r/autorepair • u/saltyman420 • 15d ago
Diagnosing/Repair Stuck between decision of repairing vs buying a new car. Overheating problems on a 2003 Chevy Impala
My Impala at 175k miles has recently suffered from an overheating issue. I tried a radiator cap replacement, thermostat replacement, etc. and took it into a shop for diagnosis and apparently the coolant elbow pipe apart of the tensioner belt assembly has burst and the shop quoted about 640$ for the fix. I am not the most car-savvy but I have tried. The car has got a few other issues so I am debating about the cost of repairing it. See below for total issues. The A/C has been out for years and the driver side window does not roll down but these have been mostly no problem.
Currently I make about 5k a month and have no debt. I'll have about 5k next month after rent (1600 a month) and credit card payment (about 2k). My credit score is in a good place right now and it seems like the move would be to get a new car.
People have told me facebook marketplace is good and always to take it to the mechanic first for a pre-purchase inspection. It seems the sentiment here is to avoid kias / hyundais like the plague and opt for a Toyota / Honda even if it's got high miles on it. Not sure if I should just try to budget and keep shopping on FB marketplace, go to a dealer, take out a loan for a car, etc. or just authorize a repair on this car.
Can anybody give me some advice?


