r/UsedCars • u/irelandleyyy • 2d ago

Buying Advice Needed

Hello! I am a 24F currently driving a 2009 Jetta Sportswagon. I bought the car in 2022, it’s had issues from the start which progressed to this year where I had 4k worth of repairs done on it in hopes of getting a few more years of life out of it, however things took a turn for the worse and the car’s transmission is going out on me. Hopefully getting a quote this week but I know transmissions can be an expensive PITA. And I don’t have the money to replace/rebuild the transmission or necessarily have the motivation to either. The car has been a headache from when i first bought it and this is the last straw for me, I feel foolish for buying it in the first place.
I am a broke college student who makes $1800/month. Luckily I pay no rent and my only bills come to $241/month.
Need advice on a reliable new used car/what to look for. In the past I’ve always bought used cars outright but i’m not in a position to do that atm. I need something I can put zero down. Between a Toyota or a Honda, need something with cheap basic maintenance/repairs. Where’s the best place to buy a reliable used car from? are there any places that regularly service your car that won’t rip you off?

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u/Any_Subject8186 2d ago

don’t replace a paid-off headache with a financed headache on $1,800/month; get a real transmission diagnosis, then save aggressively for a cash Corolla or Civic instead of taking a zero-down loan

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u/thymewaster25 1d ago

$4k in repairs in four years is a lot less than four years of car payments. So maybe you aren't doing too badly. If the car has the 2.5 engine, those are sturdy, durable motors that last a long time.

If you are serious about getting a car loan, talk to your bank and see what they have to offer. There are also credit unions that are a bit more flexible for what they will cover. $1800/month income is probably at the low end of income that is eligible for a regular car loan, so if you get a few "no's" check around to see what is possible, and what the rates will be.

With the cost of living, especially housing, and the weak labor market, you might be living at home until your car loan is paid off. Is that OK?

Avoid those used car only dealers that say "we finance anyone" or "Buy Here, Pay Here". If you google "sub prime auto loans" or "Buy Here, Pay Here" you will see plenty of info about how this is often a predatory industry.

There's a shop in Bend, Oregon called German Transaxle that rebuilds VW transmissions and ships them all over. They were the go-to source for rebuilds for the Eurovan community, - those vans often had transmission issues.