You're in trouble. My mechanic told me that if he was me, he'd get rid of my car. And soon. I have a leaking radiator hose. Doesn't sound so bad until you find out that you pretty much have to take the whole engine out to get to the little hose that needs to be replaced. And Leon informed me that he had no idea how long it would take, and since he charges by the hour, he would guess it would be at least a few hundred dollars.
And don't forget the new boot that my front driver side wheel needs. Or maybe a new axel, depending on what damage has already been done by the missing boot. That will probably run a few hundred dollars.
Oh, and the water pump is loose and rattling. That will probably be a few hundred dollars. And I've known about a small oil leak for some time now.
Leon said he would fix as much or as little as I wanted him to, but it would probably get expensive. I confessed that if things got too pricy, I was planning on trading it in. He confessed that if the car belonged to him, he wouldn't put another dollar into it and he would trade it. And fast. And never get another Volkswagen ever again.
Don't get me wrong-I love(d) my car. I love the fact that it is a station wagon. I love the fact that it looks good and is comfortable. It is a safe car and gets pretty good gas mileage. The biggest problem (besides the now-obvious) is that every little fix is twice as difficult and twice as expensive as any other car on the planet. In an attempt to streamline the look, VW has hidden, covered and tucked away all things that need to be repaired. Do windshield wipers really need to cost $40 and be special ordered? Does a new battery really need to cost $175? Obsurd.
So I'm trading her in. Just as soon as I figure out what I want, what I can afford, and when I can find the time to go car shopping. Has anyone tried to car shop with an 8 month old? Can't imagine it will be fun. Will it be better than getting stranded on the side of the road somewhere with a car that has blown up? I'll let you know.
3 comments:
You will be fine............Kingston will take good care of you!
Oh, man. I'm sorry this turned out to be the worst-case scenario. Let me know if I can help with anything.
I got my 4Runner when Riya was almost 1...and am still totally in love with it. I love how much extra space it has- b/c children come with a lot of crap!
I got it from Lighthouse Auto in Manteo- I told them what I was looking for & what my price range was & they went to work to find it...right down to the color. :)
Good luck car hunting!!
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