Replace Timing Belt or Sell?

[XtraRevsSurely]

My wife's car is an 06 Chrysler Pacifica that has 70k miles. We bought a life-time powertrain warranty through Chrysler since I don't trust the transmission. We bought it Certified Used and own it free and clear.

Around 100k miles the timing belt needs to be replaced. I would also do the water pump, pulley, serpt belt, belt tensioner, idler pulley and spark plugs. For the parts it'd be about $220. For labor I'm expecting about $500.

Would you pay around $800 to have that done or sell your car before you need it done?

We'd prefer a minivan for our family of 4. If we knew we were having twins we would have chose a minivan instead. The Pacifica just fits our needs. I'm frugal and would love to drive it until it's dead since it's paid for. I'm having difficulty deciding if we should sell (current value around $8k-KBB) and buy a newer van or keep and get the maintance done in the next couple years. Any thoughts?

[PhatRoyale]

Keep it. It's paid for like you said.

Shop around for a cheaper mechanic.

Or buy all those parts online from rockauto, invest in a factory service manual and do the entire job yourself to save some big bucks.

[Camread]

pacifica is a minivan?

[hardtopte72]

Idk I don't think I have found any happy Pacifica owners. Everyone I know has had a money pit. Between front end failing, rusted subframe, failed motor mounts, stalling on turns, A/C control failure these don't have that record.

Yours may be one of the good one. But I would personally considering selling before problems start. You can get a similar year or slightly newer for a little more money. Maybe even look at Similiar year Honda Pilot which may be just as roomy but more powerful, reliable, and fuel efficient. They will also need a timing belt job.

[Camread]

Originally Posted by hardtopte72

Idk I don't think I have found any happy Pacifica owners. Everyone I know has had a money pit. Between front end failing, rusted subframe, failed motor mounts, stalling on turns, A/C control failure these don't have that record.

Yours may be one of the good one. But I would personally considering selling before problems start. You can get a similar year or slightly newer for a little more money. Maybe even look at Similiar year Honda Pilot which may be just as roomy but more powerful, reliable, and fuel efficient. They will also need a timing belt job.

I'd sell it base on looks alone

[Vibe]

Originally Posted by XtraRevsSurely

My wife's car is an 06 Chrysler Pacifica that has 70k miles. We bought a life-time powertrain warranty through Chrysler since I don't trust the transmission. We bought it Certified Used and own it free and clear.

Around 100k miles the timing belt needs to be replaced. I would also do the water pump, pulley, serpt belt, belt tensioner, idler pulley and spark plugs. For the parts it'd be about $220. For labor I'm expecting about $500.

Would you pay around $800 to have that done or sell your car before you need it done?

We'd prefer a minivan for our family of 4. If we knew we were having twins we would have chose a minivan instead. The Pacifica just fits our needs. I'm frugal and would love to drive it until it's dead since it's paid for. I'm having difficulty deciding if we should sell (current value around $8k-KBB) and buy a newer van or keep and get the maintance done in the next couple years. Any thoughts?

I hope you don't mind if I am blunt. If you can get 8k for if sell it yesterday. The real answer will not come until you know what you can get for it.

Does it have an interference engine?

There should be someone to do a wp and tb for less than $500?

1998 Camry, I4, Auto, 130k. (sent from my Droid Bionic)

[Vibe]

Originally Posted by XtraRevsSurely

My wife's car is an 06 Chrysler Pacifica that has 70k miles. We bought a life-time powertrain warranty through Chrysler since I don't trust the transmission. We bought it Certified Used and own it free and clear.

Around 100k miles the timing belt needs to be replaced. I would also do the water pump, pulley, serpt belt, belt tensioner, idler pulley and spark plugs. For the parts it'd be about $220. For labor I'm expecting about $500.

Would you pay around $800 to have that done or sell your car before you need it done?

We'd prefer a minivan for our family of 4. If we knew we were having twins we would have chose a minivan instead. The Pacifica just fits our needs. I'm frugal and would love to drive it until it's dead since it's paid for. I'm having difficulty deciding if we should sell (current value around $8k-KBB) and buy a newer van or keep and get the maintance done in the next couple years. Any thoughts?

I reread your post, in fairness any car will need some of those items. My guess is you will need more than those items in the next 30k. And once the car hits 100k and the warranty is gone it is worthless.

1998 Camry, I4, Auto, 130k. (sent from my Droid Bionic)

[zythr]

Originally Posted by hardtopte72

Idk I don't think I have found any happy Pacifica owners. Everyone I know has had a money pit. Between front end failing, rusted subframe, failed motor mounts, stalling on turns, A/C control failure these don't have that record.

Yours may be one of the good one. But I would personally considering selling before problems start. You can get a similar year or slightly newer for a little more money. Maybe even look at Similiar year Honda Pilot which may be just as roomy but more powerful, reliable, and fuel efficient. They will also need a timing belt job.

Since it has a timing belt, why not try to sell, and get a vehicle with a timing chain? Timing belt replacements on some vehicles can be time consuming and difficult, which is why some owners sell their car before the belt either breaks or needs to be replaced.

[PhatRoyale]

Originally Posted by zythr

Since it has a timing belt, why not try to sell, and get a vehicle with a timing chain? Timing belt replacements on some vehicles can be time consuming and difficult, which is why some owners sell their car before the belt either breaks or needs to be replaced.

OP already stated that it's paid for. And he's thrifty.

But I guess you didn't read that before posting that less than helpful reply.

[hardtopte72]

Originally Posted by zythr

Since it has a timing belt, why not try to sell, and get a vehicle with a timing chain? Timing belt replacements on some vehicles can be time consuming and difficult, which is why some owners sell their car before the belt either breaks or needs to be replaced.

Even if the jobs costs $1200. Why would you get into an entirely new car payment over a 1200 repair (more than likely the cost of a down payment) on a perfectly good car. After the T-Belt the car likely wont need any maintenance. And even if it did it would pay itself off after at most 3 months if you added other services. Replacing perfectly good cars is only helping the auto companies not you. Cars lose money at first in resale value but their utility starts to outweigh their sale price and after a few years you are making money driving an older car (so long as its not a money pit, which most well maintained cars are not.)

Timing belt replacements are 90k or more miles on most cars. The people go replace the car for a T-Belt repair are the people I get a sweet deal on a perfectly good used car from. I'm trying to help the OP not be one of those people. The Pacifica isn't a bad car because of the T-Belt its a bad car because of the fact that it's a Chrysler Pacifica.

[Vibe]

Originally Posted by hardtopte72

. The Pacifica isn't a bad car because of the T-Belt its a bad car because of the fact Chrysler Pacifica.

LOL, well said!

1998 Camry, I4, Auto, 130k. (sent from my Droid Bionic)

[GreatAvalon]

I say sell it. It might be 1200 for the Tbelt, but if the $h!t starts to hit the fan, you'll be paying for repairs and being w/o a vehicle. It takes time dropping/picking it up from the shop and figuring out a way how your family is going to operate with one vehicle for the day. Time is Money.

If it was you only need to put 1200 into it and you'll be good until the next scheduled service interval, I'd say keep it. But more and more stuff, similar to what Hard said, can start to go wrong.

However, if you arent in a position to commit to at least like $400 monthly payments for years, then thats something different.

I'm bias though, we had a Chrysler once and it was a disaster.

[zythr]

Originally Posted by PhatRoyale

OP already stated that it's paid for. And he's thrifty.

But I guess you didn't read that before posting that less than helpful reply.

I read that, but hardtopte72 was saying there could be more expensive problems down the road. My opinion is the OP should keep it and maintain it since it still fits his/her needs and there would be a service history for it, compared to looking into another used car.

Originally Posted by hardtopte72

Even if the jobs costs $1200. Why would you get into an entirely new car payment over a 1200 repair (more than likely the cost of a down payment) on a perfectly good car. After the T-Belt the car likely wont need any maintenance. And even if it did it would pay itself off after at most 3 months if you added other services. Replacing perfectly good cars is only helping the auto companies not you. Cars lose money at first in resale value but their utility starts to outweigh their sale price and after a few years you are making money driving an older car (so long as its not a money pit, which most well maintained cars are not.)

Timing belt replacements are 90k or more miles on most cars. The people go replace the car for a T-Belt repair are the people I get a sweet deal on a perfectly good used car from. I'm trying to help the OP not be one of those people. The Pacifica isn't a bad car because of the T-Belt its a bad car because of the fact that it's a Chrysler Pacifica.

Good points, so the OP should keep it and "drive it into the ground" so to speak?

[Zembonez]

Chrysler products aren't known to be very friendly to their owners when over 100K. I'd sell.

[zythr]

Originally Posted by Zembonez

Chrysler products aren't known to be very friendly to their owners when over 100K. I'd sell.

... It is paid for, though.