So, your Nissan 1998 pickup has 115k miles...and you just had to have the tranny done in January. $2100 job, during which you incurred a $500 rental car bill. (this comes after a cracked exhaust manifold and a burned out alternator and wiring harness which together totalled another $2k or so...and incurred another rental car bill at that time so you could get to the Red Bull Rampage...)
Anyhow, you're driving said pickup home, having decided that you'd not sell it anytime soon after putting all the work into it...you're leaving the military in February and aren't sure of the income you'll be making. You might end up going to grad school, you might end up with a federal job that doesn't pay much, and might take you overseas. Not the time to have a car loan to worry about, or to deplete your savings buying a new car in cash...
So as you turn off the freeway, your transmission bombs again. You can't shift, coast the car to a parking lot, and get AAA to send a tow. You have it towed back to the same as*holes at Midas who were responsible (though they used a subcontractor) for the absurdly long transmission job (which needed to be sent back twice before it was acceptable to drive), in hopes of them considering it warranty service. (no tranny should die in 5 months after a rebuild).
While you're inside talking to Midas manager, who's non-committal at best but will take a look inside the tranny the next day, the tow truck driver smashes the front of your truck against a pole, crushing the bumper, grille, and front edges of the fenders, pushing them through the radiator which pisses fluid all over the front. The tow truck driver, also the owner of the towing company, tells you uncoerced that he's liable for it all and will have a body shop come by Midas tomorrow to make an estimate. (not that the body shop is going to be able to fix the radiator and whatever esle was crushed).
Besides laugh (or cry), what would you do? First thing I did is borrow my friend's VW bus to drive in the meantime, while I'm sorting out a potential rental car (Midas probably won't, although I could argue with them if they admit it's their fault the tranny went, but the tow guy said he'd pay for a rental once the repairs from his damage were underway).
I could look for a new car right now while the repairs are underway, and deal with the repairs and possible civil suit against Midas in due time(for the value of the 1st tranny job, which was obviously faulty). I could get a used car, now, too, which would be easier on the wallet...but not as reliable, which is really key to me.
Should I finance a new car if I get one, or spend my savings buying it in cash? Or should I just find what seems to be a reliable beater until I'm established in a new place with a new job next winter?
I pretty much want to get a Subaru for reliability and practicality. New Outback Sport wagons are fairly reasonable...but used ones seem really high-priced, comparitively. Even damned Civic hatchbacks are going for $9k these days!
What to do, what to do?
MD
Edit: In retrospect, I should have had another shop look at the tranny 1st, then sued Midas if the unbiased opinion was that it was somehow Midas' fault. But it's too late for that...
I guess I could take my case to the Midas corporation itself if I'm dissatisfied with the response I get here...I've given these guys chance upon chance and it's always been mega-drama getting parts and getting my truck fixed. That baffles me, as it's a Nissan pickup, not a Lotus Esprit or a Mazerati or something.
Anyhow, you're driving said pickup home, having decided that you'd not sell it anytime soon after putting all the work into it...you're leaving the military in February and aren't sure of the income you'll be making. You might end up going to grad school, you might end up with a federal job that doesn't pay much, and might take you overseas. Not the time to have a car loan to worry about, or to deplete your savings buying a new car in cash...
So as you turn off the freeway, your transmission bombs again. You can't shift, coast the car to a parking lot, and get AAA to send a tow. You have it towed back to the same as*holes at Midas who were responsible (though they used a subcontractor) for the absurdly long transmission job (which needed to be sent back twice before it was acceptable to drive), in hopes of them considering it warranty service. (no tranny should die in 5 months after a rebuild).
While you're inside talking to Midas manager, who's non-committal at best but will take a look inside the tranny the next day, the tow truck driver smashes the front of your truck against a pole, crushing the bumper, grille, and front edges of the fenders, pushing them through the radiator which pisses fluid all over the front. The tow truck driver, also the owner of the towing company, tells you uncoerced that he's liable for it all and will have a body shop come by Midas tomorrow to make an estimate. (not that the body shop is going to be able to fix the radiator and whatever esle was crushed).
Besides laugh (or cry), what would you do? First thing I did is borrow my friend's VW bus to drive in the meantime, while I'm sorting out a potential rental car (Midas probably won't, although I could argue with them if they admit it's their fault the tranny went, but the tow guy said he'd pay for a rental once the repairs from his damage were underway).
I could look for a new car right now while the repairs are underway, and deal with the repairs and possible civil suit against Midas in due time(for the value of the 1st tranny job, which was obviously faulty). I could get a used car, now, too, which would be easier on the wallet...but not as reliable, which is really key to me.
Should I finance a new car if I get one, or spend my savings buying it in cash? Or should I just find what seems to be a reliable beater until I'm established in a new place with a new job next winter?
I pretty much want to get a Subaru for reliability and practicality. New Outback Sport wagons are fairly reasonable...but used ones seem really high-priced, comparitively. Even damned Civic hatchbacks are going for $9k these days!
What to do, what to do?
MD
Edit: In retrospect, I should have had another shop look at the tranny 1st, then sued Midas if the unbiased opinion was that it was somehow Midas' fault. But it's too late for that...
I guess I could take my case to the Midas corporation itself if I'm dissatisfied with the response I get here...I've given these guys chance upon chance and it's always been mega-drama getting parts and getting my truck fixed. That baffles me, as it's a Nissan pickup, not a Lotus Esprit or a Mazerati or something.
Wow. 
