10-09-2009, 10:37 AM
Normally, here in the Southwest, you would only trade the car in for 2 reason. #1 Most people just want a "new car." #2 The car needs a major component rebuilt like the engine or transmission and if you can't do it yourself, the cost of having it done professionally is more than the car is worth. In the Northeast you also need to deal with rust. My son in law is from Chicago and had a Suzuki. He needed tires for it, so I jacked it up to replace the tires, and when I turned my back, it was back on the ground. I checked my hydraulic jack and it was not leaking down, the car's subframe was so rusted that the front suspension mount was bending under the weight of the car! Modern cars are usually of the unit body or as the Europeans call it monocoque construction which uses thin sheet metal welded up into structural shapes for strength. If the sheet metal structure gets badly rusted, the structural integrity is compromized. Your mechanic should be able to tell whether there is excessive rust in the under carriage or not. If the car is structurally sound, and the engine and trans are still in good shape, it is cheaper to repair or replace suspension components, brakes, etc. than it is to buy a new car.