use it to do the food shop and the odd short journey. I've been walking to work (6 mile round trip) although drove when it was pissing down. It now won't start at all, after being juddery for the last week or so. I'm not sure if I want the hassle of a knackered old car at the moment but DH thinks it's worth calling the AA and at least they'd diagnose the problem. WWYD? Scrap it or call the AA?

Call the AA, it could be a fifty quid fix. It could be a 2k fox.
I scrapped my 15 yo golf last year, got 80 quid for it.
It was for sale for 1299 three weeks later in a local garage.
Might be worth checking

I'd scrap it for sure. It's not worth putting any more money into, when you can put that money into another car that is reliable.

We had similar with a 23 year old car and scrapped it. I really regret it. Yes I may have sent money down the pan repairing it, but the ££££ for a replacement wasn’t free either (and actually much more expensive).

Why scrap it when you can trade it in? Definitely time to replace it, go car shopping and see what they can give you for it.

I’d call the AA see what they say and then make a decision.

What @missmouse101 said

Do you actually need a car? If you use it so infrequently taxis would probably be cheaper.

I have an 18 yr old VW, admittedly I don’t use it as my main car, but have had it since new and can’t bear to get rid of it.
It flies through it’s MOT every year. I often think what if it needs a costly repair?
Then I think how much would it cost to replace with a second hand one, which might have unknown faults.

@missmouse101 I've just been in a similar situation- was offered £100 part ex or over £300 to scrap it....

Probably make sense to call the AA as the call out won't cost me anything. I can't see how it could fetch much if resold. The max I have seen that make at that age go for is £500.

My 19 year old golf failed its MOT spectacularly earlier this year. Repair bill was over £1000 & more than the car was worth. As this is only my runaround and I have another vehicle, I mulled it over for a couple of weeks while I looked around and eventually decided that to replace it would cost me at least £7 - 8k. If I bought a cheap runaround then I was buying someone else's old car that would possibly have issues..
There was only one big problem on my car - catalytic convertor - the other problems were wear & tear & would last another 19 years when replaced. So I repaired my old Golf. Im so glad I did as there is no reason why I shouldn't get another couple of years at least out of it and that will mean my cost per annum (excluding petrol & oil & insurance) would be about £500. Which would be less than the depreciation on a more expensive vehicle.
FWIW, it only cost me £1200 to buy about 7 years ago as a one lady owner, full service history car.
But if your car is generally knackered all over, then keep throwing money at it may not be sensible.

Is it leaky on the inside? If you have a sunroof, check the sunroof drains aren't blocked (you tube). Easy DIY fix.

Get the AA to check all the ignition leads. When I bought my car all those years ago, mine used to cut out/judder intermittently (probably why she sold it)..... it was one of the ignition leads - cost £50 to replace.

Thanks for the tips. Will defo call the AA and see what they say!

This happened to me. I called the AA and he told me my spark plugs were worn and my cam belt was on its way out, my car is 16 years old although I haven’t had it from new! It’s now sat at the garage and I’m waiting to see if it’s worth fixing.

Depends on the issue and if otherwise it's a decent enough car.

Is it cheap to run and insure?

A bit of ££ spent might make it reliable for another 5-10 years.

Possibly could be a case of better the devil you know. You could buy a newer second hand car and have (unexpected) issues with that also.

Why scrap.it when you can trade it in?

Exactly how much do.you think a car that is old enough to be doing it's A levels and won't start is worth?

Even scrappage schemes wont apply as most of them require that the car be a runner.4

If you’re interested in getting a new car, Google scrappage schemes which mean you could get a couple of grand off a new car if you scrap an old gas guzzler.

Definitely call the AA out. I've got an old Mini and the AA men treat her like an old friend. We've had some great adventures together and wouldn't part with her for anything. Kids love her too. DH thinks I'm mad.

Forgot to add that she has cost me a small fortune over the years but what cost is true love. She's almond green with ivory white roof.

I'm sure I saw the other day that Ford were doing £2k minimum trade ins....might be something to look into if the AA give you bad news

If people are running an old car, then most of the time it is because they don't have the cash to buy newer.
It would be so much nicer to be able to buy a car that comes with a 2k trade in offer, but it is beyond the budget.