Annual Maintenance Costs vs. New Car at this point?

[physicshogon]

Hi guys, first post here and I'm at a crossroads.

I've been running a 2012 Passat TDI since new and currently sitting at 250k miles. The car has been pretty solid throughout it's life but over the last 24mo or so, I've spent upwards of $10k on repairs (AC compressor, DMF, vacuum leak, shocks/struts, etc). Granted, some of this was expected b/c of the car's age and the knowledge that everything has a service life.

However, at the labor rates of ~$180/hr and limited options where I live (at local VW/Euro shops), I'm seriously considering putting the money I've spent in repairs into a new vehicle. Unfortunately nothing really matches the performance and operating costs of my Passat. The closest option would be something along the lines of a Volvo S60 (the Plug In Hybrid version), but even then I'd have to use Premium fuel and lose at least 10mpg; not to mention that premium fuel is about 40cents per gallon more expensive than diesel. I do a lot of long distance travel so the TDI has been golden over the past 12yrs. I've used VCDS for the last 15yrs or so and it comes in pretty handy with diagnoses--but I just can't find the troubleshooting steps to take after getting the DTC. Any suggestions on this?

I'm also at the point of feeling as if the shop is taking advantage of me every time I go in for service b/c they find random 'leaks' that I'm almost certain weren't there when I took it in--and their repair prices for them are OUTRAGEOUS (think upwards of 3x upcharge on OEM parts). For them, it's convenient that my car is high mileage and 12yrs old b/c they can ALWAYS point to those two factors when suggesting a repair or trying to justify the cost.

I know there are SEVERAL of you guys out there running 20+yo cars and you aren't spending $6-7k/yr maintaining them. I'm fairly handy w/ a wrench but I know my limitations (i.e. jobs that require special equipment, etc). What's you guys' secret to keeping your diesels running for decades?

 

[lemoncurd]

What's you guys' secret to keeping your diesels running for decades?

sadly, just repairing the damn things when required.

it sucks short term, but it beats a more expensive car payment.

i feel your pain, im at 244k right on my CJAA, might need a new clutchpack for my DSG, or a mech unit. sadly no shop around me will touch the clutch pack and will only swap in a used DSG. something im not super happy with.

looking at a possible ~$2k repair bill on a car thats worth maybe 4-5k (been in an accident, high mileage, not stock) is NOT fun, but thinking about a $400+ car note / month generally whips me back into shape to fix this TDI

good luck, these cars are truly awesome when theyre working

 

[physicshogon]

good luck, these cars are truly awesome when theyre working

Yeah, I have to agree w/ you on that last statement--plus I don't really care to be tied to a car loan for the next 5yrs or so. I think I'd be more open to the idea of there was a diesel-electric (or just diesel) Volvo S60 available.

Mine retails for somewhere between $7-8k from what I've seen on CarGurus (even w/ its current mileage). I really DON'T want to get rid of it at all so...we shall see how it goes here in the short term.

 

[T1MMBOJONES]

i have an old diesel van ive dubbed "the thousand dollar van" not cause thats what i paid for it but cause thats what it costs me everytime i use it.... i bought my jsw to slowly retire it, sadly i love it too much to part with but at this point i will never recoup any repairs costs i justify. wish i could figure out your method of putting the money ive spent on it into something different....

 

[oilhammer]

This is why I have a squadron of cars...mostly older ones (VE and PD TDIs), because they are not as problematic.

Downside is, some parts are getting scarce which means you end up having to live with certain things like broken glove boxes or some door harness issue or whatever.

I have a love-hate relationship with the NMS TDIs. They are a nice enough (albeit boring) sedan (roomy, conservative styling, decent to drive, don't feel 'crappy' inside, etc.) and they are fantastic at covering miles with a minimal amount of fuel.

Downside is, they are full of expensive fragile parts and systems, the CKRA engine in particular has some one-off goofy things, they are an orphaned defunct platform that was not really a full-blown VAG product, and many parts are already going on the NLA list (although at least they are no Routan, and the NMS was (is?) built and sold in China, so....).

Some stuff is just normal wear and tear, that you'd deal with on any car. I think it helps to take some of that out of the equation. You also cannot buy anything like it new. Volkswagen certainly won't sell you one, diesel OR gas. Your only choice in a sedan is the Jetta. I think the only "new" alternative I would maybe consider would be a Camry or Accord hybrid, but I'm not sure I'd buck up to get the hybrid option given how much more it costs and how little it may benefit.

 

[2004LB7]

Do you feel the vehicle might leave you stranded somewhere? Or has it been reliable and it's just maintenance items?

If it's the former, then it's going to be hard to beat maintenance with monthly payments. You can do a lot to a used vehicle with what a new car payment would add up to.

If it's the latter then it's probably going to be something you'll need to weigh yourself.

For me when maintenance costs start approaching the new payment cost it's time to retire the vehicle. Or as mentioned, it becomes unreliable even with maintenance

 

[turbodieseldyke]

For them, it's convenient that my car is high mileage and 12yrs old b/c they can ALWAYS point to those two factors when suggesting a repair or trying to justify the cost.

That door swings both ways. "No way am i spending $X,000.00 to grease the muffler bearings on this old thing."

 

[Nuje]

Almost for sure, if you buy a new car, you'll spend more in the next three years on it than you will on the Passat. Maybe a lease works out to less in the next three years, but even that, with the miles you drive, you'll most likely be paying for being over the lease mileage allowance and negating a good chunk of possible savings. Plus, at the end of three years, you have no car.

If you like the car and enjoy driving it and, as stated above, you feel comfortable that it isn't going to leave you stranded, I'd say keep it and eat the $1500 repair bills as they come up, keeping in mind that $1500 twice or even three times per year still works out to a lot less than $500/mo....Every. Single. Month. for EIGHTY-FOUR months.

 

[oilhammer]

$500 a month? That won't buy you much anymore. The average is now well over $700. (at least in the US, your Metric dollars may be a little different).

 

[CanadianALH]

I went from a v6 suv to my Jetta. Even with the maintenance I have done I have spent less on fuel in a year that I would have in 6 months with the suv probably. I plan to drive this car till I can’t anymore oil hammer is right you can’t walk into a dealer in North America and ask for a diesel car anymore. The other thing that helps soften the blow of maintenance is doing your own.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Most of my TDIs are old enough that any signifgicant repair cost exceeds the value of the vehicle. Doesn't bother me. I haven't had a car payment since 2006, and insurance costs and property taxes are very low. And of course the cars are fully depreciated.

But, I have two excellent gurus nearby, and also have a good source for parts . That makes a big difference. I do routine maintenance myself, but use the gurus for anything major, or jobs where I think working on parts that have been through 22 New England winters are going to present a challenge. If I were reliant on a dealer or a repair shop where I had to pay them for parts from the dealer, I probalby wouldn't keep my older TDIs.

If you want to keep the car I'd hunt for a new repair shop. And even then, the CKRA Passat is higher on the scale of problematic TDIs. There's a 2015 Passat for sale here with low miles. That year Passat has a different engine that seems to be less troublesome.

 

[ezshift5]

My 2017 1.4L Jetta was purchased brand new with 25 grand of buyback cash.......................
Since purchase there have been no issues.........62000 on the odometer. Fuelly calc's 40.6 MPG since new.

I'm glad that I bought another VW!

best to all,

ez

 

[Grantexus]

Deciding between annual maintenance or getting a new car can be a head-scratcher. If your current car still runs smoothly and doesn’t need frequent repairs, sticking with it might be more budget-friendly. Those maintenance costs can add up, but a new car has its expenses, like higher insurance and payments.
On the flip side, if your car’s getting up there in miles or you’re just craving something new, a fresh start might be worth it. Plus, if you’re considering moving or traveling a lot, you could always look into options like ship my car across country to keep things convenient. Ultimately, it’s about balancing what makes sense financially and personally for you.

 

[gearheadgrrrl]

Another factor to consider is insurance- Extreme example here, but adding the cheapest real Porsche (Cayman) to my policy adds $3K a year even with $1K deductibles, currently I'm paying a little over $1K a year for full coverage on the '22 Transit Connect van and liability on the '15 Golf TDI. The Cayman gets 23 MPG vs. a new Corvette's 19 MPG, but it costs about half as much to insure the 'Vette! I suspect this reflects Porsche's price gouging on parts and service vs. the discount deals the insurance companies have cut with GM...