Hey guys,
So my old Camry's AC compressor seems to be on its last legs. Was quoted $400 to fix it... and I've already had a lot of work done on this car as it is. I just had the cracked windshield replaced for $140 not too long ago along with a new radiator installed which was $200 at least...
On top of that, the AC ducts on the driver's side don't blow cool air (this is apart from the compressor issue) so it's the worst to drive when it's hot out. It's a good thing I'm only about 5 miles away from where I work - I just wish we had covered parking! Regarding this issue, my mechanic said it's going to be a PITA to fix and that not many places have the parts in stock or at all to fix it. I'm estimating it would cost at least another $400-500 to get fixed.
That said, we have a baby on the way and now I'm really starting to wonder if this Camry (93 XLE) is worth keeping around or if I should look for something else.
I know there's a current deal going on with Chevy Spark EVs where you can end up getting one anywhere from under $100/month (if you're super lucky) to anywhere from just over $100 to $160/170 per month. And with $0 to drive off. This would be for a 3 year lease and 10k mi (which I definitely would not hit even if I tried in the current situation).
https://slickdeals.net/f/7761021-2015-chevy-spark-ev-lease-0-down-169-177-per-month-ymmv?v=1What do you guys think? Should I go for it as something to hold us over for now? Or should I only go for it at a certain price point? I think anything under $100/mo with $0 drive off is pretty good.
Other option is to look for a cheap used car of course. Truth be told, I've *never* purchased a car my entire life so I know absolutely nothing about haggling/sales tactics/etc other than what I've heard and read. Kinda got lucky with this Camry as it was a pass-me-down, but I don't know what to do with all these issues that keep popping up. I have no idea what's next. I looked at Mint and in the past 4-5 years I've spent about $500 on repairs/maintenance alone, and I think probably around *at least* $2000 or so more in the several years before that (had to replace the catalytic converter for smog checks, change the drip pan and gaskets, shocks, new transmission, etc). It's such a PITA having to deal with it every time something goes wrong, but the AC not working fully really sucks