Blasted car!

Susan05 I travel to see DGC quite often by 2 trains and bus with crossbody bag and backpack as I use a walking stick. The stick also stops me using a trolley. The backpack makes a big difference.

Mercedes have just recalled 75,000 cars in the U.K

I have a second hand automatic Nissan one Note which seems to be fine. The grarage where I bought it services it once a year and does the MOT and return gives me RAC membership and a courtesy car when servicing.

It really depends on your finances but I lease (3 year deal) a little 5 door Eco Citigo. It's $150 a month, I pay no road tax and my annual insurance is less than £140. It does over 65 miles per gallon and I was astonished when I downgraded from my Freelander at just how cheap motoring could be.

After 3 years I either give it back or pay them about £4K. It includes all the servicing and 3 years roadside assistant in the monthly payment. This is my second one and the only expense on the last one was a tyre I had to replace that was badly damaged on a rough road on holiday.

Don't be afraid to visit some dealers and ask

Thanks for your lovely sympathetic comments everybody. You are quite right, merlotgran, I'm finding more and more about this job. The mechanic has come back and found someone who is willing to do it. He told me they come in a kit and this man may not have to get the engine out so he is a lot cheaper. Still not cheap in my opinion but within the bounds. He also said that if the engine has to come out it certainly wouldn't take 40 hours! However, the downside is that this man is a free spirit and may do it next week or the week after or..... But I will have to put up with that with a solution in sight!

I would still get a second opinion, mazza. Timing chains and tensioner for a Mercedes A class come in a kit. Forty hours labour to fit one sounds excessive.

So sorry you are having such a bad time Mazza. These things never seem to come one at a time with a decent interval in between. Do hope things improve all round for you. Sorry about your car - we do get attached to them don't we. Hope something good turns up soon.

Mazza245 I didn't see your post about your health tests before I posted. I'm so sorry to hear you are upset over your tests and hope things will improve for you very soon. Take care

I have always had my own car until husband took early retirement and said we only needed one car. I travel from the Midlands to south of London each month to help out with grandchildren which now means three trains and then underground with case on wheels, a second bag plus handbag. Husband needs the car certain evenings. Have also gone from a lovely three year old car to an old Land Rover as husband is a LR fanatic! I would say, if possible keep your independence, I really wish I could and miss my own car.

I'm sorry for the length of this post but you've asked questions so here goes. How kind of you all to give me your thoughts. We have nearly always gone for secondhand cars, this was a secondhand car which I chose, independently, insisted on it And actually my OH preferred it to his! He actually was already considering leasing for his next car which he feels would be ideal, no worries. Mine has been a bad purchase really, I acknowledge that, the garage we use actually said what an expense it has been. It has unnerved us both, I think, that you don't know what you are getting as this one has really upset me.

It appears that Mercs amongst others have a timing chain which is what's making the noise, I had no idea it was bad so carried on gaily using it! The local garage told me on Monday not to drive it in case this chain breaks and demolishes most of the engine. My DS found me someone 20 miles away, who seemed genuine, told me in great detail what he would have to do, it would be 40 hours work at £58 per hour plus parts! These parts all depend on each other so most likely end up with more than just the chain. So that's into £2-3,000! As I say I have no confidence that something else unconnected might not go wrong after that, although I would dearly love to keep the car myself.

The mechanic wouldn't allow me to try and drive it to him so recommended someone quite near us who the local garage also had recommended but he doesn't do this job, it's too big, would tie up his workshop for too long (40 hrs work plus possible waiting for parts etc) would be in the region of two weeks. He said he knew someone who might do it and he would get a price, this was yesterday morning, heard nothing up to now! I will ring round but it seems no one actually wants this job!

My OH is keen to go down the leasing route for both of us but I don't feel it's necessary. I could find another secondhand car for running about which would suit me quite easily. He is hellbent (and you will know how difficult that is) on us leasing two cars. It really isn't practical to have just one car for our circumstances although I appreciate we are lucky. I could do some things on public transport I suppose but we take and pick up our DGD to school down a country lane every day for instance. No one else to do it unless we ask people for favours which isn't practical long term.

I've been at the hospital this morning where I've had a little bad news about my blood disorder so I've been in tears about that, the car, the TV, the mobile! Can anything else go wrong?

Free bus pass and a trolley for shopping??????????

I have a car but sometimes too ill to drive and even here with just 3 buses a day it is managable.

Taxis are pricey but so are cars which is something we sort of become inured to............might be worth doing a real cost comparison.

We always had two cars but when my husband sold his after his retirement we decided to try one for a few months to see how it went. It went extremely well. We both put dates on the calander when we are going to need the car. Often I run my husband or he runs me to the train which takes us to city centre in 18 mins. Could you run your hubby to his golf and pick him up when he's ready? We do that sort of thing if we both absolutely need the car at the same time. It's been a year and a half now and we replaced MY car with OUR car about a year ago. It's working well for us.

I lease my car. Would not go back to buying one. Brand new car every 3 years with all services, breakdiwn cover & part insurance paid. It is all singing all dancing & I love it. It is not a big expensive car but I have my independence. Only problem DH nicks it whenever he can. He is going to lease too when his car gets too old. Brilliant idea.

We were a two car family until I retired. My car had to go as financially we cannot run two. We have a 10 year old manual runabout We are in a rural area with the occasional bus. There is simply no way we can have two cars and it has meant a reassessment of our activities. MUch planning is involved and there are times when one of us cannot go where we would like to. local hospitals are nearly 20 miles away and we have no local shops in our village. We have a good train service and manage with what we have. It is amazing how you do manage when choice is limited.

If I were in your position I would buy a reasonably priced used automatic runabout. I am sure you would get used to turning on your lights and wipers yourself . Used car garages sometimes offer interest free finance so you could spread the cost for no extra outlay, which would be much cheaper than leasing. Have a look in the local newspaper for places offering this option.
I hope you sort something.

Hopehope my daughter has a trolly and she is a healthy 30 years old, i darent call her an old biddy

HopeHope I know how you feel about shoulders etc. aching with pulling a shopping trolley, I invested in one a little while ago, and now wish I had gone for the "push along" type, something to lean on as well as push. Seriously thinking of buying myself a small mobility scooter, just to take me a little further than a walk occasionally.

At least get a second opinion on the car mazza, that make are especially expensive on spares and repairs. You need to take stock before buying a second car, the loss of some independence is offset by the money saved on initial purchase and maintenance. The money saved can be used for taxis etc. If you are not disabled at all then more walking will be beneficial.
I think probably other friends will have the same issue and you can organise car sharing between you. Try it for six months and then review the situation.

My car went to the scrapyard January 5th this year for similar reasons, it failed it's MOT in spectacular and expensive fashion. Cannot afford to replace it so have invested in a shopping trolley from Amazon £9.49, no MOT needed. Yes I miss the car but that's how it is. The extra walking will keep me fit, although right now my shoulders and neck are hurting from pulling it. Now that I have one does that officially make me an old biddy?

Even putting together a new car doesn't take weeks (does it?)

I think you need to go to another garage as other posters have suggested, find out exactly what is wrong - and, I know this sounds sexist, but take your DH with you and don't be fobbed off. Some mechanics etc still think 'woman, won't know, can see her off for a few hundred pounds more'.

Getting it fixed may be a lot cheaper than buying or leasing a new car and worth it in the long run. It doesn't sound that old either.

DH and I are scratching our heads over the OP. How old is your car?

If it was making an awful noise a few weeks ago, why did you carry on driving it? What exactly is this 'really bad fault?'

If the problem is so bad the car needs a new engine why will it take weeks and a new engine would definitely come with a guarantee so nothing will go wrong the week after.

If you are not allowed to drive the car because it could totally wreck the engine then it sounds like it's repairable which could be a cheaper option.

You need to know exactly what is wrong and get another garage to take a look.

When we bought our last car the chap in the garage told us that we were very unusual paying in full for the car as most people either has some sort of HP or lease. In fact if we at the time took out HP for three months on a minimum of £1000 we got a sizeable amount extra off the price of the car!!! We did that as it was well worth it and no penalty for early repayment.
Our friend did the lease option for his last car and is just doing the same again - he had the option of having the servicing included etc. He found it worked well for him. It is very common in USA and DS has always done it for his car and this last time did it for the family one too. He says there you can choose the number of years you go for - he does three as he says if you go for two years all the faff deciding on what to have the next time comes round too quickly!

DH and I have always bought our 'used' cars at about one year old. Mine is now 8 years old and I envisage having it for a few more years. Generally when out together we use DHs 4 year old car and mine is for my little forays on my own, I only do about 3,500 miles each year.

We would never lease, in our position a reliable used car is quite adequate. Fortunately we're in the position to not have to take out finance.

For my first car I saved and saved until I could buy a 6 year old car for cash.

I appreciate op needs a car in the near future. If it was me I'd be looking for a reliable little hatchback about 5 years old with a warranty. And then start putting money to the side for 'if and when' it needed replaced.

mazza you havent had a good week have you ? they say things come in 3's so lets hope better luck is on the way. Please dont go to the car leasing route, it is such a rip off. Try gumtree or ebay make sure you take someone who knows a bit about cars. Goodluck &[cupcakes]

While ignoring the OP's original thought (sorry) we don't have a car at all. I gave up driving some years ago for personal reasons and now H has had to give up due to illness. It is awful. No spontaneity and reliant on taxis which are not too expensive but need booking or waiting, not ideal,but beggars can't be choosers. We have to put up with it.