There always comes a point with vehicles where you have to decide whether it’s worth it to put in the time and money to give it the repairs it needs or to move on and buy a new car. With today's vehicles becoming more complex and sophisticated, falling behind on important maintenance in a car can really cause some major problems with some unexpected repair bills.
When you bring a vehicle to Honest Wrenches Automotive Repair, we always follow our 300% rule. 100% of the cars that come into our service centers will get inspected 100% of the time. We will estimate those findings and present them to you 100% of the time.
We do this, not to sell you something, but to ensure you are always fully aware of the condition of your vehicle and the investment required to get it back up to safe and reliable condition. It's then up to you whether or not you want to do any of it at all.
So, now we have to figure out whether or not you should keep your vehicle once you get the inspection report. Some people might look at that inspection report and go ‘yup, I knew that was going to happen. I haven't really taken great care of this car so it's probably due’. Or, if you have taken it to a dealership or a quick-lube service that doesn't inspect vehicles, it might be shocking to get the news. Either way, you might feel like giving up and just getting a new car. That's easy to do, you just take your car to the dealership and trade it in for another new to you car. However, it’s important to think about the conditions of these cars and why their former owner got rid of that vehicle you’re thinking about buying. Someone likely told the last owner the same thing that you were told, which is why they got rid of your car. So, what our advisors see is a vicious cycle of people getting rid of a car and buying someone else's problem.
We’ve discovered that this often results in a cycle among car owners–they believe their car needs too much work to put money into, go to trade in their car at a dealership, only to end up in the driver’s seat of the last owner’s problem.
What if we could create a plan for you to keep your car and help you prioritize the repairs and maintenance of your car based on your budget? Together, we can make a plan to get the vehicle back up to safe and reliable condition so you are maintaining your car again rather than being buried in repair bills.
Of course, there are situations when it just doesn't make sense to fix the car, and it's time to get a different car. If there is rust that is non-repairable to the vehicle or the integrity of the frame has been compromised, that's a sure sign that we probably need to invest the least amount possible to keep it on the road or get rid of it.
The final reason that can determine if you want a different car is if you just truly want a new car. We don’t want to discourage you from getting a new vehicle, but it’s important to think through this big financial decision rather than acting spontaneously. But hey, if you want a new car, you deserve it!
Regardless of your choice, this is where our service advisors really get the chance to help you and get to know you. We love to dig deep with you, ask questions, and learn all about you and your plan with your vehicle, because if we don’t know, we can’t give you our best advice. As always, if you have any questions or need any advice feel free to give us a call, we are always here to help!