wwyd, repair or replace?

[addictedismoving]

I have a fiat panda, 4x4. I've had it since it was 6 months old in 2006 and had just 26 miles on the clock. It now has 43000 miles.

the power assisted staring keeps cutting out (very dangerous) and there is a very strong pull to the left (you cant take your hands off the stearing wheel even if stationary with out the wheel spinning round) and the wheel vibrates if you turn it to the right.

I took it to the garage who said a part has gone, but because its a fiat car, the stearing collumn is all interlocked together and will need to be recoded so only fiat can replace it. I just phoned a fiat garage and explained the problem, the man sucked his teeth and said, ohh thats going to cost around £6-700 then during the converation that figured changed to £7-800 so I'm guessing I can add on another £200 for good luck and were looking at £1000 to repair.

The boot is very small and hardly fits my pushchair in it the seat unit sits on the back seat, it only has 3 passanger seats so if I were to have another child in the future (i currently have 2 and cant fit 3 carseats and pushchair in the car) I would need to replace it anyway.

would you repare or replace? I dont know what to do!

Two ways of looking at it: you'll pay a damn sight more than £800 to swap to a new car, and after the repair your Panda may last you another 6 or more years - good value.

Or, you need more space and you don't trust the Panda now so get rid - just bear in mind that you won't get much in part-ex if it's knackered.

How much could you afford to replace it?

I'd be either looking at getting a car on a finance deal (ideally 0%) or getting one through dh's work scheme (where they pay for insurance, and matinence we just pay a 'rent')

its not completely knackered, its still driveable (as the garage pointed out, its likely to have had this fault when I bought it 6 years ago, its just getting worse) they also suggested you cant tell there is anything wrong with it unless you open it up and run a diagnostic check on it, so part ex wouldnt necessarily be a problem, I just wouldnt mention the problem

Fair play, I'd do the same on a part ex.

Personally I'd go for a few year old model rather than brand new - let someone else take the massive hit on depreciation.