Hi there I need some advice for my mum.Mum bought a honda accord 96 about 7 years ago for just over $10,000. It's now done 174,000km and has been very reliable all this time with only minor things being done to it. However now it needs a new door thanks to a rubbish truck who side swiped it caving in the door and the window won't stay up it drops down in the door panel, it hasn't had a heater for almost a year and there is a split in the top tank of the radiator which we have patched up for now lol. They are finding it quite hard as mum lost a job in the quake and her husband has had a stroke and can't work so finances are very tight and not only that her husband can no longer help do car maintence or decision making. She has been trying not to use the car and walks 5km to work then does a 10 hour day and walks 5km back home. She applied for a loan for between $5000-$7000 but the loan company has told her that the car can't be european or over 12years old and has to be under 200,000km which seems to be a tall order if you aren't too sure what you are buying. She wondered whether it would be worth fixing up her car she has now but a friend of hers said no and the loan company wasn't really for it either so I would love to know what you all think she should do! Thanks heaps
gammelvind,
Oct 17, 8:10am
First how come the rubbish truck company isn't repairing the door with their insurance! The heater and radiator are possibly related issues problably from lack of maintenance of the cooling system. If the insurance will repair the door then get the cooling system sorted and away you go.
gypsy271,
Oct 17, 8:14am
They won't pay out because the truck driver denied it. The heater needs resister things in it or something and the radiator is plastic and she was told that that's just wear and tear.so your opinion is just fix it!
gammelvind,
Oct 17, 8:20am
Sadly the car is worth close to zero as is, find a second hand door at a wrecker and get that fitted, then get the radiator sorted. At least then you would have transport, especially as it appears funds are tight.
roberto9,
Oct 17, 8:23am
well if the truck company wont pay, claim on mum's insurance, if she has some. Even a 2nd hand door from wrcker shouldn't be hughly expensive. If money is a problem a small loan from the bank, to cover the repairs and good service would be way better than going to a "loan company" .
gypsy271,
Oct 17, 8:40am
She was going to claim insurance but her excess is about $250-$300 so she just left it. I may have found her a door on line so that might be good but she just wasn't sure whether it's worth fixing or just buying something else.
gammelvind,
Oct 17, 8:46am
Have a look here TM, there are a number of tidy looking cars in your area in the sub $2000 region that could fill the bill. You should get about $200 $300 from a wrecker for the old girl.
skin_envy,
Oct 17, 8:59am
You would find a great little car for under 100,000km that is that price.
supernova2,
Oct 17, 10:08am
Mums insurance will claim of the truckie driver.When sorted the excess is refunded.Just put in the claim and then get the rad sorted and away you go again.
thejazzpianoma,
Oct 17, 11:16pm
I agree, a keen eye can get a really nice serviceable car for that sort of money. I would have thought the Honda might have been worth more than $300, just put it on $1 reserve and see what happens.
Pretty much how I would approach it is to try and find someone knowledgeable who can help you find a good car. Sort our some finance (a credit card would be fine, just set up a weekly payment into it) for around $2000 and then put the Honda on TM once you have a new car.
Obviously pay down the finance with whatever you get for the old car.
thejazzpianoma,
Oct 17, 11:17pm
Or this if she has full insurance. Either way, repairing the car you have may also be a good option. Getting finance for a car when money is tight is not always a good idea.
That said, if she does have good disposable income and can pay a loan off quickly it may be worth considering.
Its hard without knowing more about the situation.
kazbanz,
Oct 18, 3:16am
OP think this through for a bit. $7000 loan over 3 years is gonna cost roughly $70 a week to repay. So the 7k car will cost your mum about 11k when all paid for. So get a $1000 overdraft or credit card. Put in an insurance claim for the body repairs and get a new radiator fitted. Then get the car a basic service. Theres your $1000 gone but the car is fixed. If the insurance co refunds the excess then bingo theres $300 repayed off the $1000 loan. Incidently WINZ may be prepared to loan the money to Dad given the car is needed. and I think Winz advances are interest free. I seriously do not recommend mum getting deeper into debt right now.
Now if she decides to ignore that advice theres a fairly big choice of cars that fit the finance companies criteria pretty easilly.
msigg,
Oct 18, 4:07am
yea fix the old car, as you have said it has been reliable, second hand door with window already fixes, new or second hand flushed radiator, fix heater or have no heater/block off pipes, cheapest option, thats so long as the insurance company hasn't written it off.
gypsy271,
Oct 18, 9:15am
Thanks for all your input.seems like everyone thinks fixing the car is best. Unfortunately Mum can't ask for help through WINZ as they say she earns to much (being a cleaner) so she does everything on her own wage.
seryuu,
Oct 18, 9:32am
As many have said, getting the car fixed is the best option. It is far cheaper to keep the Accord running. They are very reliable cars and you've spent time and effort looking after her already, a newer car won't be without problems and you'll have to go over it all over again and fix new stuff. The issues on your Accord aren't very expensive to fix and the car will easily do another 100,000kms if you service it well.
aktow,
Oct 18, 12:33pm
take the rubbish truck company to small claims court.honda parts are cheap at car wreckers,, i got a drivers door for a toyota corolla,left side door mirror unit, back left light wholeunit , wheel rim,,all for $70
ceebee2,
Oct 19, 1:35am
Very sorry to hear of your family probs, I hope things improve soon, hang in there, I agree with all that repairing your car is the cheaper option. Radiator will need removing for a replacement top tank = $200-250 average. Second hand door from wrecker or better off Trade me = $150-250, you are then mobile + a good service= $300-500 (!Cam belt to be done as well = extra $$) There may be a good samaritan in this forum that could assist with some discounted labour etc as there is lots of good will in here. Good luck.
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