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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Orc in the Playground
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Gender
    Male

    Default Any Mechanics like to hang out here.

    Hey all,

    So in a quest to get my wife a new car. I somehow seem to have bought the WORST car imaginable. (2010 Chevy Aveo).

    At this point, I have paid for:

    Engine Replacement,
    Transmission Rebuild,
    Water Pump,
    Radiator,
    Oil Cooler,
    ECM,
    both catalytic converters.

    I know I've been throwing good money after bad, but at this point, I can't think of anything that I haven't replaced yet. Are there any mechanics on site that can prove or disprove that notion?
    Last edited by Sivarias; 2021-11-13 at 11:01 AM.

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    MindFlayer

    Join Date
    Feb 2015

    Default Re: Any Mechanics like to hang out here.

    Not a mechanic, but a long-time owner of several automobiles here. Have you had any brake work or suspension work done yet? Then there is the exhaust system -- muffler and so forth.

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Titan in the Playground
     
    tyckspoon's Avatar

    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Indianapolis
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Any Mechanics like to hang out here.

    There's certainly other parts you could replace.. are you excluding items that are consumable/expected to be replaced on a long enough timeline (IE brake pads or shoes, rotors, timing belts in the engine that are expected to wear out but have a lifespan of several tens of thousands of miles, sparkplugs and the like?)

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Titan in the Playground
     
    J-H's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Texas
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Any Mechanics like to hang out here.

    I'd jettison the car at this point, and buy a better used one. Unfortunately, the used car market is pretty terrible currently. That many problems means you are dealing with bad design or bad build quality, and continuing to replace whatever falls off next is not going to stop the problem from continuing.

    We have two Toyotas. My pickup is an '04 with 248k miles, and my wife's van is an '05 with 140-something thousand miles. We've never had a car with fewer than 80k miles on it.

    We've had a few minor things (o2 sensors, spark plug wiring, a few other things) go out, but haven't had any major mechanical failures. We do regular oil changes. I spent about $2k in preventive maintenance at the 180k mile mark, and another $1k a month or two ago on my truck getting all the lubricants, filters, fluids, and old hoses replaced, and we've kept up with the timing belt replacement schedules. My only problem now is the paint is wearing out and I have a number of dents and scratches from farm stuff. I don't want to spend $8k on paint on a truck I only paid $5300 for 10 years ago.

    Based on a long history of reading Consumer Reports when I was a kid, and my own experience, I would not buy anything other than a Toyota, Subaru, or Honda.

    I've also only ever paid cash, and we've never bought from a dealer, only from private sellers. It takes time - figure out your budget, figure out what options you want, and then watch Autotrader, Craigslist, and whatever else twice a day, and be ready to hop over and look at something really quickly. I think it took us 3 or 4 months to find my wife's van 6 years ago.

    That's my experience and perspective. YMMV.
    Edit: I realized I didn't answer your initial question, sorry. I hope this is helpful anyway.
    Last edited by J-H; 2021-11-11 at 08:04 PM.

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Orc in the Playground
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Any Mechanics like to hang out here.

    Quote Originally Posted by tyckspoon View Post
    There's certainly other parts you could replace.. are you excluding items that are consumable/expected to be replaced on a long enough timeline (IE brake pads or shoes, rotors, timing belts in the engine that are expected to wear out but have a lifespan of several tens of thousands of miles, sparkplugs and the like?)
    I'm not thinking of standard wear and tear. I'm thinking of major systems with a several hundred or several thousand dollar repair bill.
    You can call me Sivarias or Siv.

    Message me some time, I'd love to hear your story, and if you want, I can even tell you mine.

    Quote Originally Posted by The Glyphstone
    F.A.T.A.L. doesn't so much as scrape up against the Forum Rules as take a flying leap over the edge screaming 'GERONIMO'.

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