Hey everyone, I could use some help here.
I’ve got a car with over 130,000 miles on it. The clutch disc is worn out, and the transmission apparently needs to be replaced. The repair cost is almost $3,000, while I bought the car used for about $6,000.
Do you think it’s worth spending this much on the transmission repair, or should I think about getting another car? What would you guys do in my position?
No way, not even close. A $4K repair for a car that’s worth only about $800-1200 at trade-in value. Not worth it.
3K is still cheaper than buying another car, but if you’re looking for something that’ll last long term, maybe it’s time to consider other options. The car’s value is about 3K running, but with the bad transmission, it might only be worth 1K now.
@Jonas
They offered me 1K at a dealership, and the transmission was still working at the time.
Is this car an automatic? Besides the 130K miles, what kind of condition is it in?
Erie said:
Is this car an automatic? Besides the 130K miles, what kind of condition is it in?
Yeah, it’s automatic. Besides that, the car doesn’t have much else going for it right now. I changed the clutch 3 months ago, and it was expensive.
@Hunter
You replaced the transmission just 3 months ago and now it needs another one? What kind of parts are you using? Maybe the repair wasn’t done properly last time. If you are going to replace it again, you might want to consider rebuilding it first.
Unless you’re going manual, it’s probably not worth it. If you search this forum for ‘transmission,’ you’ll find plenty of posts advising against it.
Cale said:
Unless you’re going manual, it’s probably not worth it. If you search this forum for ‘transmission,’ you’ll find plenty of posts advising against it.
Honestly, I don’t want to keep investing in it. I was considering repairing it and selling, but now I’m really not sure.
@Hunter
Here’s the truth. Selling a 12-year-old car won’t help pay for the repairs. You’re not going to get much for it.
@Hunter
If you sell it, and it keeps giving problems, the buyer might come back at you upset. While some people don’t care, a dealership might still sell it for $10k, but I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes. You’ll be passing on a ticking time bomb. You can avoid legal issues by selling it ‘as is,’ but do you really want to do that to someone? I tried trading my 2012 Focus years ago, and they only offered me $1000. I kept it as a backup car and fixed the clutch and other parts for $3200. Now, at 360K miles, I’m still dealing with issues like overheating. It’s tough to say if fixing it is worth it. But even if you fix it, the transmission will likely fail again sooner or later.
@Jaden
If they get angry, who cares? When selling privately, it’s usually ‘as is.’ The buyer should be aware of what they’re getting. If they are buying a car with a DCT and haven’t done their research, that’s on them.
@Baylen
True, but I personally can’t bring myself to sell it privately. You never know what kind of person you’re dealing with. My suggestion? Trade it in while you can, or just keep it if it’s financially viable. It’s a problem I don’t want to risk anymore.
@Hunter
If you don’t owe anything on it, you could at least get your investment back, but probably not much more. Or you could sell it for $500-1000 as-is.
If I had my own garage, I could fix it over the weekend with the right tools. But since I park on the street, it’s either pay for repairs or end up with a car loan for a new one.
I had the same issue last year with my 2012 at about 130,000 km. After thinking it over and reading posts on this forum, I decided not to repair it. The quote I got was $5000 CAD. Not saying that’s the best choice for you, but that’s what I did. I’m really disappointed with Ford, and this experience has made me want to stay away from their cars now.
