Advice about cars?

[radio1_mike]

Got a little car dilemma, need some advice.

I have '99 Hyundai Elantra, changed the oil regularly. Well, the last time we had it done, something went wrong, and eventually the engine seized last month. The oil change place haggled with us and did not want to put in a new engine ($3500). So, we agreed with them, putting in a rebuilt engine with 40k mi and a year warranty. Our original engine had 70k mi.

But, occassionally my wife complains of funky exhaust smells and strange noises when the heater is on. And she really needs a car for work.

I, originally had no compunction about running that car into the ground with our original engine. Since I know how we treated that engine. This rebuilt engine stuff, I dunno. I mean it's good in the short term that we have the car, but in the long term I am not sure.

I also just paid off my loan on that car this week.

So, the dilemma is, should I buy a new car, and hope to recoup some trade-in value on the Hyundai? (Because, if it dies, it's worth nothing to nobody) Or should we hold off and save what we were paying on the loan for a down payment?

It's just that, right now at least, we got the cash to cover document fees and sales tax, later we may not. So, I am leaning towards another car (even though I hate taking another loan). My wife leans towards, the let's wait and see.

I should mention that my wife will get my present car, I'll get the new one, since I put on less miles per year than she does.


????

[pickel]

I had a similiar senerio and as soon as the bolts were tight I traded that car off for a new before I lost whatever valve was left to recoup. I know about the loan thing but since it's a '99 model you should be able to get most of your money back instead of nothing. Good luck

[SPEEDO]

I would say drive it into the ground as the trade in value of the Hyundai products is not to good. I went thru this trade in thing a year and a half ago with a Hyundai and was in for a rude awakening.

[speedstik]

What did the oil place do? Forget to put the plug back in? Or worse yet, forget to put the new oil in the engine.

I would say sell the car yourself and use the cash for downpayment on a new one. You will get more money for it than any dealership will give you for sure.

[Bushmaster]

Toss some barrs stopleak in it and do a fresh change of oil and take that sucker and trade it in with a smile.
since the cars has higher mileage it's coming time for other parts to start failing, ie; bearings, struts, fuel pump, etc.
When Hyundai's get over 70-80k miles things just start breaking.
Your better off letting some dealership sending it off to an auction because if you sell it to an individual or a friend and something goes wrong you'll not hear the end of it.

[radio1_mike]

I know the trade in value will bite. In essence only 5 of my loan payments for the thing, but at least that is some money.

The oil company, put in a stripped screw, did not change the oil filter and the oil pan was cracked. The leak took about a month Feb to Mar to be serious... The weird thing was: 1) All my oil changes for the car except one, were at that same place. 2) It happened the day of the Shuttle. I sat down in the waiting area and thought we were at war... Not a good day for mechanical stuff.

I don't think anyone would buy, I'd rather just be over with it. It's too bad, it was reliable as all hell, only had to replace the clutch and the brakes so far. So I am sad, that something which I did to keep the engine running, ultimately did it in.

[originel]

i would also recommend selling it. my family has been through both ends of it before. we had a toyota that was running pretty well till a dealership did some work on it and it ran pretty well for a while. we thought about trading it in, but decided to wait. the engine ended up seizing for some reason i can't remember (somehow the crankshafte seized which cause the timing belt to break which caused the head to seize). in short we should have sold it.

also in my experience, whenever you do any major work to a japanese car they just are never the same afterwards (don't run as well, fit and finish, etc...)

Hah, you've never owned my truck then, originel!

I'd trade it, myself. You might get more money by selling to a private party, but it's a lot of hassle and you have the oppurtunity now to trade it without worrying about the small stuff. Just my opinion.

[radio1_mike]

Yah, that's what I'm thinking. But I just hate ending a loan and then having to walk right in to another....