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We have a 1997 toyota celica that has never had any problems. Well we did replace the brakes about four years ago and right now the motor for the heat and a/c needs to be fixed or possibly replaced. Other than that it’s always had its oil changed and never given us any trouble. 103,000 miles on it. I’m wondering what would be smarter, to go ahead and fix it up (right now it needs an oil change, possibly sanded rotors, new brake pads, new windshield wipers and a transmission oil change). I guess I’m just wondering whether or not my car is going to kick the bucket after I get all this [relatively minor] maintenance done.

Oops! Thanks. I’m clueless about rotors (and hoping to not get taken advantage of lol…)

I would absolutely put the money into the vehicle and fix it up. the price of gas is outrages, why add a car payment to that? your looking at about (where i work at least) about 300 to 400 dollars worth of work. and its actually called resurface the rotors, turned is a common used slang for customers.

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It would probably be cheaper to keep the Celica. They’re a pretty decent car (i have a friend with one that has 180,000miles). If you are thinking about buying a new car, specifically a compact/economy car, you might want to wait. With gas prices the way they are, some dealerships are raising the sticker price by thousands of dollars because everybody is selling their SUV’s and buying smaller vehicles. P.S. ~I got a Scion TC not long ago and I love it. It’s basically Toyota’s new Celica since they discontinued it. You should check it out.~

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If it aint broke dont fix it. I have an 89 and a 93 and I do my own repairs. Do the math. If my cars worth 1000$ and I need to put 2000$ into it to drive another 50,000 miles is it worth it? I say yes. I dont want to make payments on something just because its new and the money you put into your old car is a lot less then you would spend on a new car. Get it fixed and save a lot of cash.

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I just retired my 1997 automobile two weeks ago. It had a lot more miles on it, though, 228,000, I just bought a new car. In your case….I think that you have relatively low miles on it for an 11 year old car, and has given you no trouble. I would keep the car you have as long as possible. You questions was in regards to cheaper. I believe you still have many more miles ahead in the one you have.

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If you are spending more for maintenance (oil, repairs, etc.) than you would for monthly payment on a new car, then it would be cheaper to get a new car.

Otherwise it is alway cheaper to keep the current car (especially if the car does NOT have problems)

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Hard to say. If it isn’t broken why get rid of it. I would keep it and save my money instead of making car payments now. The older it gets the resale value goes down though. right now the trade in value is probably around 3500 and the if you sold it out right between 4 and 5000. They are cars that are known for running for a very long time though. You should be able to put another 100,000 on it. If you like to take long trips by car though I would consider a new one.

http://www.kbb.com/KBB/UsedCars/1997_Toy…

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103k miles is not a lot.. and everything you mentioned would cost less than $100… so i would definately suggest keeping the car.

PS… you do not get rotors sanded.. you would have to get them “turned” if they are warped.

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My wife and I were in a similar dilemma.
what we did is figure out how much repairs were going to be , how much we thought it might need in the near future and compared it to new vehicle payments.
We kept the old car!!

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Having regular maintenance performed on your Toyota should give you a minimum 300,000 miles with few problems along the way. But we’re talking engine problems.Toyota’s are built to handle the miles,and still perform well. In todays economy, I would suggest keeping it and fixing the minor problems you mentioned. In my opinion it is always best to hang onto the one you have rather than purchase a new one keeping in mind the purchase price, depreciation, maintenance and upkeep and you’ve already lost a ton of money your first year.The only reason I would get a newer vehicle would be for looks or to make a satement of some kind, but that’s not me anyway. You might consider a second vehicle later, for just having a second vehicle, but for now your Toyota just got broke in. That’s my opinion. We own a ‘99 Grand Marquis with 145000 on it with no major problems…Your Toyota will outlast mine.

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The maintenance work you are talking about is relatively minor. A brake job should only cost about $100/axle if only front or rear is needed. Double that for both. Turning the rotors will add to the cost. Wipers and an oil and filter change is nothing. Unless you are having trouble with the transmission, don’t change the fluid, sometimes it can create more trouble than what it is worth. Check the color of the fluid first. If it is very dark brown, then consider changing it.

To keep the cost down on the “fan?” motor, consider going to a junk yard for a used one, or maybe an aftermarket (non-OEM) motor. Autozone for instance.

At a 100,000 miles, your Toyota is just getting broken in. You still have years left on that car!

25+ years in the auto industry

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New cars can lose as much as 20% of their value as soon as they’re driven off the lot. So, I would keep what you have as long as it’s running good and is in good shape (not rusting out, damaged interior).
I have over 100,000 on my car and needed to get work done after the timing belt broke. It was expensive so I was thinking about junking the car, but the mechanic said it was in good shape and I wouldn’t have been able to find another car for what it cost in repairs. So, so far so good.
You never know when you get a new car if it’s going to have problems also. And every car eventually needs oil changes, wipers, brakes, etc.
What you could do if start putting some money away, say maybe the amount of a car payment. By the time you need a new car, you’ll have a pretty good amount saved up towards one.

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i would keep your car, it’s a toyota those things go forever! transmission fluid really shouldn’t be flushed only changed, and this doesn’t cost that much maybe $40 oil changes are about $20, and if your breaks are so bad that their grinding the rotors up, then all you need is break pads, which are about $80-130 depending where you go. Honestly all together it would cost you about 350, $400 tops to fix your car to make it perfect! a new car will run you about $3000 to get one even just as nice as the one you already have and will still prob need just as much maintenance!! Keep in mind I have a 92 PLYMOUTH acclaim and mine has 155,000 miles on it, and it’s still running fine! So esp. with gas prices right now DO NOT buy a new car!

This entry was posted on Friday, June 13th, 2008 at 9:23 am and is filed under Cars And Transportation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.