My wife's 2004 Odyssey started groaning when turning the wheel, and was growing worse until I decided to fix it. What was supposed to be a simple rebuild of the power steering pump ended with me losing all power steering and the purchase of a new pump. Popped the new one in and all steering woes are now in the rearview mirror! Total cost was $140 (including the failed rebuild).
My 1999 Jeep Wrangler broke down on the side of the road the other night because of a clogged radiator (always do the required maintenance on your vehicles). While I had the radiator out, I replaced the thermostat, ECT sensor, and thermostat because there was just so much sediment in the system. Flushed and filled it and got back on the road for about $200.
It was an expensive week for car repairs, but luckily they are rare. Also, the total cost of my repairs was half of what my peers spend every month on car payments, and not much more than the cost of just having a dealer LOOK at the cars. Feeling pretty good.