I have a 2004 Toyaota Sienna which we bought new, it now has 98,000 miles.  I made my final car payment this past April and within  two weeks one of the catalytic converters had to be replaced ($800).  Within two weeks the second failed ($800), the tires wore out two months later ($500) and its overdue for its 90,000 maintenance (est. at $1400).  Is this enough!  This car was supposed to save me money, but in the past six months its like my car payment never went away?

Should I just trade this in for a new car already, or am I being impulsive?

Any thought would be great,

Thanks,

Dave Z.
Austin, TX

David . . .

This reply WILL generate another (round) of ".. he is crazy!"  And, that's perfectly O.K..

BUT - you have ALREADY kept that unit FAR too long!

Because of the potential of the very expenses you recently have experienced ... the era of keeping any modern, vastly-computer controlled, 2 -3 Catalytic  Converters, multi-speed automatics,  ABS, Traction Control & - now - ESC - Should be seriously reconsidered BEFORE trying to "drive it into the ground" as in the old days!

With after-market component costs and / or O.E.M repairs after warranty plus the prevailing ~ ~ $100 or higher loaded shop labor charges, it can very quickly equal the costs of simply keeping a new car / selling it privately & beginning anew - - - ALWAYS having the 36 / 36,000 mi 100% warranty & the associated zero costs ....

OR, at least, this practice has "worked" for me these past ~ ~ 22!
everett

p.s. - - - I , too, have had Toyota / Honda but never have traded in one! 

Dave, I fully agree with Everett's approach, but that only applies if you are starting from new. You are now well "into the woods" and need to think of how to get "out". Since you've already put over $2K into the beast, consider this: Is everything else working well?? If the A/C is weak and the doors are sticking, the transmission's shifting roughly... then its time to get out. If everything else seems to be doing well (and since you're the original owner, you'd know), time to tough it out. Invest the $1400 IF and only IF, whomever does the 90,000 mile service agrees to check it over FIRST. If you're going to get a call that the CV joints are shot and the transmission seals are leaking for another $1-$2K over and above the service, you're done with this van. (I seem to recall that the 90K service includes a timing belt, so don't let it go too long past 90K before you get it serviced. By the way $1400 seems HIGH for this service). Good luck.

David, Relax, your Sienna can still offer economical transportation but you need to follow the excellent advice Consumer Reports offers regarding car maintenance.

* Get competing quotes for work. Don't rely on the dealership for the best rates. Most car owners find independent repair shops more satisfying than dealer service.

* Don't pay for unnecessary service. Read the maintenance section of your owners manual carefully. Many dealers recommend expensive "premium" level service that includes service that you don't need.

* Get realistic about car ownership. No car saves you money. Savings are the money you put away or invest. There's no getting around the fact that cars cost money to own and maintain regards of their age or condition. If you think buying a new car is the best solution, check out what Consumer Reports and Edmunds say about 1st year new car depreciation. Even cars with excellent resale value typically lose 15-20% of their value in the first year. On a $30,000 car that's $4,500 to $6,000 in the first year alone. Talk about expensive!

Good luck and get that timing belt replaced.

Cale

I say you have another 150K miles to go.
Any reason why you had the cat converters replaced at 98K miles? It might mean you have an engine management problem that is causing damage. Was the engine light on?

Not crazy, but you do spend considerably more money buying and running your cars than someone who buys a used car and keeps it running until the bitter end. I'm guessing that the total amount of money I've laid out keeping all of the cars I've owned maintained for 25 years is less than the cost of one years car payments on an average new car.

Hi David . . .  No Problem whatever.

With respect , I simply believe & practice the opposite!

Whatever anyone might have spent keeping these vehicles of the older, pre-computer / leaded gas versions should have been next to nil compared to what WILL be necessary on the ones within the past few model years ..  and particularly going forward !

 I don't have / use any payments, either, (buy outright, recall?) as well as zero expenditures otherwise.  Free oil / filter changes, incl..  This IS educational as well as a great pastime & pleasure!

everett

p.s. - - Since it wasn't possible for this fellow to 'do' his own repairs for whatever the reasons, I shudder to even imagine what that Toyota SUV seating / interior / reliability will be like @ 250,000! ... or, the cumulative bills for hiring that rebuilding along the way will have been enormous.