Hi. So my '02 Maxima is fully paid off. Car's not in bad condition, except a few things need to be done. The drivers seat won't move back and forth anymore. The back trunk is damaged (someone ran into the back of me) and there are some dents here in there. Also.....the sunroof likes to open by itself ocassionally.

I'm a recent grad and I'm trying to hold on as long as possible before buying a new car. How much would it cost (estimated) to get that work done? Or does it even matter at this point or is it wasteful to add things to a 14 year old car?

Thanks!

 

All the things you mentioned are inexpensive fixes, I say hang onto it.

 

These cars are everywhere...check the classifieds and maybe ur local junk yards....people are selling parts everyday for cheap from what ive seen in NYC ....I got my whole black interior for 200 bucks and did it my self.....the dealer quoted 1400 to do the front dash only....never lol

 

Oh God....that's bad. I'll check my local junk yard.

 

First thing I'd do is pull the fuse on the sunroof. That way it won't randomly open in the rain!

 

If you look above the plates, you can see the dent





broken armrest

 

update with pics

 

Going back to the original question... I'd hang onto it and fix what's broken as the opportunity strikes. Luckily everything you mention is cosmetic and not mechanically cruicial. If you notice a replacement trunk lid in the classifieds nearby and it's your color, grab it and bolt it on. Same with everything else.

You're a recent grad, and I remember those days. Focus on finding a good gig and starting a good savings account. Keep your Maxima happy with oil changes and other maintenance. You've found a great resource and the folks here will walk you through most anything that comes up. Where are you located?

 

Thanks for the tip!

St. Louis...where the rams no longer come to play.

 

I'd hang onto it. Become familiar with your local U-pull it style junk yard. Those places stock older cars and let you go pull whatever you need yourself. They're way cheaper than a regular salvage yard and you can get parts they don't bother selling. If you're patient, you'll find your trunk, interior parts etc.... You can also cut plugs off the wiring harness when yours break. Even the dealer doesn't sell individual pieces of the harness.

 

Are you in the city or county?

Fix the worst things first, then Maintenance, fix what gets in the way of normal operatiom (IE if the dent on the trunk makes it leak), and then dump more money into the money pit lol.

 

County of course.

That might be the best way to do it. Lately i've been having issues with the check engine light, changed the cam sensor and same issue.

 

Oh, didn't know that. Thanks buddy!

 

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