Signs It's Time To Let Go Of Your Old Car

A lot of drivers, have an immeasurable love for their cars, some even go to the extent of naming their cars.

We usually like to keep stuff we don’t need since this is the product of our hard work - in this case our old unused cars for several years, stuck in the garage car.

We get it, you love your car; you’ve probably gone on a road trip in your car, or perhaps driven home your firstborn from the hospital in it. It helped you travel from home to work and to other places and has become your constant companion. But alas, nothing is permanent. Over the years, just like our bodies, your car will slowly grow old and someday will wear out.

Need help letting go? We at Motor Matcher have created a list that can help you decide whether or not it is worth to repair your car or let go of it:

Repair Costs

Car maintenance is a must. Even if you’ve taken great care of your car over the years, you can’t escape the required car maintenance.

As cars get older, the mechanics and machinery behind the car start to wear down and often need to be replaced.

Car repair is not cheap.

It might start small, a quick fix but the longer the car is used, the more costly the repairs will become. New issues pop up every other month that leads to a hefty chunk of money going out of your savings and into car repairs.

While these repairs generally cost less than purchasing a new car, over the course of a year, 4-5 repairs could end up equaling the down payment on a new car.

In some cases, an expensive repair could be worth more than the value of the entire car itself!

It's a tough decision to bite the bullet and say goodbye to your old friend. However, like all one-sided relationships, if all you are doing is pouring time and money into it and getting nothing back, then it's time to break up. Your car should not be a money pit-it, rather a reliable companion.

Safety

If your car doesn’t start like it used to, consider breaking up with it.

As cars age, in addition to alternators, starter motors, engines and transmissions, things like struts wear out, which result in suspension problems. These issues can be costly not only for you but for others on the road too.

Most car companies only stock parts for specific cars models for about ten years before they stop manufacturing. After those years, the car part that you need for your car may not be available. If you do find that part, it is more likely that you’ll have to pay a premium price for it.

Vehicle Depreciation

The worth of many vehicles, regardless of how well they are maintained, decreases with age.

If the value of a new vehicle can drop by more than 20 percent after the first 12 months of ownership, then for the next four years, you can expect your car to lose roughly 10 percent of its value annually. What if that car was used for a period of ten or more years?

An economy car of that age and pedigree probably isn’t worth the tires on it that you’ll eventually need to replace, and that in itself is a great rule of thumb. If the cost of new tires outweighs the resale value of your car.

Cost Of Fuel

As Middle East instability increases, it also conspires to raise the cost of a barrel of crude oil, which passes additional costs on to you, the consumer.

Automotive technology has evolved considerably since you last purchased that old car of yours. A new electric or hybrid vehicle may be something to consider if you're interested in lessening the weekly blow felt at the pump, particularly given that fuel prices have risen every day since the beginning of March 2018.

That, along with your older car’s crumbling efficiency at burning fuel, may itself be cause for financial concern and may make you want to start thinking about a new vehicle.

The Interior

Cracks in the dashboard due to the sun?

Door panels tumbling inward?

Carpet so worn that you can see through the (now) rusted holes in the floorboard?

And that lingering smell...

Restoring the interior of a car is generally a costly and altogether time-consuming procedure. It’ll more than likely prove more cost effective to throw that old car of yours out with the bath water, in an effort to not potentially blow your next business meeting or date.

Emissions

Our personal vehicles are a major cause of global warming. Collectively, cars and trucks account for nearly one-fifth of all emissions, emitting around 24 pounds of carbon dioxide and other global-warming gases for every gallon of gas.

Car makers have responded by applying ‘drive clean’ technologies to their vehicles

All-electric vehicles produce zero direct emissions, which specifically helps improve air quality in urban areas. However, EVs typically produce fewer life cycle emissions than conventional vehicles because most emissions are lower for electricity generation than burning gasoline or diesel.

Paint

Here’s an area which it can sometimes be more cost effective to repair rather than replace.

Car touch up paint is a great option for fixing up these little scratches at a very low affordable rate. There are a variety of different types of touch up paint on the market including pens, aerosols, and jars. Each is dedicated to keeping the aesthetic appearance of your vehicle pleasing while also improving the car’s overall health (a coat of paint, after all, keeps the rust away).

By using touch up paint to repair the scratches on your car you may be able to restore its look to a near factory shine while avoiding the always costly full paint job or vinyl wrap.

But, even if the car looks good on the outside but the inside and performance stinks, would you still consider repairing it?

Making The Decision To Let Go

Your vehicle has more than likely been your constant companion through many ups and downs, and from this relationship to that relationship.

People naturally become very attached to their cars not only because it was likely one of your first big purchases, but also because cars represent the freedom of adulthood and are also a method of self-expression.

No one wants to say goodbye to an object (no matter how inanimate) when you've spent so many good times and have such fine memories together.

But there comes a time in every vehicle's life when it's time to move on - when the small repairs no longer cut it, the cost is no longer worth the reward, and the safety and monetary consequences are too great.

When that time comes, consider trading your car in for an incentive to help bring down the sticker price of your new vehicle and rest assured knowing that you've made the right decision.

And that’s where we come in to help you with selling your car.

At Motor Matcher, we guarantee that you’ve made the right decision to sell your car. Everything we do is modelled around providing customers with the right tools and empowering them with rich information, helping customers make sound decisions when buying and selling cars. We offer a faster, simpler way to compare new and used cars online, creating an ideal and safe marketplace for all car buyers and sellers.

If you have made up your mind to sell your car, contact us at Motor Matcher.