Deciding whether to scrap a car

[Wololo]

This is the first time I've been in this situation so looking for your thoughts.

I have a 2013 Audi A3 TDi with about 106,000 miles on it. Trade in value at Poole Audi was £4k about 9 months and 8,000 miles ago, so probably down to about £3.5k now.

I took it to the garage because I found gunk in the coolant and gunk in the oil. I thought it was a cylinder head gasket, but he thinks the EGR is breaking up. The cost just to open the cooling system fully up and verify that it is what he thinks will be about a day of labour, and then god knows what other cost on top of that to fix. It would also fail its MOT with a £100 replacement part needed and a potential additional cost of £500 to fix an item that would be advisory.

So to summarize we're looking at £100 to get it through its MOT (if it even passes the emissions test), £500 extra needed in the coming months, £900 to fully diagnose the problem, with then god knows how much cost to fix and put it back together.

Salvage buyer with knowledge of the issue the car faces is offering £1,500.

What would the PH crew do?

[GeniusOfLove]

"Goodbye car, goodbye"

Yet another anecdotal example of my "VAG cars self destruct at 12 years" rule. Even if you fix this something else will st itself soon enough.

[Ryyy]

GeniusOfLove said:

"Goodbye car, goodbye"

Yet another anecdotal example of my "VAG cars self destruct at 12 years" rule. Even if you fix this something else will st itself soon enough.

Aw don't say that, mine will be due to self destruct for the 2nd time next year

Depends on if youve had your moneys worth out of it and how much you'd spend getting it right because if you spent 2k on it and sold it for 4 you've gained 2k but compare that to scrapping it you've only gained 500. Can you swallow that loss?

ETA: if its a 1.6 id just get rid anyway because sods law injectors start going

[Lester H]

Wololo said:

This is the first time I've been in this situation so looking for your thoughts.

I have a 2013 Audi A3 TDi with about 106,000 miles on it. Trade in value at Poole Audi was £4k about 9 months and 8,000 miles ago, so probably down to about £3.5k now.

I took it to the garage because I found gunk in the coolant and gunk in the oil. I thought it was a cylinder head gasket, but he thinks the EGR is breaking up. The cost just to open the cooling system fully up and verify that it is what he thinks will be about a day of labour, and then god knows what other cost on top of that to fix. It would also fail its MOT with a £100 replacement part needed and a potential additional cost of £500 to fix an item that would be advisory.

So to summarize we're looking at £100 to get it through its MOT (if it even passes the emissions test), £500 extra needed in the coming months, £900 to fully diagnose the problem, with then god knows how much cost to fix and put it back together.

Salvage buyer with knowledge of the issue the car faces is offering £1,500.

What would the PH crew do?

Get rid. Sadly, as it’s fairly sensible mileage, but once you start fixing a car in this situation, the costs simply escalate. Example: ‘ to replace the high pressure fuel pump, we need to remove the timing belt to access it, so there is no point in putting the old belt back, so we might as well do that too’ I have ‘been there ‘ with two of my daughter’s cheapies, and in both cases cut my losses. There is also the point that after all that, you still have a middle aged car. I’m not one ever to recommend new, but I would go along with lowish mileage newer.

[ARHarh]

My advice would always be unless you are able or more importantly willing to work on cars yourself, don't bother with anything over 6 years old and 60k miles. Yes you could be lucky but chances are it will cost money to look after, and as suggested the bills quickly mount up.

[A500leroy]

MOT, wbac, done.

[Wololo]

Thanks to those who've responded. I think it's sadly time to get rid.

I've had a look at private sales of similar cars on Autotrader and there are some people hilariously deluded about what their car is worth. There's a >100% spread of values between the cheapest and most expensive within a very narrow set of filters.

[Wilmslowboy]

Stick on eBay with detail description of the issue, home mechanic might be willing to chance his arm and pay £2k

[LunarOne]

ARHarh said:

My advice would always be unless you are able or more importantly willing to work on cars yourself, don't bother with anything over 6 years old and 60k miles. Yes you could be lucky but chances are it will cost money to look after, and as suggested the bills quickly mount up.

Is this some kind of joke? I run a 19-year-old Audi A4 as my all year round daily. A couple of years ago the engine stopped getting to temperature and it apparently needed a new thermostat. I was able to buy that part and replace it myself in about an hour and a half. Last MOT, I got an advosiry that my suspension control arms up front needed replacing. Not a job I am equippmed to do myself. So I've just spent £900 on getting it done. The car is showing signs of age. He headlinging is sagging and the glovebox hinge is broken. But there is no corrosion and at nearly 70,000 miles I fully expect the car to go without major issue for many years to come.

I wouldn't consider scrapping any car that needed £1000 to fix to a good standard no matter what the market value was. The market value just tells you what someone else would pay, and a lot of that is to do with the economics of tax and insurance and fuel costs.

I have an 11-year-old Porsche Boxster. OK so it's only got 45k miles on the clock. Does that mean I should be getting rid when it hits 60k? The mind boggles.

[Lester H]

Wilmslowboy said:

Stick on eBay with detail description of the issue, home mechanic might be willing to chance his arm and pay £2k

Mechanic might, indeed. Absolutely make it clear that car is sold as seen, with declared problems. Otherwise scrapping is easier, in case of comeback from chancers.

[Gordon Hill]

My advice would be to get rid and then stay away from VAG unless it's nearly new.

[ARHarh]

LunarOne said:

ARHarh said:

My advice would always be unless you are able or more importantly willing to work on cars yourself, don't bother with anything over 6 years old and 60k miles. Yes you could be lucky but chances are it will cost money to look after, and as suggested the bills quickly mount up.

Is this some kind of joke? I run a 19-year-old Audi A4 as my all year round daily. A couple of years ago the engine stopped getting to temperature and it apparently needed a new thermostat. I was able to buy that part and replace it myself in about an hour and a half. Last MOT, I got an advosiry that my suspension control arms up front needed replacing. Not a job I am equippmed to do myself. So I've just spent £900 on getting it done. The car is showing signs of age. He headlinging is sagging and the glovebox hinge is broken. But there is no corrosion and at nearly 70,000 miles I fully expect the car to go without major issue for many years to come.

I wouldn't consider scrapping any car that needed £1000 to fix to a good standard no matter what the market value was. The market value just tells you what someone else would pay, and a lot of that is to do with the economics of tax and insurance and fuel costs.

I have an 11-year-old Porsche Boxster. OK so it's only got 45k miles on the clock. Does that mean I should be getting rid when it hits 60k? The mind boggles.

Hence why I said unless you are willing and able to work on cars yourself.

I have run 10 plus year old carscheaply for decades. But I would not recommend it to my neighbour who has no idea how to check his oil.

[fflump]

What would WBAC offer if you got it through its MoT?

[stevemcs]

Are you sure its not the oil cooler ?

[Hugo Stiglitz]

Get a second opinion

[richhead]

A500leroy said:

MOT, wbac, done.

This but dont bother with the mot, they go straight to auction anyway

[BricktopST205]

Wololo said:

This is the first time I've been in this situation so looking for your thoughts.

I have a 2013 Audi A3 TDi with about 106,000 miles on it. Trade in value at Poole Audi was £4k about 9 months and 8,000 miles ago, so probably down to about £3.5k now.

I took it to the garage because I found gunk in the coolant and gunk in the oil. I thought it was a cylinder head gasket, but he thinks the EGR is breaking up. The cost just to open the cooling system fully up and verify that it is what he thinks will be about a day of labour, and then god knows what other cost on top of that to fix. It would also fail its MOT with a £100 replacement part needed and a potential additional cost of £500 to fix an item that would be advisory.

So to summarize we're looking at £100 to get it through its MOT (if it even passes the emissions test), £500 extra needed in the coming months, £900 to fully diagnose the problem, with then god knows how much cost to fix and put it back together.

Salvage buyer with knowledge of the issue the car faces is offering £1,500.

What would the PH crew do?

Fixi it on the drive myself then continue to drive it.

[InitialDave]

Wololo said:

What would the PH crew do?

Fix it myself if I liked it, but I really don't like diesels in cars, so I'd be getting shot of it pronto.

[119]

GeniusOfLove said:

"Goodbye car, goodbye"

Yet another anecdotal example of my "VAG cars self destruct at 12 years" rule. Even if you fix this something else will st itself soon enough.

Damn we must be doing something wrong as we have one that’s done 125k, and is 24 years old and still going.

One of our friends has a 2015 A4 TDi and that had just ticked over 220k miles when we last saw them a few months ago.

We will try harder.

[A.J.M]

Hugo Stiglitz said:

Get a second opinion

This.
You are basing everything so far on a “maybe”
I would get another opinion unless you just want rid of the car and this is the excuse you need…