How Much Do You Spend On Repairs Before Buying A New Car?

I am about to install another driver’s seat in my 2002 Focus.

It got me thinking…how much will you put into your car before you say enough?

A little history: on April 29th 2002 I walked into Tom Boland Ford and said I'll take that one! And with that, I am I became the proud owner of a brand new 2002 Ford Focus.

Since then I have had to replace a couple of thermostats, a timing belt, two sets of struts, stabilizer bars, a power steering pump, an alternator, two windshields, three stereos, spark plugs, several sets of brakes, countless tires, and now, driver’s seat number four. It might look like a lot of stuff, but realize that I have had this car now for nearly eleven years and racked up close to 260,000 miles.

I still like the car. It feels a little small sometimes, but no matter how hard I beat on it, she performs well and gets 28 MPG. My wife and son do not really enjoy driving it, but they are not in tune with its many idiosyncrasies.

For a sedan, it handles very much like a sports car, and I love to drive it that way! People always have flattering comments about the car after they have ridden in it with me. Christina said “Really?!? Michael you really need to slow down”. Alta said “I just saw my life flash before my eyes”. And Brittney said “Aaaaaaaaaaa…”.

Eventually I will get something else. At that time the Focus might get passed down to my son, after making a couple of minor repairs...adjusting the rear brakes, getting a four-wheel alignment, and fixing the intermittent coolant leak.