7 Signs to Look For That Tell Your Car is About to Give Up
Even if you have been a car owner for many years, it can be especially hard to gauge the actual time when you should finally call it a day and retire your old car. The process will be heart-breaking, as you will be losing your dearest friend, and the hard-earned money will be again put into something technologically better and reliable.
The key here is to know the right time to pull the trigger and therefore proceed to hang up the keys of your old car. There will be some critical signs that you’ll need to understand and then take the decision.
Seven Signs That Will Say That Your Car Is Ready To Retire
1. A Horrendous Car Accident
If you’ve been in a severe car collision and your car has already sustained a good amount of damage, then it will be the right decision to hand over the keys to car wreckers Gold Coast. It’ll be time to search for a new car. Your choice will be more significant when even the insurance company will declare total loss after proceeding to inspect the vehicle.
2. Significant Rust Problems
In case you’re facing small rust issues in your car, then you can treat it quickly at a service centre. But, if the rust is a widespread issue, removing large patches of rust can be costly and challenging as well. It will eat up your time and budget for no apparent reason.
So, even if you have terrible rust problem, it’s always better to quit driving your car anymore.
3. Hard To Find Replacement Parts
As a specific make and model of a car gets old and outdated, the parts made by the particular manufacturer will also be less frequent too. This can make finding spare parts, not only a chore but also expensive.
If you’re in the process of hunting for spare parts for your old car and you cannot find one, then it’s always a better decision to invest that money into a new car altogether.
4. Value Of Repairs High
It’s not all financially viable for any car owner if the costs of repair exceed the current market value or fair value of the car. If you ignore this decision then eventually you’ll see repair bills piling up. Take some time and try to do the math all by yourself.
Also, do not forget about the lost wages as well, which includes the cost of public transport or rental cars that you have to pay for when your vehicle is inside the mechanic’s shop. There is also a time consideration involved. Include all these factors into making your final decision and decide if your old car is worth it or not.
5. Damaged Engine Block
If you feel that your car has been less reliable than it used to be in the past, then you need to retire your vehicle right away. The signs include less performance than before, having trouble getting started or stalling out without any reason, etcetera. You need a mechanic to help you investigate under the hood.
If there’s damage to the engine block, then it’ll cost you a substantial amount of money to keep it going again. Weigh the costs with the current value of the car, and you’ll get your answer on why it is not recommended.
6. Overall Safety
There is no doubt that older cars face safety issues that are indeed hard or difficult to repair. Wear and tear items like tires and external brake pads or discs can be replaced but not the internal braking system. Also, your car will not have the latest technologies that modern cars come equipped with, including ABS systems and air-bags.
You cannot risk the life of you and your loved ones, and therefore, it’s the reason why it’ll always be an excellent decision to retire your old car.
7. Benefits Versus Costs
Even though this topic has already been discussed a little in the above reasons, it still needs to be propagated more. At the end of the day as a car owner, analysing the cost-benefit ratio of your old car is essential.
If the old car is benefitting you less than what it costs you, it’s always the time to say goodbye to your beloved vehicle.
