Next, ask for the estimated cost of each repair, and the amount of time the vehicle would be out of service while the repair is performed. Once you have this 12-month estimate, decide whether you can afford the probable repairs and the time you are likely to go without a vehicle while those repairs are made. Consider our rules of thumb on used vehicles. Some government agencies use a maximum allowable expense method for determining when it is time to dispose of a vehicle. But you can benefit from observing some basic rules of thumb, offered by our auto experts , when you decide whether to keep or dispose of a vehicle.
Miles mean less on a vehicle that has been driven predominantly on the highway.
If you drive in a state that gets little or no snow each year, your car is generally worth holding onto for a longer time. Generally, the ease of selling and trading a car or light passenger truck diminishes sharply as the vehicle approaches the 100,000 mile mark. If you are above this mark and the car is performing reasonably well, keeping it may be more valuable to you than selling. Consider how much future repairs will cost versus the costs of obtaining another vehicle. Once you have estimated the cost of repairs that you are likely to encounter, we suggest that you use these estimates as a factor in figuring the costs of owning your present vehicle and weigh these against the costs of obtaining another vehicle.