I was walking recently near an intersection and saw a car screech to a stop well before a Stop sign. It was an older car, and one of its wheels sort of caved in, because an axle or something broke. The driver seemed okay and was already out and on the phone, so i carried on, but the incident did make me wonder about the safety and viability otherwise of my own older car.
I have a 2010 Toyota Scion. I’m lucky in that I don’t need to drive it much, so it only has 29,000 miles on it, and is in mostly good shape otherwise. Still, some things are getting wonky or worn out, like some of the rubber seals around the doors, and the seatbelt retractors, and the autolock and unlock system.
I’m thinking of finally getting something newer, but I’m also wondering, with so few miles, is this little gas-sipper worth keeping instead?
What I’m wondering is, can I request of a garage or dealer some sort of refurbishing, with replacement of things like shocks, rubber seals, and whatever caused that other car’s wheel to cave in? Have any of you done or had done an overhaul of this sort, mainly to keep an elderly car safe? Would a garage be likely to try to sell me a bunch of stuff that I don’t really need? OTOH, spending even several thousand this way seems cheaper than upgrading to a newer car.
I have a 2007 with a LOT more miles (200k+) that drives better than when it was new.
-regular maintenance
-when something breaks, I upgrade (e.g. brakes, radiator, battery, etc.)
-I go to a non-dealership mechanic who I trust. When I’ve taken it to a dealership for something like recall work, they stare at it like it’s an alien spacecraft because I’ve changed so many parts.
-Is it stored in a garage or carport or is it exposed? If exposed, how harsh of an environment? From what I can tell, if it’s kept in a garage, things like seals and gaskets will last indefinitely. If it’s kept outdoors, then anything rubber or plastic will eventually degrade, often sooner than later.
My 2003 Rav4 has similar issues. It’s always been parked outside, which probably offsets some of the benefits of low mileage/less wear and tear.
Given the over-computerization, privacy violations, and software issues with newer cars, they’d have to pry my vehicle out of my cold, dead…well, you get the idea. I found a garage that covers the basics, and plan to look for vehicle owner clubs to see if someone else has already found a solution for the problem. I’m near areas where racing is popular, so there are lots of mechanics and shops that find ways to keep cars much older than mine in good shape.
This (and 3D printing) gives me hope for the future:
A car with so few miles on it seems very worth keeping to me. Keep up on the maintenance, of course. If you’re worried- maybe have a trusted mechanic give a complete inspection- as if you were buying a used car.
The wheel thing with the other car sounds like it might be a bad CV joint. Often those go bad because the rubber boot on them is damaged and it looses lubrication and dirt gets in there. The mechanic can give it a look and make sure it’s okay too.
I had one of those give out on an old high mileage car once.
I mean they will probably do whatever you want as long as you’re willing to pay for it. The wheel caving in is probably a broken CV joint or tie rod. Rubber things will unfortunately break down over time even with low mileage.
You could always take it into an independent Toyota or Japanese car specialty shop and have them do a full inspection and provide a breakdown of what needs replacing/repairing. Don’t bother with a dealer service center for a car that old, they will just rake you over the coals.
If you’re happy with your car there’s no reason to replace it but if it becomes a money pit, it’s probably not worth it. I’d say if you have to spend more than $3k in repairs, it might not be worth it but that’s a choice only you can make.
Speaking from experience, if you ever do decide to sell your car, do it through Carvana. They tend overpay compared to dealerships, and are much more convenient than a private sale since they will come to you and take your car away. Last car I sold, I got $5k more through Carvana versus trading in and it was very little effort. (Can’t comment on the buying experience, but the selling experience was great.)
Lots to chew on! Big factors are that the car does indeed sit outside (in a four seasons climate), and that I’m not in a town that’s big enough to have a specialty Toyota shop.
Most of my mechanical knowledge comes from keeping old motorcycles on the road longer than they are economically viable (it is worth keeping an eye on how much you might possibly spend).
One of the most useful resources for that have been owner forums, I would have a search for a forum that is relevant to your car and ask questions.
Some basic things you can do to check, for example, suspension, is to look at the tyres (tires) for uneven wear, if one is more worn than the others or is worn more on one side than the other side, that is a warning sign; if the car drifts to one side under braking (bigger warning sign); and the bounce test, push firmly down on each corner of the car, if it continues bouncing then there is probably an issue.
Other things that are a concern are difficult to see without inspecting the underside with a bright light so you would need to find an independent with at least those facilities. Finding a reliable one is more difficult, until you find one ask for an inspection and get a quote (including time estimate) from several, see if you can get on with them, have a look at the facilities and general conditions.
Fun video, but he was being a little silly about the “sneaking LiDAR into Disneyland” thing. As he later admitted there aren’t actually any rules against that, and people go on rides at Disneyland with chest-mounted cameras all the time, including ones that film in infrared. It’s the handheld cell phones and selfie sticks that they are strict about because those can be dangerous when dropped. That time that he went on a coaster while holding out a phone was just him acting like a jerk.
A neighbor of mine has one as well and he’s sadly ruining it (big exhaust, lowering springs, tacky vinyl wrap). It’s also a 4 door. I’ll try to get a pic some time.
This generation of Skyline is reaching 25 years of age which means importers are all over them. The 4 door models in particular are some 50% cheaper than the 2 door version which makes them more accessible to former Gran Turismo enthusiasts on a budget.
