The End of the Road: 4 Signs Its Time to Junk Your Car
On average, a car should last you at least 200,000 miles, or around 12 years. But as you might’ve already guessed, this is just a rough estimate; your vehicle might last shorter or longer than these numbers.
We understand that your car is precious to you and probably holds a tremendous amount of sentimental value. But alas, there comes a time when it’s time to get rid of it.
How will you know? Here are 4 signs that it’s time to junk your old car.
1. It’s Unsafe to Drive
While older vehicles certainly have airbags and seatbelts, the reality is, they’re just not as good as modern ones. Technology’s made leaps and bounds in the last few decades, so if your vehicle is 2 decades old, it might not be the safest on the road.
In addition, maybe a few things are loose here and there, and maybe your car makes a rattling noise when you go over a certain speed limit. If at least 1 part is held together by duct tape, then that’s a huge red flag.
2. Your Car’s All Rusty
Because it’s an older car, you’re probably just letting it collect dust-and rust!
Vehicles typically start getting rusty around 5 to 10 years in. You can always slow the rust growth by using cleaning products and by polishing your car. But your vehicle will inevitably turn pretty rusty in the end.
3. You’re Constantly Getting Repairs
A few minor repairs here and there is totally fine. But if you find yourself at the auto shop every week, getting major work done, then it’s definitely time to junk your car.
You might think that just 1 more repair will have your car good to go for a while. But the truth is, it won’t. You’ll just end up sinking a ton of money into a vehicle that’ll break down in the near future.
4. Your Car Has Over 150,000 Miles on It
We’re not saying you have to junk it right away when the odometer hits 150,000 miles. But know that the resale value drops off significantly at this point, as do trade-ins.
If you still want to get some money for your car, a better thing to do is to sell your junk car. Places that buy junk cars will offer you a decent amount of cash for your junker.
Junk Your Car When the Time Is Right
Now you know some of the key signs of when you need to junk your car. While it can be difficult to do with a vehicle that’s given you lots of good years, it may be inevitable.
So save yourself some time and money by junking your car when it’s the right time to do so. You’ll be back on the road with a newer and better vehicle in no time!
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