ferret

Agree the sentiment but it’s rarely the engine that dies in modern cars. Engine going strong but electricals, high pressure fuel pumps or hyper expensive emissions stuff that goes will be the issue.

My last car had headlamps that would have cost £800 each to replace (Xenon) – a garage managed to find a repair kit on ebay in Germany that got one sorted but as they were like hens teeth (rare option) there was little other scope to find a scrapy replacement to keep costs down. Had somebody backed into my car, 2 bust headlamps and a scratched bumper would have written it off. Other stuff – an exhaust section that contained a flexi joint (vulnerable to wearing out ansd needing replaced in other words) for the downpipe was also attached to the DPF – a £2,000 part. Garage cut and welded replacements in to save the DPF but main dealer doesn’t do that sort of thing. Various issues around the fuel pump – they run at a ludicrous pressure and are pretty vulnerable…. Wasn’t a crazy vehicle, just a bit uncommon and largest engine/best spec in range at time. I’m now more wary of that combination as it can push costs up a lot – an ‘easy’ job on the sensible engine model becomes several hours labour on the one that has less under bonnet space etc.

Ditching a car on engine mileage has been rare for me in 30 odd years of driving – it’s usually ben bodywork (nothing left!) in the early days and electricals/ancillaries ‘just not worth repairing’ as too expensive to justify vs value of vehicle that has moved me on… and I’m a proponent of buying and running for as long as I ‘sensibly can’ so I’m no shrinking violet about running older/battered/bodge that to keep it going a bit longer cars.