Hi Everyone, back in 2017 I bought a used 2007 Hybrid Limited, it has been a faithful and reliable family car for the last ~7 years. I got a good deal, it only had ~85,000 miles but was a hail total for insurance.
Fast forward to today, about a year ago I had the 120,000 service done and ended up with a repair bill of about $3,000, and another $600 or so to replace the tires. I think the
Today I hit 130,000, and dropped it off at the service center to get an oil change and check the maintenance light. I already knew that the headlights need replacing, but the shop also says the front suspension strut assemblies need replacing as well, and there are some other noises (they say, I have not noticed) and want to do a further inspection, already they are estimating ~$2,800 in repairs.
I went online to the Kelly Blue Book site, answered some questions about the car and got an estimated trade-in value of about $2,700 (with a range of $2,200-3,200).
I can afford to pay the repair bill no problem, also can afford to get a new (or new to me) car. I like the car, assuming there aren't other hidden major problems it still seems to work well, serves our family's needs, and it has some nice memories like when we brought my daughter home from being born, first road trip, etc. but I don't have a strong emotional attachment to it. And I am wondering what other major repairs are likely to come up in the near future, like will I need to replace the hybrid batteries soon? I know they can be pricey. I am not really mechanically inclined, I am fine with replacing stuff like headlight bulbs and wiper blades, I think I could handle something like replacing headlights but no way will I be doing my own suspension work, etc.
So this may be more of an academic question but at what point does it make more sense to trade it in for something new?
Thank you!
Fast forward to today, about a year ago I had the 120,000 service done and ended up with a repair bill of about $3,000, and another $600 or so to replace the tires. I think the
Today I hit 130,000, and dropped it off at the service center to get an oil change and check the maintenance light. I already knew that the headlights need replacing, but the shop also says the front suspension strut assemblies need replacing as well, and there are some other noises (they say, I have not noticed) and want to do a further inspection, already they are estimating ~$2,800 in repairs.
I went online to the Kelly Blue Book site, answered some questions about the car and got an estimated trade-in value of about $2,700 (with a range of $2,200-3,200).
I can afford to pay the repair bill no problem, also can afford to get a new (or new to me) car. I like the car, assuming there aren't other hidden major problems it still seems to work well, serves our family's needs, and it has some nice memories like when we brought my daughter home from being born, first road trip, etc. but I don't have a strong emotional attachment to it. And I am wondering what other major repairs are likely to come up in the near future, like will I need to replace the hybrid batteries soon? I know they can be pricey. I am not really mechanically inclined, I am fine with replacing stuff like headlight bulbs and wiper blades, I think I could handle something like replacing headlights but no way will I be doing my own suspension work, etc.
So this may be more of an academic question but at what point does it make more sense to trade it in for something new?
Thank you!
