When is it time to give up and move on to another vehicle?

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stn

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Hi all

Over the past 5 years I've enjoyed turning wrenches on my Liberty. It is one of the built and has clocked 240 thousand miles.

This weekend I replaced diff fluids trans fluids and oil. The plan was also to size up a pending cat converter replacement.

When I climbed under it today I noticed the oil pan badly rusted and also discovered its gasket is probably the cause of my missing oil (about 1 quart per 3000 miles).

After researching the oil pan replacement project....(it seems like its beyond my ability in my current garage)....I wondered is it time to look for a new 4x4 to deal with NE winters?

It's far from a good looking ride, but it has yet to leave me on the side ofthye road......(I like to think that my maintenance has played a part)

SO......When do you guys "give up" and start on a new ride?
 

Aztimer2

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Good question, I think the same thing about my Liberty.


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rjkj2005

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Depends. A little here a little there. And an occasional big here.($). For me is cheaper than a car payment. But there comes a point where some have more into a vehicle than it is worth. Usually at that point it's a love affair verse's just a vehicle. Or some just outgrow it or their eyes fall for something else.
For me I bought mine knowing I was going to put more money in it than it was worth. But I have always had a thing for the kj.
So ask your self this. Are you ready to dish out cash or make monthly payments for a different vehicle? Are you going to buy used vs new. If used. Are you going to be able to work on it your self. Then how much are you willing to spend on it to keep it or fix it to the point that your happy with it. Then ask your self. OK if I am going to spend this amount on the next vehicle. What all could I fix and do extra to the one I have. To get it back to where it runs and looks good. It's a balance beam. You need to weigh it out. And which ever way the scale tilts. Is the way you need to go.


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Adam Roby

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I think its a personal thing. If you hate putting any money into it, don't love it, and dream of something else... it might be time. If its just a car one way or the other, then figure the money aspect. I hear people complaining about a $1000 repair and saying they should buy another. Even at a modest $350 payment per month, in 3 months that $1000 is spent and you still need to do maintenance. My magic number seems to be $1000 per year of problems is "normal" if you have no payments. If you are spending that every 3 months... then maybe another vehicle is in the cards.
 

kage860

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I hear about $200 per month lease specials. Not that I would lease but its a good reference point of what a cheap new car goes for. I'm willing to spend up to $150 a month / $1800 a year max on maintenance. I usually end up giving up when the rust gets bad, or when all the rubber parts are about to go and I'm ready for something else.
 

libordemise

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Been wondering if I've outgrown mine as well! Its still fun to drive though, lots of hills where I live

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tommudd

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I hear about $200 per month lease specials. Not that I would lease but its a good reference point of what a cheap new car goes for. I'm willing to spend up to $150 a month / $1800 a year max on maintenance. I usually end up giving up when the rust gets bad, or when all the rubber parts are about to go and I'm ready for something else.

2999 down and only 199 a month to drive some little piece of crap thats ugly as heck most times . :icon_razz::gr_grin::gr_grin:
I refuse to drive something that looks like every other car/truck/4x4 on the road .
Sure there are a lot of KJs around but not many that look like mine so I'll keep buying them until there isn't any more then jump in my space ship and fly to Mars :happy175:
 

HoosierJeeper

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I think about this with the LR3 mainly but also briefly with the KJ. On both of them I've hit a point where a lot of the factory weak links have been fixed. They're both to the point where they have a lot of new parts of them, so they're like in a second life. If that makes sense. Unless I'd be ready to buy new or near new, (let's say a replacement for the LR3, a 2-3 year old Range Rover Sport or something is like 50k, not gonna do that), I'd be looking at something with 50-100k miles, probably 2010-2013ish, which is at the point where shit starts failing anyway and I'd be doing the same stuff to that vehicle that I've done to the LR3. The devil you know is better than the one you don't, unless you're willing to go near new. That's my opinion anyway.
 

Adam Roby

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Even new, doesn't always mean you are out of the fire. I've owned new and spent more time in the "shop" that many of my used vehicles. Problems with sensors that are under warranty. Sure, you're not paying, but having to bring it once a week to the stealership is a pain in the ****. My Toyota was such a nightmare that after 2 years, despite the warranty, I gave up on the dealer and stopped going for any of the maintenance, just did it all myself and lived with check engine light. Then again, I am doing that now with the JK. The local Jeep dealer are complete jackasses on the phone, 3 month wait for any service and you can't ask a single question with the usual reply "we have to check its ***$ per hour". I don't think I will ever buy new again... even if I win the lottery. 2-3 years old maybe... at my current financial situation its more like 5-7 years old.

I get annoyed with my Jeep a fair amount. Then I wonder what I would get if sold or for exchange. I paid $5000 2 years ago... I can just imagine they'd offer me $2000 at best for an exchange, maybe $3500 if sold to an individual. What would that $2000-3000 get me? Not very much... so I'd need a loan or have payments to buy a 7 year old vehicle, which will probably need just as much maintenance as mine - plus usually needs new tires (in Quebec that means 1 set of winter and 1 set of all season - by law) or the all-weather ones I have now which cost me $750 around and are finished after less than 2 years. Kumho's suck by the way...
 
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Dave

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Everyone is making good valid points about trading in. I think it is an individual decision based on everyone's own circumstances.

I prefer new but don't like/want to take on the prices currently. I got my KJ right after it rolled off the assembly line. Now a 12 year old and coming up on 13. I do all the routine maintenance. I'm good for now since the plastic fenders haven't rusted off yet...

Dave
 

HoosierJeeper

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Even new, doesn't always mean you are out of the fire. I've owned new and spent more time in the "shop" that many of my used vehicles. Problems with sensors that are under warranty. Sure, you're not paying, but having to bring it once a week to the stealership is a pain in the ****. My Toyota was such a nightmare that after 2 years, despite the warranty, I gave up on the dealer and stopped going for any of the maintenance, just did it all myself and lived with check engine light. Then again, I am doing that now with the JK. The local Jeep dealer are complete jackasses on the phone, 3 month wait for any service and you can't ask a single question with the usual reply "we have to check its ***$ per hour". I don't think I will ever buy new again... even if I win the lottery. 2-3 years old maybe... at my current financial situation its more like 5-7 years old.


That's how the KL is so far, in the shop a few days each month. My 99 WJ was in 2x or 3x as often, mainly for recalls.
 

tjkj2002

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Somewhere between being sane and insane!
Even new, doesn't always mean you are out of the fire. I've owned new and spent more time in the "shop" that many of my used vehicles. Problems with sensors that are under warranty. Sure, you're not paying, but having to bring it once a week to the stealership is a pain in the ****. My Toyota was such a nightmare that after 2 years, despite the warranty, I gave up on the dealer and stopped going for any of the maintenance, just did it all myself and lived with check engine light. Then again, I am doing that now with the JK. The local Jeep dealer are complete jackasses on the phone, 3 month wait for any service and you can't ask a single question with the usual reply "we have to check its ***$ per hour". I don't think I will ever buy new again... even if I win the lottery. 2-3 years old maybe... at my current financial situation its more like 5-7 years old.

I get annoyed with my Jeep a fair amount. Then I wonder what I would get if sold or for exchange. I paid $5000 2 years ago... I can just imagine they'd offer me $2000 at best for an exchange, maybe $3500 if sold to an individual. What would that $2000-3000 get me? Not very much... so I'd need a loan or have payments to buy a 7 year old vehicle, which will probably need just as much maintenance as mine - plus usually needs new tires (in Quebec that means 1 set of winter and 1 set of all season - by law) or the all-weather ones I have now which cost me $750 around and are finished after less than 2 years. Kumho's suck by the way...

That's how the KL is so far, in the shop a few days each month. My 99 WJ was in 2x or 3x as often, mainly for recalls.

I bought my KJ brand new,besides 1 recall and the engine replacement(only for warranty purposes) it has never been in the shop besides regular maintenance like oil changes,tires,brakes,alignments,and such which I do myself at work(I get paid to work on my KJ).

Just to clarify the engine replacement was a freak deal,valve keeper broke,could have fixed but easier just to replace.
 

stn

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Thanks for all the notes. Last night I climbed under the Liberty and scraped rust off the oil pan and painted it.

Now after some exhaust work I'll feel much better about it.

I'll be moving in a few years to a spot where I can work on it at my own pace in a better shop. Between now and then I'll just need to learn how to pull/replace the engine.:)

I hate buying someone else's problem, and while mine is not the prettiest jeep on the road, my friends with much newer cars are always borrowing it while their cars are in the shop!
 

smittyfromPA

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This is my first Jeep, bought it brand new, and I've had this conversation with myself several times the past few years. Should I sell it and buy a JK? I definitely have way more $ into the KJ then I would get for it. I also don't do most major repairs myself so labor can get very expensive. I've been over the top with maintenance and repairs and just don't want to part with it yet. Original engine and trans at 145K miles. It is primarily a toy for light wheeling, hunting and fishing and not my daily driver. I definitely need to be more aggressive with rust prevention and repair if I want the body to last.
 

tommudd

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I parked the 04 and wanted to do a complete rebuild at 221,000 miles
Just little things needed rebuilt replaced, of course things changed
but even at that mileage I would of started to California with it as soon as I checked the fluids
 

GunnerSchenck

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I used to think about this all the time. Until I had one thought and now every time this crosses my mind its what I think.

How long will the money you get from it realistically last, and what will that money get you?

But the main thing that always stops me in my tracks is, will you get something worth more to you than the KJ is with that money?
 

ltd02

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My KJ is my daily driver. When I hit that point with the 02 I bailed on it and bought a lower mileage 05. :gr_grin:
 

JasonJ

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I hate buying someone else's problem, and while mine is not the prettiest jeep on the road, my friends with much newer cars are always borrowing it while their cars are in the shop!

That right there is what is going to kill your KJ, ultimately. Imagine a scenario where Friend A borrows your Jeep. Drives said Jeep for a few days and returns it with a nasty engine rattle.. "oh yeah, says Friend A, it's been doing that all week." You check engine oil and find none. Turns out the rusty oil pan popped a hole and Friend A just kept on driving, never-mind the horrendous noises and oil warning light on the dash.

Or they get into a collision with it that you may not have; or they slam it into reverse while still going in the forwards direction; or smoke pot in it, burn cigarette holes into your upholstery; get a cd jammed in the radio with their custom stick on cd label that's too thick for slot loaders; etc..

I could go on. I don't loan out my vehicles. I'll give rides, pick up from work, drop off places... never loan out.
 

Dave

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That right there is what is going to kill your KJ, ultimately. Imagine a scenario where Friend A borrows your Jeep. Drives said Jeep for a few days and returns it with a nasty engine rattle.. "oh yeah, says Friend A, it's been doing that all week." You check engine oil and find none. Turns out the rusty oil pan popped a hole and Friend A just kept on driving, never-mind the horrendous noises and oil warning light on the dash.

Or they get into a collision with it that you may not have; or they slam it into reverse while still going in the forwards direction; or smoke pot in it, burn cigarette holes into your upholstery; get a cd jammed in the radio with their custom stick on cd label that's too thick for slot loaders; etc..

I could go on. I don't loan out my vehicles. I'll give rides, pick up from work, drop off places... never loan out.

Ditto..........Lent a vehicle years ago and it blew a radiator hose and it was driven until the engine blew. Never, never never, ever again would even consider lending my Jeep to anyone under any circumstances. No way.

Dave
 

Jo6pak

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When is it time to give up and move one to another vehicle?

I'm at that point with my KJ. Just trying to find something that I like as much and can afford
 

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