Need car repair/cost advice

[1confused1]

I have a truck that I have owned for a year, it is a 2005 F150 and is absolutely my dream truck.

I took it to a shop because it wasn’t turning on. They got it started and there was a very pungent gas smell and a lot of exhaust. I don’t know exactly what happened, but in the end, something blew a hole in the engine while it was in their care.

Question one: would you pursue some sort of action against the shop since, seemingly, they caused the damage? (I feel like this is hard to prove especially because I am not technical enough to understand what happened).

Question two: I was quoted $11k for a new engine, labor, etc. If you had the money, would you pay that for a truck that you paid $19k for a year ago?

[sonrisa]

Oct 18, 2023 14:14:00 GMT -5 1confused1 said:

Question two: I was quoted $11k for a new engine, labor, etc. If you had the money, would you pay that for a truck that you paid $19k for a year ago?

On the second question: We just got quoted $12K of repairs on a car with a bluebook value of 15K. We've found that once things start going wrong at that scale and those prices, it's a snowball effect and only the first of many. So personally I wouldn't spend that much on repairs. But having only a year of use before that has to hurt.

[sproctopus]

I would definitely need to sit down and talk with the shop manager about what happened, but I also would want to have someone with me that understood this stuff. Do you have someone like that? Or could you have it towed to another shop and have them give you their diagnosis (without biasing them too much?)

I wouldn't dump $11,000 cash into an almost 20 year old car unless I was a billionaire. It's just not an investment asset.

[VillainV]

I’m assuming it didn’t come with any kind of extended warranty?

Major problems don’t seem that unusual for a vehicle that old. I’d definitely want a detailed explanation of what happened, and potentially a second opinion. If the shop is at fault, they should replace the engine for you. If they were partially at fault, maybe they could cover either parts or labor.

If they aren’t at fault (or you can’t get them to admit any fault) then I probably wouldn’t put that much money into a truck that old. But it’s a sucky situation.

[gottadobe]

Assuming it is not their fault... I would put a new engine in it.
New trucks are ungodly expensive.

[meanie]

The most difficult aspect of this is going to be proving they caused the damage - are they admitting fault?

As far as the $$$ repair, ditto pp - that is a lot to put into an older vehicle. Do you know the value of the truck?

[1confused1]

Oct 18, 2023 14:53:43 GMT -5 meanie said:

The most difficult aspect of this is going to be proving they caused the damage - are they admitting fault?

As far as the $$$ repair, ditto pp - that is a lot to put into an older vehicle. Do you know the value of the truck?

No, I need to KBB it. The cost of a new or used car may make the decision for me.

[rhian]

I don't really know anything about trucks, but how much is it worth, and how long do you expect it to last? Do trucks hold value longer and last longer than cars do? I'm trying to understand your decision to purchase a 17 year old truck - in my head, that's a vehicle that could die at any time and need to be replaced in the near future. Our older car is a 2007, and we're assuming it's likely we'll need to replace it within the next 5 years.

My instinct is that it's probably not the best strictly financial decision to dump a lot of money into an 18 year old vehicle. But since you just bought it last year, and described it as your dream truck, I can see there being reasons to get it fixed, even if it's not necessarily the best financial choice.

[gottadobe]

Oct 18, 2023 14:55:19 GMT -5 1confused1 said:

Oct 18, 2023 14:53:43 GMT -5 meanie said:

The most difficult aspect of this is going to be proving they caused the damage - are they admitting fault?

As far as the $$$ repair, ditto pp - that is a lot to put into an older vehicle. Do you know the value of the truck?

No, I need to KBB it. The cost of a new or used car may make the decision for me.

Curious about what makes it your dream vehicle...
There is value in older vehicles, but I'm from Texas so may be biased.   People around here love older body styles and less computers... 

[sonrisa]

Oct 18, 2023 14:55:19 GMT -5 1confused1 said:

Oct 18, 2023 14:53:43 GMT -5 meanie said:

The most difficult aspect of this is going to be proving they caused the damage - are they admitting fault?

As far as the $$$ repair, ditto pp - that is a lot to put into an older vehicle. Do you know the value of the truck?

No, I need to KBB it. The cost of a new or used car may make the decision for me.

It might be worth looking at it the opposite way. Would you have bought it last year for $30K? If so, then go ahead. If not, that is basically what you are considering now. 

[jennistarr1]

I really don't know what i would do in same scenario, but a 2nd opinion could be helpful here. So if you had it towed to another shop and explained what happened they could maybe indicate whether it was a bound to happen scenario or a potential error of original shop. Either way, current shop doesn't get the advantage of the profit if they were to blame and sounds like you have enough mistrust that them not doing the work would be ideal. It will add to the cost though because you will need a tow.

My coworker had a similar presenting issue, it took forever to get the part and some of the subsequent problems that happened (battery dying one example) she got them to pay half for.

[1confused1]

Oct 18, 2023 15:22:32 GMT -5 sonrisa said:

Oct 18, 2023 14:55:19 GMT -5 1confused1 said:

No, I need to KBB it. The cost of a new or used car may make the decision for me.

It might be worth looking at it the opposite way. Would you have bought it last year for $30K? If so, then go ahead. If not, that is basically what you are considering now. 

Excellent point, I hadn’t thought of it that way.

[1confused1]

Oct 18, 2023 15:20:10 GMT -5 gottadobe said:

Oct 18, 2023 14:55:19 GMT -5 1confused1 said:

No, I need to KBB it. The cost of a new or used car may make the decision for me.

Curious about what makes it your dream vehicle...
There is value in older vehicles, but I'm from Texas so may be biased.   People around here love older body styles and less computers... 

It’s a lifted truck, low mileage for its age and only 2 owners. No damage and was, in what I thought, good running condition. I have always wanted a lifted truck with this body style, but it wasn’t practical given that I am a single mom. I got it as a second vehicle for my son to drive.

[Jalapeñomel]

I would not drop $11k into a car/truck that old.

And if it didn't start when you brought it in, I think it'll be a sunk cost to try and pursue legal action. 

[mysteriouswife]

We had no choice but repair H’s car a few months ago. The repair was more feasible than a car note. The repairs were slightly less than the value not running. The running value was nearly double. We need a second car due to lack of public transportation. Over all I wouldn’t put $11k in a car that isn’t used often and that old.

[livinitup]

I think you need a full diagnostic and assessment of what repairs are likely to be needed in the next year or two. I understand that it’s a bit like looking into a crystal ball but what does the transmission look like, the tires, the body (any rust), etc.?

Something already caused the engine to not turn on. Was the damage already done at that point? I don’t know. I don’t know if anyone knows. I get that you have to actually run the engine to diagnose it. It doesn’t seem egregious that an engine that is not turning on, then is turned on (forced?), then had an awful smell, is still not working, is diagnosed with a hole, and needs to be rebuilt to run.

I wish it was just the starter. I don’t know if you needed a new engine when it got there.

[1confused1]

Oct 18, 2023 21:42:23 GMT -5 mysteriouswife said:

We had no choice but repair H’s car a few months ago. The repair was more feasible than a car note. The repairs were slightly less than the value not running. The running value was nearly double. We need a second car due to lack of public transportation. Over all I wouldn’t put $11k in a car that isn’t used often and that old.

This is my thinking as well. The truck is used daily, my son drives it. I need a second vehicle so it may make sense to repair this one since I can’t afford to purchase a new or used one or a monthly car payment.

[1confused1]

Oct 18, 2023 22:04:09 GMT -5 livinitup said:

I think you need a full diagnostic and assessment of what repairs are likely to be needed in the next year or two. I understand that it’s a bit like looking into a crystal ball but what does the transmission look like, the tires, the body (any rust), etc.?

Something already caused the engine to not turn on. Was the damage already done at that point? I don’t know. I don’t know if anyone knows. I get that you have to actually run the engine to diagnose it. It doesn’t seem egregious that an engine that is not turning on, then is turned on (forced?), then had an awful smell, is still not working, is diagnosed with a hole, and needs to be rebuilt to run.

I wish it was just the starter. I don’t know if you needed a new engine when it got there.

I did ask the shop about a diagnostic. I’m going there today with someone who knows cars to better understand what happened.

The truck has new tires, new paint, new stereo system, new exhaust…

[mcsangel2]

Do you own it outright or do you have some type of loan on it? Hoping you own it.....

I think I'd actually repair it. New and used trucks are SOOOOOO expensive right now. You're already out the 19k. The only thing is, how are the other major systems? (Transmission, fuel injection, etc). If they're good, well, a new engine is like getting a new car. You can't get a new car for $11k.

[1confused1]

Oct 19, 2023 12:31:49 GMT -5 mcsangel2 said:

Do you own it outright or do you have some type of loan on it? Hoping you own it.....

I think I'd actually repair it. New and used trucks are SOOOOOO expensive right now. You're already out the 19k. The only thing is, how are the other major systems? (Transmission, fuel injection, etc). If they're good, well, a new engine is like getting a new car. You can't get a new car for $11k.

I own it. I’m going to ask about all those parts today when we go.

Thanks all!!! This has been so stressful.