When is it time to just say I may need a different one?

I think if the cost of repairing the car and the amount of time wasted getting it repaired outweighs the cost of replacing the car then it is time to get a new one. I wonder if this is the same person you were saying refuses to get rid of the ancient computer?

Well, I tend to force my cars to drive into the dirt. Getting new ones can be expensive. On the other hand, in the current economy, I think the automotive industry is really working hard to get you to shell out the cash to shore up their businesses.

That is how I would think to see it anyhow. Seems he is putting more into it a month then what it would cost to put a down payment on another one that runs better. He doesn't have to get a new one but one that runs better so it won't be draining his wallet and his time with family.

When the repairs end up costing more than the vehicle itself is worth, or when buying another car is cheaper than the repairs! Being a decade old means very little. The van I just purchased less than a year ago is a 98, I bought it for $1,200. Thus far aside from oil changes it's needed $400 worth of work, and that included the inspection. There are some other repairs it could use, but nothing that's going to render the car undrivable, so I put them off until I absolutely have to do it. The car my husband just purchased is a 99. He paid $2,800 for it. It appears to be a very good, reliable car. The age of the car means very little. What matters is how it's been taken care of over the years.