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Honestly, I think the 'buy a cheap car and fix it' advice is a trap for most people
Ngl, I learned this the hard way about three years ago. I bought a 2005 Honda Civic for $1800 cash in Spokane, thinking I was being so smart. Everyone online said to do it. The first month was fine, but then the check engine light came on. I spent over $600 on parts and a whole weekend trying to fix it myself, following YouTube videos. I messed up the oxygen sensor install and had to pay a mechanic another $300 to fix my mistake. In six months, I'd put more into that car than I paid for it, and it still had issues. Tbh, for someone who isn't already a mechanic, that 'budget' move just eats your money and time. Has anyone else found that a reliable, slightly more expensive used car actually costs less in the long run?
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foster.charles1mo ago
My buddy Jake bought a 1998 Ford Ranger for $1500 in Boise. He replaced the alternator himself, but the battery kept dying. Turned out the wiring harness he bought was faulty, and he fried the new alternator installing it. He ended up selling it for scrap after four months and $900 in parts.
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nina_johnson861mo ago
A faulty wiring harness frying a brand new alternator is a special kind of bad luck. That's the sort of thing that makes you want to just push the truck off a cliff.
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elizabethtaylor22d ago
My $1800 Civic taught me that YouTube certified does not mean mechanically inclined.
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