Comparing the Price of Used Car to the Price of a New Car

A New Cooling Fan
I told them about the misfiring and the overheating. In an hour, they had a diagnosis: Bad spark plug and a broken cooling fan.

That sounded great to me. Two problems knocked down in one visit! They fixed them both.

But as I returned to pick up my car, they gave me a caveat, the car wasn't running quite right yet. It was cooler, but it probably needed a new thermostat as well. I told them I'd test it and come back if I had any problem.

Nope! The car was fine. It purred right along home at the proper temperature.

It was fixed... for a while.

The summer continued and my problem resurfaced. It started running hot and then genuinely overheating. I could go 30 miles, but further than that was an exercise in heat management.

I had incurred a pricey repair job. My no-payment car prediction was marred, but the current tactic seemed like the best way to save money.

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