Dear Dave,
We have a 2008 Honda Accord that needs a new timing chain. Our mechanic says the repair will cost about $2,200. The car is worth about $4,500. Is it time to get another car, or should we have it repaired?
—Susan
Dear Susan,
That sounds a little high for a timing chain fix to me. Maybe I’m wrong about that, but let’s look at the math of your situation.
You say the value of the car is $4,500 if fixed and running properly. Let’s say for the sake of argument the value of the car if you sell it as-is—basically salvage—is $1,500. If you take the value of the car as-is, plus the repair, and the number you come up with is more than the value of the car after it’s fixed, you don’t repair the car….