Do I ditch the Daihatsu ?
Do I ditch the Daihatsu ?
Author
Discussion

K Stand Ken

Original Poster:

74 posts

97 months

Monday 28th February 2022
quotequote all
For three and a half years I've been very happy to drive an automatic Daihatsu Terios - a smallish SUV. Being retired I do very little mileage, in fact under 5,000 miles in total, and it has just less than 60,000 miles on the clock. However, as it is a 57 plate and is now over 14 years old and produced by what might be termed a "dead" manufacturer I'm somewhat concerned for the future in regard to obtaining parts. In September it cost what seemed to be a lot of money (£500) to have both front coil springs replaced after a MOT advisory notice. I understand these springs needed to be procured in Belgium.
Now I'm questioning the car's future as I'm apprehensive about the availability of further "dedicated" parts and body panels as it only needs another vehicle to run into me, or even me to run into another car/wall etc.
My beloved Terios might then be declared not worthy of being repaired.
So therefore I ask "Do I ditch the Daihatsu?" Thoughts please. Thanks.

kiethton

14,608 posts

208 months

Monday 28th February 2022
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Its worth what, £3k?

I'm sure that consumable parts may be slightly harder to acquire but not impossible, any small incident would write it off from an insurance perspective anyway so no real risk there.

They don't have a reputation for being particularly unreliable and you haven't written it off in 14 years so I wouldn't worry. There is as much of a chance buying somebody else's problem at that price point as finding some with your own car now. Any new car would cost you more than £2.5k (value less scrap value) in depreciation anyway so I'd just run it until something happens, especially if you like it.

paintman

7,860 posts

218 months

Monday 28th February 2022
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Seem to be plenty of terios front springs on ebay for under £100 a pair.

Appears to be a conventional McPherson type strut & changing springs on those is usually straightforward.

What type of MOT station & what exactly did the advisory say?

If there's nothing else wrong with it & it does everything you want then stick with it.

TwigtheWonderkid

48,789 posts

178 months

Monday 28th February 2022
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Always had a soft spot for Daihatsu, Japan's oldest car manufacturer. Founded in 1903 as a car maker. (other manufacturers are older, but weren't making cars until much later).

Just run it until something goes wrong that cannot be fixed for a reasonable price.

DonkeyApple

69,098 posts

197 months

Monday 28th February 2022
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Seems like pretty much the perfect car at this moment in time. It owes you nothing, anything used is over inflated and with the same risk of maintenance costs and there's not a lot around in the new market. Personally, I'd keep it until they flood the market with new lease deals and the used market comes down to Earth and then take your time to select the right replacement at the right price.

Challo

12,560 posts

183 months

Monday 28th February 2022
quotequote all
K Stand Ken said:
For three and a half years I've been very happy to drive an automatic Daihatsu Terios - a smallish SUV. Being retired I do very little mileage, in fact under 5,000 miles in total, and it has just less than 60,000 miles on the clock. However, as it is a 57 plate and is now over 14 years old and produced by what might be termed a "dead" manufacturer I'm somewhat concerned for the future in regard to obtaining parts. In September it cost what seemed to be a lot of money (£500) to have both front coil springs replaced after a MOT advisory notice. I understand these springs needed to be procured in Belgium.
Now I'm questioning the car's future as I'm apprehensive about the availability of further "dedicated" parts and body panels as it only needs another vehicle to run into me, or even me to run into another car/wall etc.
My beloved Terios might then be declared not worthy of being repaired.
So therefore I ask "Do I ditch the Daihatsu?" Thoughts please. Thanks.
Keep it. No doubt there is a owners group on FB who can help keep it on the road and get parts.

Have you struggled for parts before? The fact you can still buy parts for cars that stopped being manufactured decades ago I wouldn’t worry.

757

4,362 posts

139 months

Monday 28th February 2022
quotequote all
DonkeyApple said:
Seems like pretty much the perfect car at this moment in time. It owes you nothing, anything used is over inflated and with the same risk of maintenance costs and there's not a lot around in the new market. Personally, I'd keep it until they flood the market with new lease deals and the used market comes down to Earth and then take your time to select the right replacement at the right price.
This! Think many people are doing this, and just making do with whatever they have, sometimes you can get all hung up on getting a new used car but then easily forget the unknown potentially maintenance, then your back to square one again.

I keep looking myself, but been bitten a few times so I'm staying put and running my £800 shed a little longer, better the devil you know