Bet you thought I couldn't pull of this hat trick (Update)

"sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg) 02/22/2018 at 21:43 • Filed to: None

0

47

Yes, for the third car in a row, my ride has already rung up a repair bill well into the thousands of dollars. This happened with my last car, a supposedly-durable !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . After that car needed nearly $5,500 in work within a few months of my owning it, I decided to dump it and replace it with a clean, rebadged Subaru WRX. A few weeks ago, I dropped it off at the shop to get the valve cover gaskets replaced and a bit of minor bodywork done. While there, it turned out to need an entire brake replacement (all parts) as well as a fairly extensive suspension rebuild, and a bunch of other things that I can’t recall without the reciepts currently in front of me. The total cost of those repairs was around $4,000, which was more than I paid for the car even with the PPI. But naturally, we weren’t done there. When I picked the car up, I immediately realized the power steering had gone completely. I drove it back to the shop after making it all of a few blocks, where they found the power steering fluid to be full and determined the pump had failed. The shop owner, a friend of ours, ordered a new pump and since the car was still drive-able, I kept using it. That was about a week and a half ago. Yesterday, even before we had the chance to fix the steering, the turbo let go. Over about 4,000 RPM the car suddenly stops pulling nearly as hard, as though the wind has suddenly come out of its sails. It shudders and the CEL comes on. For a while it was on and off, but now it stays on, and like I said, I’m almost certain the turbo isn’t holding pressure. It’s heading back into the shop tomorrow, and I don’t want to know what the bill is going to be. Anything more than a few hundred dollars and I’m going to simply get rid of it and not replace it. I’m so done with cars right now I can’t even tell you.

UPDATE: It was just a bad coil, not the turbo. Still not fun, but a few hundred total for that and the steering pump rather than a few thousand. Hopefully I’m done with repairs for a while.

victor > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/22/2018 at 22:11

1

I had a 2008 Obxt which had turbos fail 2x and head gasket 1x in under 100k miles. Sold it the minute the 7/100 extended warranty ending was in sight (6year/11mo @93k miles). since both the car and the interior and exterior all in Prime condition, and the head gasket was just replaced, I sold it for a pretty high amount. I empathize with your situation

HammerheadFistpunch > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/22/2018 at 22:24

1

Turbo failure is alarming high with this generation of Subaru it seems. both my brothers had turbo failures on their LGT’s

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/22/2018 at 22:26

7

You still have the Alfa for kicks. I say go ultra reliable and recoup some monies. I think you know where I’m going with this...

shop-teacher > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/22/2018 at 22:41

5

This is why I love my boring pig of a truck. If you add together every single repair I’ve done or had done in 12 years, I wouldn’t come close to four grand. I think if you added all the repairs and all the maintenance items I’ve done in 12 years, including tires, it still would be under $5k.

It may not look or feel premium. It may not offer an engaging driving experience, but it gets me where I need to go every single time for very little monies.

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/22/2018 at 22:42

0

Your A8s looking pretty good right about now isn’t it?

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/22/2018 at 22:42

5

I replaced a tail light bulb in my Mazda last year. It was like $3.00 or something.

CB > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/22/2018 at 22:45

4

Damn, that’s shitty. I’m with Zoidberg. Your last few rides have been pretty fancy or high-strung. If you do end up replacing it, maybe find something a little less complicated mechanically?

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > shop-teacher 02/22/2018 at 23:02

1

I think it’s just luck of the draw. The Suburban just hit shop visit number 6 in less than 6 months.

shop-teacher > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 02/22/2018 at 23:07

2

It could be, but I think being the original owner helps my cause quite a bit. Nobody abused or neglected it before me.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/22/2018 at 23:11

2

Bud...

You need a 4 cylinder Camry/Accord.

Signed, the guy who bought a turbocharged Volkswagen to replace his Chevy truck

NKato > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/22/2018 at 23:29

2

This shit is why I’m not wasting my time with turbochargers. The more moving parts I have to maintain on my damn car, the more money I need to save up for those emergencies.

That’s why I sprang for a $3,300 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. It’s in surprisingly great condition. :D Transmission fluid, new hoses, new tires, and some thingabobs...all things that would not cost an arm and a leg.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/23/2018 at 00:09

1

I was actually seriously considering that maroon Avalon that I put in the Post where I announced that I bought the Saab. I’m now sort of wishing that I had just bought that Toyota instead.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > HammerheadFistpunch 02/23/2018 at 00:10

0

Cost to fix?

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/23/2018 at 00:10

0

I really should

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc 02/23/2018 at 00:11

1

Hear, hear. If it hadn’t filled with water I think I’d still be driving it.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 02/23/2018 at 00:11

2

The struggle is real

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > CB 02/23/2018 at 00:12

1

II thought that’s what the Saabaru was, but I guess having a turbocharger sort of negates that. Yes, if I replace it I will get an Avalon or a Buick or something.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/23/2018 at 00:26

2

When in doubt, buy an appliance. My brothers Grand Am is objectively shit in almost every regard but it’s now outlasted 3 of my cars and has asked for nothing but a thermostat, a set of tires, and oil changes and just keeps trucking.

Dogsatemypants > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/23/2018 at 00:29

3

Roadmaster wagon ftw.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/23/2018 at 00:33

0

Question. Is this shop that found all these problems also the same shop you used for your PPI?

gmctavish needs more space > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/23/2018 at 00:48

3

Needing a full brake job and major suspension work this soon after not showing up on the PPI seems....questionable.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/23/2018 at 01:06

0

No

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/23/2018 at 01:12

4

Well that’s good. Although that PPI guy... Not sure how he didn’t notice you needed a complete brake job.

Berang > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/23/2018 at 02:15

3

Sell it to me.

(Actually don’t sell it. Because you’ve spent money well, and should enjoy it. Giving up at this point just means somebody else will get a hell of a deal)

Berang > gmctavish needs more space 02/23/2018 at 02:17

0

...yeah “preventative” maintenance maybe.

gmctavish needs more space > Berang 02/23/2018 at 02:35

1

It makes me think either the shop that did the PPI was lame, or his mechanic is a bit.....enthusiastic

AM3R, lost another burner > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/23/2018 at 03:03

4

You are either getting fucked by your PPI guy or your Indy lol. I don’t wanna be “that guy”, but look into it a little extra. Spending thousands on a car that passed a PPI recently is.... fishy honestly.

An Indy I considered a “friend” wanted to steal $2k worth of work from me when I got my 335i... the BMW dealer checked it out after and told me it was completely clean. That was 30k miles ago lol.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > shop-teacher 02/23/2018 at 06:55

1

And again, to be fair it has 230k miles. But our work trucks have more, and they are abused mercilessly, and they are for the most part fine.

shop-teacher > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/23/2018 at 07:09

7

I don’t think you were being very honest with yourself then. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence, even just on Oppo, to suggest that an old turbo Subaru is anything but a sure and simple thing.

shop-teacher > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 02/23/2018 at 07:10

3

Me too! I can’t believe that bulb only lasted 11 years! Piece of crap!

victor > Berang 02/23/2018 at 18:20

0

I agree. At this point, fix it and enjoy it for a bit.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/23/2018 at 19:03

0

Not the Accord, though. Probably becoming one of the more infamous models on Oppo...

bob and john > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/23/2018 at 19:09

3

Subaru.

not high strung.


my friend. you need to have a good long look at some definitions.

Dusty Ventures > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/23/2018 at 19:15

1

I was going to say, that shudder and CEL sounds like when I lost a coil a few months back. Way better than losing a turbo, but still not great

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/23/2018 at 19:21

0

My friend has a 2000 Accord I4 that’s been good to him. He just bought a Corvette and kept the Accord as a winter/bad weather beater since all its asked for is regular maintenance.

RacinBob > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/23/2018 at 19:29

1

By complete brake rebuild I assume that means new rebuilt calipers. I always wonder whether they are warranted. Sure they are somewhat crusty but are replacements really needed? I’ve got GM and Honda cars just as old in Wisconsin and I really haven’t seen the calipers needing replacement......

Sometimes I swear the shops can’t help themselves. My friend has a 200,000 mile, 13 year old Honda Pilot. Our dealer came up with $3,000 of “worn” suspension parts on a car that drives straight and tires wear evenly. He took it to his regular mechanic who agreed the parts were worn but not dangerous. I wonder if the same case is here.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/23/2018 at 19:41

2

The most frustrating car I ever had was a 2002 Impreza. I loved driving it but it was assembled with quality as a second thought.

Nothing like having an axle explode in the middle of nowhere in the mountains or running on 3 cylinders through a blizzard.

Even with the short block warranty replacement on my outback, the outback has been way more trouble free than the Impreza.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/23/2018 at 20:29

1

This is why I moved on from the Galant. After the approximately 3,500 I had put into it I knew it still needed about 4,000 to really be the car I want it to be. Part of me hopes I never sell it and can still build it to be the drift road monster I’ve always wanted.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 02/23/2018 at 20:48

0

My wife’s had to get one, too. Only 10 years! What a piece of crap.

Then again, I swapped the alternator (was, in fact, bad, but not enough to leave you stranded, which I’ve never seen before), belts, plugs, cleaned the intake, etc, but that was mostly just because it was time.

I feel like the OP needs some wrenching practice.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > HammerheadFistpunch 02/23/2018 at 20:50

0

How hard are they to replace, though? With the way the intercooler is mounted, I’d think that it would be very accessible.

Sovande > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/23/2018 at 20:53

2

You could always try your hand at turning a wrench. A coil replacement has to be one of the easiest jobs on a car and would at least save you some money.

Amoore100 > shop-teacher 02/23/2018 at 21:02

0

Then there was us...forgoing the “reliable” Subaru option for ANOTHER Volvo which, granted, has only needed one four digit repair in its year long ownership ;P

shop-teacher > Amoore100 02/23/2018 at 21:07

1

Some of y’all are real gluttons for punishment.

functionoverfashion > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/23/2018 at 21:15

0

I just have to say... sometimes you gotta stick it out.

Example A: My current 2003 bmw 325 xi manual wagon, I bought it with just about 120k, in 2014. It had been owned by one person from 2003 - 2013 mostly in NJ, then they moved to Louisiana, then sold the car - it somehow made it to NH, were some poor sucker owned it for like, 9 months, wherein they did a complete cooling system, among several other expensive repairs. I’d wager, $2k if they paid a shop. Then the indy shop I bought it from, they did another $3k (retail value) of work and sold it to me for I think $6k. It’s been flawless for me ever since, now around 167k. But if I were that middle owner, I’d be pissed.

Example B: My wife’s 2007 X3, bought in 2012 with 90k - she drives about 500 miles a week. In one year, we replaced the front struts, rear springs, front lower ball joints, rear driveshaft and hanger, and... front and rear pads and rotors. Oh, and tires. But you know what? That was an expensive year, BUT it’s been totally flawless since then, about two years ago, after having only a coil fail in the 3 years prior. It might need a bit more attention now, but it’s over 206k miles, so what can I say? It’s been perfectly reliable and even with the repairs, it’s less than a payment on a new Civic.

I guess all I’m saying is, cars can go through cycles of needing a lot of maintenance, then not for a while... but that’s clearly not always true.

I sold my ‘01 325 xi wagon at about 202k when I’d had 3 or 4 consecutive months of flawless operation, which had not been the norm for that car...

pip bip - choose Corrour > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/24/2018 at 05:28

1

you’re having quite a bad run.

your luck is about to turn hopefully.

Schaef_Camaero Z/28 > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 02/26/2018 at 14:48

1

$4k in repairs sounds crazy, I would be curious to see a cost breakdown of everything on your ticket.

Stuff like this is why I learned to work on my own vehicles.. I haven’t had to work on any Saabaru suspension stuff yet, but I have done tie rod ends / ball joints / etc. on other cars and it’s generally not too difficult. A full set of brakes was ~$450 (including new calipers) less than $200 w/o calipers , fixed my power steering pump with $11 worth of 0-rings (or you can get a reman ACDelco for $180), replaced both front CV axles for ~$100, spark plugs ~$35 for OEM, coils are easy and look to be about $40 each, valve cover gaskets are only 1 step further & $20 ea.

A Saabaru isn’t going to be as straight forward to work on as say a Corolla or something, but WRX’s have one of the largest enthusiast bases out there. A huge amount of knowledge on repairs/mods/symptoms can be found on youtube, NASIOC, saab92x forum, etc. If you need to find out how to do something, there are instructions for it out there somewhere. For that reason, it is a decent car to learn on.

Not everyone has the inclination, time, or space to get into wrenching.. but I’ve learned that I can do it myself, or I can pay someone else a ton of money to do it for me. I did a brake job (pads & rotors) on my friend’s brother’s Torrent this past summer (I made him help). At the end, he said: man I don’t get why you like doing this stuff. I said: In general, I don’t mind it too much.. sometimes it sucks and I hate it... but how much do you think they’d charge at a shop for this, $6-800? We did it for like $200. That’s why I do it.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Schaef_Camaero Z/28 02/26/2018 at 15:12

0

When I’m home I’ll try to dig out the service breakdown.