How long does it typically take for the oil pan to rust through? Last time I had my oil changed the mechanic said the oil pan was in rough shape and he would be amazed if it survived the winter. The car is an '02 ES with 53000 miles and has spent its life near Boston. I think 5 years and 53000 miles is a little early for this problem...am I off base here?
I am mainly worried that that a prematurely rusted oil pan is a sign of bad things to come. About a year ago I was told I would eventually need a new emergency brake cable on the left side; however, the mechanic thought I should just wait to see if the car would actually fail an inspection because of this, since the labor required to remove rusted bolts could be expensive. In addition, I had to replace the front pipe on the exhaust earlier this summer. The mechanic that made that repair thought it was a little early for the front pipe to start leaking, as exhaust systems generally deteriorate starting at the muffler and working back toward the engine.
The bottom line is that while none of these repairs are catastrophic, they aren't the repairs I would associate with a five-year-old car and have me worried about the long-term viability of this car. I was hoping to hang onto it for at least another three years, as it is finally paid off in October. In addition, the car is due for some significant maintenance items soon (basically inspection II, though I plan to just give an indy mechanic an itemized list rather than pay the stealer $600 or whatever for their full service). Beyond required maintenance, I would like to ditch my all season rubber in favor of dedicated seasonal rubber. That would suck if I shell out for the tires only to have the car rust out from underneath me.
It seems pointless to hang onto it if the depreciation combined with a significant increase in maintenance and repairs completely offsets the savings of not having a car payment.
Should I be worried about keeping this car for the long-haul and only do the minimal while I start looking for something else, or are these problems within the normal range of wear and tear, and I need to suck it up and do what it takes to keep this thing running well for a few more years?
I am mainly worried that that a prematurely rusted oil pan is a sign of bad things to come. About a year ago I was told I would eventually need a new emergency brake cable on the left side; however, the mechanic thought I should just wait to see if the car would actually fail an inspection because of this, since the labor required to remove rusted bolts could be expensive. In addition, I had to replace the front pipe on the exhaust earlier this summer. The mechanic that made that repair thought it was a little early for the front pipe to start leaking, as exhaust systems generally deteriorate starting at the muffler and working back toward the engine.
The bottom line is that while none of these repairs are catastrophic, they aren't the repairs I would associate with a five-year-old car and have me worried about the long-term viability of this car. I was hoping to hang onto it for at least another three years, as it is finally paid off in October. In addition, the car is due for some significant maintenance items soon (basically inspection II, though I plan to just give an indy mechanic an itemized list rather than pay the stealer $600 or whatever for their full service). Beyond required maintenance, I would like to ditch my all season rubber in favor of dedicated seasonal rubber. That would suck if I shell out for the tires only to have the car rust out from underneath me.
It seems pointless to hang onto it if the depreciation combined with a significant increase in maintenance and repairs completely offsets the savings of not having a car payment.
Should I be worried about keeping this car for the long-haul and only do the minimal while I start looking for something else, or are these problems within the normal range of wear and tear, and I need to suck it up and do what it takes to keep this thing running well for a few more years?
