Taurus

On Friday, while driving back from the grocery store in my Taurus, we went over some bumpy railroad tracks and something snapped in the rear driver's wheel and began rubbing against the wheel. I quickly pulled over and got out. I couldn't see anything under the car in the wheel but when I got back in and started driving again there was definitely something rubbing in the wheel well and it was getting louder. I pulled onto a side street and parked it. The car was undrivable and had a nice full load of groceries in the back. Luckily we were only something like eight blocks from home. Still not a fun distance to walk carrying groceries, especially when you got a great deal on ten pounds of meat.

We made it home okay and had a great weekend sans-taurus as we didn't want to pay to have it towed on a weekend. This morning we called a service station near us and told them where the car was and what had happened, we went and dropped off the keys and went to work.

I got a call around lunch time today. The spring had snapped and the strut was fubar as well. I'd have to get new springs and struts and some other junk on the back wheels. In addition the front struts were nearing the end of their life as well. Plus there was a hole in the muffler (which I already knew about). The cost for just the minimal repairs to get it drivable again before the front struts break or the muffler falls off is $1200.

According to kelly blue book, my car is worth maybe $2000 if I'm lucky and if it wasn't busted. Last December we spent $800 on it getting stuff fixed. Plus we replaced some tires on it recently as well. Is $1200+ worth spending to restore this car to us now? Well, the main question is, "do we need this car?" and the answer to that question is, "very rarely." We carpool to work every day, almost always in the Jetta. The only reason we drive the Taurus on occasion is the keep it running. What? Does that even make sense? In the last nearly two years since we've begun carpooling we've only needed to use two cars at once maybe two or three times. And if we hadn't had the second car, I'm sure we would have figured something out.

So we decided to not do the repairs and donate our car to Rawhide instead. They'll even come pick it up for us, how nice of them.

In addition to not spending money to keep this car running, we'll save on no longer insuring it as well. We also get a tax deduction for donating it, and we get a bunch of extra space in the garage to fill up with crap!

One part of me is a little sad to see it go, I've had the car for eight years and have some good memories associated with it. It wasn't my first car but it was my first new car, and may possibly be my last new car as well, considering how much of a terrible investment buying a car new actually is. In the end though it's just a thing and it's better to let it go now than to continue to pay money just to keep owning it for no good reason.

Update: One of the mechanics where we had the car towed to has expressed interest in purchasing the car from us. So we may be doing that instead of donating it, real money is better than a tax deduction.

Re-update: we sold the car this morning, we are now officially a one car family. If we ever need to get another car, I'd like one of these please.