Car disaster

[pegkerr]

Rob's car has broken down. The list of things that needs to be done to fix it is long. Several thousand dollar's worth, but we start with the alternator, for about $600. It has 112,000 miles. We really need to buy another car.

We do not have the room in our budget for another car. We simply do not.

[Insert bad language here]

Edited to add: Okay, we're not repairing it. Alternator, exhaust, brakes, CV struts and tires all need to be replaced. $2575 is what the dealer's quoting and we paid $1800 for the car three years ago. It's not worth it.

Rob's been offered a car with 175,000 miles for $700. He's calling his stepfather's son-in-law who is a used car salesman who has helped us find cars in the past. We'll see what he can do for us. My employers have said if I need to take time off to deal with this it's ok.

Comments

[malkingrey.livejournal.com]

Deepest and most sincere sympathy, from the bottom of our beat-up now-on-its-third-transmission mini-van's heart.

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

I would suggest smudging the house, but the last time I did that, I set off an asthma attack in my son.

May the avalanche of grumpy pebbles stop soon.

[kijjohnson.livejournal.com]

The alternator is $600? Get a second opinion -- that seems high to me.

I loved hanging out with you and the girls yesterday! I miss you already.

[lizardlaugh.livejournal.com]

yeah, I would second that. The last time I had an alternator replaced, it was around $200. This was a few years ago, but $600 still seems kinda high.

[aome.livejournal.com]

I wish you lived here, so my husband could fix your car for just the cost of parts. He's even good at getting parts at discount.

Barring that, I wish I had several thousand dollars to toss in your direction. Heck, make it a million, so you could stay at home and write.

I don't know anything about the car in question

[davidschroth.livejournal.com]

But the last time I had an alternator replaced on my old Toyota, it came in about $600.

Another quote is a good idea, but it's possible that $600 is the going rate. Depends upon the car, and its age, and what-not.

Re: I don't know anything about the car in question

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's my understanding that alternator repair and replacement prices vary wildly by the make of the car, depending on just how hard the alternator is to get to and how many other parts they have to remove in process.

(And, yes, this is the second Toyota I've heard of in the $600 range for an alternator -- the first was a van, a good 10 years ago.)

[mark356.livejournal.com]

Good luck!

[roadnotes.livejournal.com]

Ah, hell. That really sucks.

[volkhvoi.livejournal.com]

Consider getting a car that is about 2-ish years old, instead of a beater.

We also had thought we couldn't afford a car (being grad students). Then we did the math and realised that for what we needed (a small car), buying a beater every year was about as expensive for us as getting a slightly used car (since the first two years is when they lose resale value most rapidly).

[chamisa.livejournal.com]

Oh, no...that really is awful! Much sympathy. I hope you guys can find something affordable soon...

[jbru.livejournal.com]

Sympathies on the car; these things never happen at convenient times, do they? (Is there a convenient time? Probably not.)