It's been true for some time that keeping and driving an older vehicle is economically incompatible with paying retail rates for service. It just doesn't work. Of course this assumes you are driving an older vehicle because it is less expensive and you're not a billionaire maintaining your Ferrari collection. Getting lower cost service requires advanced DIY or having an established relationship with someone who can. Beating the bushes and cruising low-rent alleyways looking for cheaper mechanics will be a different sort of economic disaster so don't go there.I’m having a hard time justifying a $2,500 maintenance (not repair) bill on a car I paid $4K for, especially since it will see less than 5,000 miles per year.
In your case my experience tells me not to do those service items just because they appear on a maintenance schedule. While it is true that a failure might prematurely end the cars life, you will likely find it needs more and more things as time goes on. The next thing it might need are head gaskets and replacing those also requires removing all of the components you are looking at right now. My best guess--based on a fair amount of experience--is that if you do not do any of the recommended items and just continue driving the car (not skipping oil changes...) it will be more likely to die from some other cause than a failed timing belt. No guarantees on that, but that's the way I'd play it.
Statistics: Posted by bd7 — Tue Sep 02, 2025 10:07 am — Replies 6 — Views 204