When Should I Replace My Beater Car? 

well done bro . Nice car . I bought are version 6 sti with low km I'm never selling it . I paid cash im 29 . Plus I have 80k saved up . Btw your car soaring up in value in japan mine is too

Well done

That's awesome.. I don't believe in consumer debt..I never gotten my self into debt till I turned 35. I bought apartments as an investment (needed the debt). I put also like 30% down-payment on each one. I own a vw golf, and now I'm going to downgrade to a skoda. Never get myself into something too deep. Baby steps. Prudent steps.

Another thing is when you have a new car you tend to stress over who drives it or worry about scratches. Once its at 150k miles u care less. If ur lil sister who is 17 wants to drive it ur like whateva or if someone dings it when opening the door

Alumnikiid Totally agree

JAMES KNAPKE if you have to ask if it can make it from a to be get AMA or what you guys have down there for a towing company

I am not afraid to put more into a vehicle than it is worth. I bought a 17 year old truck for $1000, drove it for 10 years and put $5000 into it. Reman engine, transmission, tires and brakes. That was 14 years ago. I seriously doubt I could have purchased a $5000 truck and done that and still have life left in it like this one does.

@@scottcurry479 Yeah you couldn't have, that was a good decision even at the $5k cost. If you can drive a car for $2k a year in cost or less you're doing better and cheaper than 95% of all Americans.

When it becomes too unreliable and makes you miss time from work. Some people don't get paid for time off. Sometimes you have to include the cost a good, safe and reliable car as a transportation expense.

@@scottcurry479 this 💯

Ha! I had a paper route as a second or third job and the clutch went out on a Saturday, probably because of the paper route. My mechanic could not fix it in-time, I could not get a rental, I let my supervisor know as soon as possible and drove the mechanic's wife's bike eight or nine miles each way with a tire that kept going back so I could pre-fold. I made sure the manager know she needed to cover me. They fired me for missing my route. I think that I lost money with that job. I did not miss it!

@spirals 73 Good luck!

@spirals 73 do you have a job? If you do sounds like you're not budgeting your money very well if you don't have any savings put away for emergencies

@spirals 73 stop watching boomers give financial advice. They're much better at showing you how to replace that window 😉

spirals 73 buy a window and put it in the door fix it yourself. Tons of RU-vid videos that will show you how to fix it.

Same I have a Honda 1995 with 200k miles barely. But the last guy replaced everything from clutch, timing belt, pumps, coil over suspension, etc etc so I can’t justify selling it to get a $10,000 car

My 1992 Accord lasted until 2005. I had maintained it immaculately. Then it got some weird wiring short that couldn't be diagnosed. The car shut off on the road several times. I traded it very soon afterwards. It had maybe 160k miles.

@@marknc9616 23 years on any car is hitting the lottery I think Honda's from that Era were still ironing out the bugs. Honda has a solid rep now which is why you see them everywhere. My daughter drives a 98 Prelude and refuse to get rid of it.

Unless you have an automatic, Honda has had notoriously bad automatic transmission issues.

@@earlmcmanus194 yea i agree. Toyota is the best and safest option. Everyone over seas knows that

He knows.

coffeeinthemorning Honda’s, generally speaking, tend to have less major repairs AND less known major repairs needed. Modern Subaru’s are notorious for head gaskets and cvt failures around 150K miles.

Honda: Timing belt breaks = kaboom, automatic transmissions are junk Subaru: Head gaskets, spark plugs, heat shield rattle

@coffeeinthemorning nice is subjective.

@@michaspi Subarus are also an interference engine. Subarus are also notoriously high maintenance cars.

@coffeeinthemorning the money made on a repair bill for the Audi dealership is also really nice

This comment deserves more likes.

They would get along well. lol

The most powerful duo

Scotty lives in TN now.

I would love that

Lots of callers say it. I think Dave appreciates it.

BURN HIM AT THE STAKE!!!! OFF WITH THE HEAD

@@WeKnowTheTruth2012 Build a bridge out of him!

You can't "steal" a line, smh.

@@thatguywhonevergetsthejoke75 It was just a fun little joke.

G K ....WHY do you care if that “person” is yelling (or talks down) at you? Something WRONG with enjoying a brand new truck? I am clearly missing something....

@@bluestonemetallic7 Buying a new car is stupid on steroids according to Dave unless you can pay for it cash, and even then you should really have the savings. New car loans tanked the financial situation of the majority of callers for the Ramsey show.

G K....usually those folks who called, all seem to have certain financial “situations”. In general, he really needs to “tone it down” with his strong opinion on certain financial subjects. At the end-of-the day...with wealth of info/knowledge out there....I like to think people can make the right (or sound decisions). Remember, life is kinda short to drive a boring vehicle or vehicle you dislike. Lastly, if one has a good “career or job”, I say “why not”! It NOT like somebody is making $2K per month with $600+ monthly car payments. NOW...that’s NOT a good financial position to be in, and needs to wise up. Just my $0.02 cents though.

@@MrBigGStyle - I usually buy new cars but I also keep them for a long time (8 years and 16 years on the two I have now). Buying a used car that was poorly maintained can be a nightmare.

😆 same. Bought my first new tacoma this summer and could see Dave crossing his arms and scowling at me

Drive that car until you can no longer even look at it.... then give it to your oldest kid.

Engine replacement is 5k or so for most cars. Less if you can do it yourself. On newer cars electrical work can get pricey but still, as he says, that math of car replacement is really hard to justify on pure economic terms. About the only time to replace the car is for safety, such as frame damage or

@@Tempest-ec2nn If you buy a reliable car the chassis and frame will rot out long before the engine anyway.

heyitsablackguy Yep. I have a '98 Toyota that runs just fine. I'll THINK about replacing at around 400k miles, but only because my youngest will be getting his license around that time and will want to buy it from me.

I'm trying to ride my Impala 2007 out til it falls out. Just gotta' keep up with the parts and maintenance and you're okay!

heyitsablackguy That's awesome! I didn't even realize they still make Impalas. (I think I was conceived in one.)

I'm dealing with this issue right now I have a 2003 Honda crv with 163,000 miles but I'm starting to have issues, awhile back my a/c compressor blew up on i10 and I almost wrecked, and now I'm having a lot of electrical issues, I don't want to keep dumping money into it but at the same time I love not having payments.

I have a 2009 Toyota already with a 184,433 miles on it. It's alot of miles for a car that's not even 10 years old. It's all highway miles meaning it's going to last even more longer as highway miles only makes up 10% of the wear and tear of City stop and go miles.

Good insight

What kind of car?

A 10 year old car breaking down all the time? Must’ve been a Subaru, Dodge, Jeep or Landrover.

What god awful car did you buy? A Doge/Jeep or GM product or a JLR or Stellantis product? Seriously no 10 year old car should be that bad unless you skipped lots of routine maintaince.

Aaron Nelson what kind of car?

Eventually you have to cut your losses. Had a Saturn vue that kept giving me issues. Thousands later I sold it for a loss and bought a different car. Havent had any repairs needed since. Don't buy junk. If its costing you thousands to maintain get another vehicle.

Dave forgets downtime. Can't go to work if it won't get you there. Miss too many days and you're fired.

He said almost never because most engines will make it to 300000 or more, which is 20 years for people living in the city. Obvious you should repair it if the repair costs more than the repaired car.

Aaron Nelson yeah if you buy a car that is a little more expansive with less miles.

Larry Padilla So how do I know my car is in good mechanical condition. All I do is oil change. I want to drive that thing to Africa and back. 😂

Oil and blinker fluid is really all you need. The rest of the stuff is just there for upsale. ;) Nah, start by checking all of your fluids, if the color isn't what it should be, change it. I would degrease your engine and everything I could before that though. That way if there is a leak anywhere, it'll be easier to spot. Oil, transmission, coolant, power steering, brake, differential(s), tire pressure, etc. Another thing you should do is check your PCV valve/system. It's a small part that's pretty easy to replace on most vehicles. If that gets plugged or isn't doing its job, you can damage your main seals, which require significant work to replace. Anyway, pay attention to how it drives too. Is it shifting hard? Is it puffing out white or blue/grey smoke when it's running? Do you hear any weird hissing noises coming from under the hood? Look up youtube vids and browse through the car forums about any issues you might be having with it. The internet is a wonderful thing. There is tons of good information out there if you look for it. Also, take a look at your vehicle's recommended maintenance schedule. A lot of the schedules are overkill IMHO, but if you've never done any of the things on there, it might be worth it to start paying extra attention to that. Cheers.

Larry Padilla Thanks

Yes but what kind of life is it to drive a car that old and with that many miles? No one will respect you and they will likely laugh. I don't want to be seen like that, and I think it's important to replace the car way before that.

ACR hahaha you serious? Do you think respect comes from your car? Real respect comes from making a plan and handling your business. Do whatever you want. I have 3 vehicles that are all 200k+ mileage. They all run like champs and life with no car payments is fan freakin tastic. Cheers.

I had a 2002 Caravan flex fuel. It wasn't too bad if you can do the work yourself. The biggest repaid I did was head gaskets. I did it at home and it ran fine for another 2+ years. Then the torque converter went out and we had to get rid of it.

Gregory Wireman same story. I have a 2003 dodge caravan amd recently change the head gasket. Now the check engine turn on indicating the torque converter is going bad ):

Once you hear the whine from the TC you'll know you are cooked. We sold it for scrap, they came and picked it up, we got $200 for it. Even though I repaired it a lot it was still worth it versus monthly payment + insurance costs for a new car.

05 Grand Caravan with rust issues but maintenance free for 4 years. 08 TC no issues at all in 2 years, just bought 09 TC Touring 2 weeks ago. I look Iike I own a dodge chrysler dealership. My 05 simply wont die (mechanically). I dont want to donate a rust issue so its just me and her against the world. Selling my '08

Love my Toyota Rav4...near 200k miles and knock on wood few issues.

no body laughs or has fun in california, dont lie

@@v8powa466 spoken as someone who has only seen CA on T.V.

@@ObligatoryPun negative ghost rider, Ive spent decades in california.

Or NYC

@DrgnFlys The beauty of having 50 states is that if you really hate one, just leave or dont live there. Policies wont change drastically until, more people are LEAVING Cali than STAYING. I hate anyone who whines about any certain states.

So instead you go buy a $5000 car. And within a year you've already put 500 to a $1000 into it in repairs. And that's not even mentioning how much the car decreased in value. I don't like Dave's advice. I think a better car is a better car even if it's going to cost you more money. But at the end of the day Dave Smith is objectively correct. If you're trying to build wealth and the car to you is nothing more than a tool, then daves strategy is the one to go with.

@@xenn4985 Wait only five thousand!? What freaking area do live in where used cars in are that cheap. The price of entry hear is MINIMUM seven grand.

@@cash5627 plenty of 15yo cars under 100k miles for less than 7k

😂 Lol I agree!!!👍🎩👍

There is a chance that the new 5k car might have a bad transmission within a year

Love love love a Toyota!

Toyota 🙌

The Solora is great!

Is it still running?

@@leonardocozza3140 Of course! Runs great! 488,000 now.

Subaru´s are known to be expensive to maintain, in any country. And are far less reliable than Hondas.

@@Wen6543 They can blow head gaskets .

@@michaeldalton8374 true lol

This.

My beater car threw its timing chain tensioner last week. The dealership wanted $5,3000 for a engine replacement with 173,000 miles on the replacement engine. I had 257,000 miles on that car. My car was 1999 Nissan Sentra. I put over $3,000 in that car over the last two years. I'm currently working on getting a newer car. The beater life is not worth the headache if you are mechanically inclined, or your friend is a mechanic. Find OEM or good aftermarket parts for a beater car is near impossible.

And you got a 2jz lol

1UZ **

That’s not bad . But yea keep until things get better or you got no choice but to get a different car . Prices are ridiculous

I need to find one

Andrew K. That's why you buy cars that are 3 years old or more. Still near brand new but cost a lot less. Buy one with 60k and drive it to 300k.

And sadly, that's exactly when some people trade in their vehicle.

@@n9wox it makes for the perfect opportunity for the rest of us to buy it.

Got my hard thinking about that sweet spot. No bills no payments

Because $5k is somehow more than $25k. American logic.

Michael Dalton used cars exist

ground hog Don’t sell it, scrap it. If you need to put 5k on a car, you’re better buying another used one instead.

I agree. If you need a reliable vehicle you need to think of replacing it more often, especially if you need it to make money for work!

Got a '11 legacy and I love the darn thing.

I have an 05 legacy

My beater car threw its timing chain tensioner last week. The dealership wanted $5,3000 for a engine replacement with 173,000 miles on the replacement engine. I had 257,000 miles on that car. My car was 1999 Nissan Sentra. I put over $3,000 in that car over the last two years. I'm currently working on getting a newer car. The beater life is not worth the headache if you are mechanically inclined, or your friend is a mechanic. Find OEM or good aftermarket parts for beater car is near impossible.

Patricia its simple and easy just act your wage

koolyo2foots That's right! ☺

My dad has about 30 cars and just our Cadillac is worth about half of his income

3800 series 2?

Just got an 06 with 120k

Cannot agree more!

My beater car threw its timing chain tensioner last week. The dealership wanted $5,3000 for a engine replacement with 173,000 miles on the replacement engine. I had 257,000 miles on that car. My car was 1999 Nissan Sentra. I put over $3,000 in that car over the last two years. I'm currently working on getting a newer car. The beater life is not worth the headache if you are mechanically inclined, or your friend is a mechanic. Find OEM or good aftermarket parts for beater car is near impossible.

My beater car threw its timing chain tensioner last week. The dealership wanted $5,3000 for a engine replacement with 173,000 miles on the replacement engine. I had 257,000 miles on that car. My car was 1999 Nissan Sentra. I put over $3,000 in that car over the last two years. I'm currently working on getting a newer car. The beater life is not worth the headache if you are mechanically inclined, or your friend is a mechanic. Find OEM or good aftermarket parts for a beater car is near impossible.

Michael Laur - I have a 2016 Honda Accord Ex (paid off) with 55k and I’m already freaking out for having a lot of miles in it. Riding my 2008 Dodge Charger with 191 k until the wheels fall off ✋🏽

my 98 accord has 280,000 miles

Toyota beats Honda - I maintained both and Toyota is hands down easier to DIY repair. And according to Consumer Report, Toyota is the most reliable brand out there

agreed. Honda used to be top then they started cutting costs. pretty much avoid any Honda with an automatic transmission from the year 1999-2006. auto trans failures then avoid all Civics from the year 2006-2008 due to cylinder head cracks and rear suspension defects. i'm on trans #2 on my 2003 Civic and about to have to throw in trans #3. if I had a 2003 Corolla it would still be rolling on all original drivetrain b/c Toyota wasn't cheap and didn't put the filter internally to save a few bucks on the chassis design. that's right, on my Civic transmission the filter is internal and the only way to clean the filter is to drop the transmission, open it up and by that point if you're doing all of that it's likely bc your trans is shot and it's too late anyways. $500 in parts to rebuild, or for $400 on eBay you can have a pulled trans from japan (check VIN compatibility so you don't get error codes). free shipping. tested and guaranteed to run

I am the Juan and Only it's a 2000 Ford ranger I'm at 227k now 😂 haven't had a car payment in over 15 years baught it cash back in 2010 for $4k it had 133k

Same here! Bought my '01 4.0L XLT used with 130k miles. Has 194k now. Tows and hauls like a champ. Determined to see it past the 200k milestone. Great little trucks!

Im 500 miles from 200k club on 06 Rav4. Bought used with 40k miles around 2010....runs good

Bought my 1990 ranger for $1500 cash 6 years ago, 340,000 miles on it! It's getting pretty tired now though

I had 348,000 on my 87 Ford Ranger before I had to replace it. Done about 4 full oil changes during this time, used Mobil One, every 3000 miles replaced the oil filter and added 1 qt of Mobil 1, sometimes I wonder if I would of hit 400,000 miles if I would of done a 5th or 6th full oil change. Only thing is the darn brakes, and clutch wore out about every 150, 000 miles.

As such, with what you’ve provided for information, if you can’t use mass transit, a Vespa scooter is a good investment if you can’t walk there and back, and don’t need to take others or carry much.

Mama mia!

@@CarlaQuattlebaum exactly 💯. Things have changed since my 4 years old comment

Muffler lol? just straight pipe it dude loool

brs rafal cue the legendary corolla. just avoid those 1999,2000,2001 or around there style and year of honda odysseys they have an inherent transmission problem by design (mines going into the ground at 221k slipping accelleration, hesitating decelleration)

TheBishop12 just sold my 1996 Honda passport because of the transmission problem. It's almost dangerous when a transmission constantly slips when you need to accelerate.

coffeeinthemorning it’s about the mentality

@coffeeinthemorning he drives a caddy

Buffet has a *plane*

His son donates a lot of money to the city I live in. If it wasn't for him, the city couldn't afford to do anything.

He also eats breakfast at McDonalds every morning because it's cheap, He likes to prove a point about how pathologically thrifty he is, but I think he could afford a better breakfast and a new car once in a while.

So no Dodge products.

I have a dodge Great car

Even then you could find a lower mileage used transmission and just have that installed at a shop if rest of car in good shape.

why do you draw the line at the transmission? my Civic transmission went at 78K miles and i bought a pulled transmission from JDM with 55,000 miles on it for $400. i paid my local mechanic (4) labor hours @ $70/hr to drop the old one and put the "new" used one in. now i have 220,000 miles on the Civic

^ THIS. used transmissions are cheap. $400-$800

a 5 year old corolla base model goes for about $8K in my area. definitely doable

There is something to be said about doing your own maintenance and repairs. I'm not sure I'd purchase a car that I couldn't maintain.

👏👏👏👏👏

Dan Dearman I live in Ohio also and have never had a car rust out on me. Make sure to wash it in the winter, this helps a lot because it removes the salt off the car.

Wash it when ever it gets salt and wax it every season (every four months) fix any scratches before they rust out Some people cover the underbody with oil or ATF to prevent rusting

Depending where you live. Rust will eventually get you up here even if the mechanicals don't. It's even worse north of me.

If you're carrying only liability on an older car, that's a huge risk tho....you'd better factor that risk into your decision making.

@@swingset1969 not really a huge risk if the car is only worth $5k.

Dave is thinking mathematily not practically, working hard and saving your money up for your doctor, kids,your childen spouses, the government and the funeral home just don,t make any sense. Vanity vanity all is vanity you work hard in this life enjoy yourself, go read the greatest book ever ,the book of Proverbs .

ok but its dangerous to drive if u get into a crash, its a tin can that doesnt even have side air bags or even worse the air bags probably dont even work anymore