Repair Costs Exceed the Value of Your Vehicle

 “The Cost of Repair Exceeds the Value of Your Vehicle” 

 

The phrase “The cost of repair exceeds the value of your vehicle” is a phrase that heard often in the car repair industry.  It is often used by shop owners or service writers who believe that the condition of a vehicle dictates that it not be repaired. Vehicles beyond repair are common: you see them driving down the road every day. Our question is, “Why is the cost of repair relevant to the value of a vehicle?” Short answer: it is not. 

When considering the value of repairing or maintaining a vehicle, motorists should ask if the cost of performing maintenance or repair exceeds the cost of the alternatives. So what are the alternatives? Alternatives range from replacing the vehicle or finding another form of transportation to deferring the necessary maintenance and repair which could jeopardize the safety of all involved. 

If you are thinking about replacing your vehicle rather than repairing it, check out the Edmunds True Cost to Own Calculator which breaks out the costs of such items as taxes, higher insurance, and interest payments associated with new car purchase. 

An old adage states that the least expensive used vehicle that you can drive is almost always the one that you already own. Don’t choose a $30,000 solution to a $3,000 problem. 


If you have any questions or comments, please gmail them to: santauto@gmail.com, call us at 314-849-2900, or swing by our shop at 8720 Watson Road in Beautiful Downtown Crestwood, Missouri.

Location: 8720 Watson Rd, St. Louis, MO 63119, USA

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