Here at Servassist we are all about fixing and repairing vehicles with the goal of wringing out the most possible mileage and ultimately, best bang for your buck. There comes a point, however, when it simply makes sense to let that cherished car go, for all the love, lube and time in the world aren't going to be able to make financial sense out of keeping it on the road.
The Globe and Mail did a piece last week on this very topic, which appears to be more complicated than it first looks, even when you remove any emotional attachments and other extraneous factors. Figuring out exactly what a car is worth, comparing that to a payoff/loan amount, and then trying to decide just how long the car will really last are hard enough, but this article has introduced an entirely new issue: the environmental cost/impact of when you finally hang up the keys.
With most modern vehicles, items like catalytic converters, "smart" fuel injection system and exhaust systems and other current technologies were all standard equipment meaning the vehicle will be substantially better for the environment (and cheaper to maintain) than even the previous generation of vehicles, provided they are in decent operating order. That being said, many of these technologies are proprietary and unique to each brand, which means there is a "shelf life," so to speak, regarding how long parts are readily available and at a reasonable cost.
Some cars meet a very quick or sudden demise, as when involved in a substantial collision or catastrophic failure. Unfortunately, no one can really predict when either of those are going to happen, so keeping a vehicle beyond it's most useful life may present a risk. For example, I have a friend who has been driving a late model Volvo station wagon for the last several years. With closer to 200,000 than 100,000 miles, it has required its fair share of up-keep. Included have been major brake work and rebuilt transmission, though otherwise, it has been a rather dependable car. Until recently.
The car's overall condition is very good. As a late 90's model, the body is rust free with paint in good shape. The wheels are mark free, the interior looks good, and all electrical systems work just fine. All in all, it presents itself like a vehicle half its age, with similar driving characteristics. The used car value indicators suggest that a vehicle in this condition could fetch as much as $6-7,000 dollars in a private transaction. Then, one day, out of nowhere, my friend begins to feel a slight sluggish accleration accompanied by some strange sounds and exhaust. A trip to the mechanic shows that oil is leaking from around the oil cap, which itself is now under pressure, meaning that valves, rings and/or head/head gasket have failed. And just like that, even though the car is still -- at least temporarily -- running, you have your catastrophic failure and within minutes the vehicle that was worth thousands of dollars is now worth $50 at the neareast junkyard.
For someone, this car may still represent fun, safe, desirable transportation. The problem is, fixing or replacing the necessary components costs more than the car is effectively worth, hence the term "Total," or total loss. Only a mechanic himself or someone with access to free parts could justify the time and effort in revitalizing the car, and with thousands of vehicles finding the same fate every day, there just aren't enough mechanics to go around.
At the end of the day, nothing from a maintenance or service standpoint could have prevented the failure forever, but it certainly can postpone it. Either way, before jumping into that used car, be sure to do your research on the specific brand, model, model year observed realiability because there is no more frustrating an experience in the world than to pull the trigger on a new (used) car that is a timebomb ready to go off.
The Globe and Mail article actually goes a step further and suggests that we need to start considering the environmental impact of keeping the vehicle on the road and those issues presented by producing a new vehicle. As if it wasn't hard enough. No wonder so many people throw all common sense out the window and go with the coolest car they can find. To read the Globe and Mail article, click here.
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