Toyota Yaris bad news.

troyzer

Just put my 2005 Toyota Yaris in for a routine service ahead of the NCT next week.

My mate took it into work for me and just rang me there saying it's probably going to be €1,400 to get it to the point where it could pass an NCT.

Rear bearings are gone, rear brakes are gone, water pump is gone, clutch is gone and the list goes on and on.

He said it'll be a minimum of €300 just to get it back on the roads (the bearings are literally falling apart) and then I'm going to try and get it scrapped/traded in.

This is a massive pain in the arse for me because I'm thinking about emigrating to Canada next year.

What do you reckon? What am I likely to get on scrappage/trade in? What would be a good option to get for around €5,000-€6,000 mark?

Cheers!

BrookieD

If you are going to Canada next year I would not sink 5-6k into a car, just get a 1k runaround and sell before you go.

cpoh1

Run it through the NCT before you do any work to it. At least you'll kno what you need to pass. If its a couple of hundred quid just spend that and scrap the car or sell for peanuts before you leave.

troyzer

BrookieD wrote: »

If you are going to Canada next year I would not sink 5-6k into a car, just get a 1k runaround and sell before you go.

I'm not 100% sure if I'm going to leave though. It's just an option.

It's the reason why I haven't decided to trade up just for the sake of it, but this WAS the run around.

cpoh1 wrote: »

Run it through the NCT before you do any work to it. At least you'll kno what you need to pass. If its a couple of hundred quid just spend that and scrap the car or sell for peanuts before you leave.

I trust my mate. He's been a family friend since before I was born, he wouldn't rob me. If he says it'll be €1,400 to get it past the NCT, it'll cost €1,400.

Alun

If all those items are "gone" as he describes it, would you not have noticed something before now?

troyzer

Alun wrote: »

If all those items are "gone" as he describes it, would you not have noticed something before now?

I knew the bearings were getting a bit tired and the clutch was starting to slip.

I just didn't know they were that close to failing and that it would be so expensive to repair.

The rear brakes aren't gone as such. I can't remember the exact thing he said needs replacing but he said it's quite labour intensive getting it sorted. I had no idea the water pump was leaking.

Car99

Fix it cause you won't replace it for €1400 and when it's fixed it'll still be worth over a grand next year if you want to sell it.

Toyotafanboi

Is he working in a main dealer?

troyzer

Car99 wrote: »

Fix it cause you won't replace it for €1400 and when it's fixed it'll still be worth over a grand next year if you want to sell it.

To be honest I'm thinking about just going car-free.

Nobody knows if it'll be worth a grand next year because the transmission might go or the engine. It's at that age and mileage now where the mechanical issues come thick and fast.

For example, the tyres were done nearly 20,000km ago so I'm not going to get much more out of them. Same with the brake pads.

bazz26

I cannot see the logic in spending 5k/6k on a new car when your leaving the country in a year to avoid spending a good deal less on repairing your existing car. A newer car will require tyres and brake pads at some stage too as these are standard wear and tear items that come with all cars, and you will still lose money between now and when you move abroad through depreciation.

To be honest, you'r just guessing what might need to be spent on the Yaris at this stage so you really need to start getting facts and figures around that before making a decision on whether it is worth keeping it or not. And if you have to part with it then just buy another cheap runaround that will see you out until you go abroad. Spending 5k-6k on car your going to sell again in 12 months time is mad.

troyzer

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Is he working in a main dealer?

No, he's a mechanic. He's an area manager for one of the bigger chains. I trust him.

bazz26 wrote: »

I cannot see the logic in spending 5k/6k on a new car when your leaving the country in a year to avoid spending a good deal less on repairing your existing car. A newer car will require tyres and brake pads at some stage too as these are standard wear and tear items that come with all cars, and you will still lose money between now and when you move abroad through depreciation.

To be honest, you'r just guessing what might need to be spent on the Yaris at this stage so you really need to start getting facts and figures around that before making a decision on whether it is worth keeping it or not. And if you have to part with it then just buy another cheap runaround that will see you out until you go abroad. Spending 5k-6k on car your going to sell again in 12 months time is mad.

I agree. That €1,400 is a hard number to get the car to passable condition for the NCT which is up in January.

I have no idea what pads and tyres will cost over the next year. I agree that spending €5k plus on a car I might be getting of in a year is madness. The problem is that seems to be close to the minimum you can spend without getting a car which is 10 years old, 150km+ on the clock which is where I'm at already.

I'm leaning towards just getting rid of it. How do I do that though? Private sale?

The same car in the same year seems to be going for less than €2,000 on done deal. I'll be lucky if I get a few hundred euro for mine it seems.

StereoSound

troyzer wrote: »

No, he's a mechanic. He's an area manager for one of the bigger chains. I trust him.

Trust means nothing to me, I have a mechanic friend and I wouldnt trust him. He was charging me regular high garage rates when I thought he was doing me favours, "No VAT receipt since I know you sort of thing;)" Yet I found someone else doing the jobs cheaper with VAT.

Just put it through the test and see what it fails on and get quotes to get that fixed, not just from your mate.

troyzer

Even aside from whether or not I trust him. I know the clutch and bearings need to be done and that's at least €700.

Even assuming that's all, that would mean in the last year I've put €1,100 into the car when they seem to go on Donedeal with a lot less mileage for €1,500.

It might be time to call time on it. I've already cancelled the NCT which might have been a mistake now that I'm reading the comments.

Anyway, like I said. I think I'm just going to drive the car until either January or the clutch completely fails. Then I'll scrap it and just use the bus.

By then I'll have had my license long enough that I can use GoCar so I'll have still have access to a car for IKEA runs.

cpoh1

Clutch and bearings on an old Yaris for €700??? Mad money
Putting it through the nct first has nothing to do with trust its about fixing the minimum to keep in legally on the road. The nct will tell you what you have to replace to pass and then you can drive it legally. The clutch might go on for another year if you minded it.

troyzer

cpoh1 wrote: »

Clutch and bearings on an old Yaris for €700??? Mad money
Putting it through the nct first has nothing to do with trust its about fixing the minimum to keep in legally on the road. The nct will tell you what you have to replace to pass and then you can drive it legally. The clutch might go on for another year if you minded it.

Not really, my sister had to get her clutch replaced in her 07 Corolla there last year and the best price she could get from three different garages was €500.

I don't know about the bearings being good value or not at €280 but when he said €420 for the clutch it sounded right given what happened to my sister.

bucketybuck

cpoh1 wrote: »

its about fixing the minimum to keep in legally on the road.

Does "safely" even enter the equation here? At all?

Seems obvious the car has been getting very little maintenance and now multiple items are at the point of failure. If the OP is going to be driving the car for a year he would be well served ensuring it will actually last the year, that NCT cert won't be much use if the brakes fail in 6 months time.

Turbohymac

Well by all the recent car posts one thing is obvious once people get their car past the test nct. They don't spend a cent more on basic maintenance until the next nct is near or even passed then its mad panic... stop blaming mechanics just get car serviced regularly.. some of the yaris issues should be noticed by any one. Driving it... it's now probably going to be a non viable repair but if it was getting a basic regular service thing would now be different..

troyzer

bucketybuck wrote: »

Does "safely" even enter the equation here? At all?

Seems obvious the car has been getting very little maintenance and now multiple items are at the point of failure. If the OP is going to be driving the car for a year he would be well served ensuring it will actually last the year, that NCT cert won't be much use if the brakes fail in 6 months time.

Since I've owned it it hasn't gone more than six months at a time without being into the garage to get stuff fixed. Lack of maintenace isn't the issue.

Although you've hit the nail on the head about the brakes. This has basically happened already. It went in for a relatively big service (€300+) in January, passed the NCT and now here we are 8 months later with a litany of stuff that's gone wrong since.

So even if I do drop €1,400 on the car and pass the NCT I could be back in March with another massive bill. It's not worth it.

I've made up my mind, I'll pick it up today and drive it until either the clutch fails or my insurance runs out (start of December) then I'll scrap it and just get the bus.

troyzer

Turbohymac wrote: »

Well by all the recent car posts one thing is obvious once people get their car past the test nct. They don't spend a cent more on basic maintenance until the next nct is near or even passed then its mad panic... stop blaming mechanics just get car serviced regularly.. some of the yaris issues should be noticed by any one. Driving it... it's now probably going to be a non viable repair but if it was getting a basic regular service thing would now be different..

Again, it has been getting regular servicing. I've had it in twice since getting it last Christmas, on both ocassions I've asked them to fix whatever might be wrong with it.

I can't vouch for my sister before then but I know she did the annual check before the NCT. None of these issues have been raised in the past.

Turbohymac

Fair play if you're getting it serviced regularly But jesus I think at that rate you either need to change mechanic asap or else you're competing in the Dakkar rally in between services..Toyota wouldn't be a crap car.. should run cheaply with the proper maintenance..as before either yourself or whoever services it should have easily picked up on some of the faults your mate has highlighted.. as you're emigrating down the line I'd simply pick up another yaris cheap with long nct and low mileage.. and flog your own one
.I wouldn't advise to keep driving that yaris till new year.. bit of a deathtrap. Wheelbearings and brakes shot are a recipe for disaster..even though the car still has nct please discount this and think SAFETY you now know car is currently unroadworthy..

cpoh1

Turbohymac wrote: »

Well by all the recent car posts one thing is obvious  once people get their car past the test  nct. They don't spend a cent more on basic maintenance  until the next nct is near or even passed then its mad panic... stop blaming mechanics  just get car serviced regularly.. some of the yaris issues should be noticed by any one. Driving it...  it's now probably going to be a non viable repair but if it was getting a basic regular service  thing would now be different..

Not sure your point is valid. We are talking about a 13 year old hatch thats worth a grand, and that the OP said he needs to last until next year when he moves to Canada when it will likely be scrapped. This is not a 3 year old bmw that someone didnt service or maintain for a few years. I had an old passat that was overdue a timing belt by 150k miles but never did the work because it would have been a false economy on a car worth €500.

troyzer

Turbohymac wrote: »

Fair play if you're getting it serviced regularly But jesus I think at that rate you either need to change mechanic asap or else you're competing in the Dakkar rally in between services..Toyota wouldn't be a crap car.. should run cheaply with the proper maintenance..as before either yourself or whoever services it should have easily picked up on some of the faults your mate has highlighted.. as you're emigrating down the line I'd simply pick up another yaris cheap with long nct and low mileage.. and flog your own one
.I wouldn't advise to keep driving that yaris till new year.. bit of a deathtrap. Wheelbearings and brakes shot are a recipe for disaster..even though the car still has nct please discount this and think SAFETY you now know car is currently unroadworthy..

My previous job was in Omagh and I was doing the drive every week.

I put 15,000km on the car in about 8 months, that's hard going for a 1 litre petrol. The bearings are being done today either way. I'll ask again what specifically is wrong with the brakes but the one he said is actually dangerous was the bearings.

I might just scrap it now. I haven't decided yet. I know I'm not going to bother with another one though.

Turbohymac

Well if you're getting the bearings done the brakes shouldn't cost big..maybe rear cylinders linings etc not expensive
..at that rate you're sorted no need to scrap..maybe change to a more observant mechanic.. and happy motoring

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000

Is this not the simplest dilemma ever?

Your car is now scrap.
DoneDeal it for whatever you can get for it.

Buy another car sub €1000. Mind it, sell it when you’re going away next year for minimal loss if any.

Turbohymac

Hi. Cpoh1.
I fully realize that the ops car is a 13 year old yaris..not a 3 year old bmw..but are you actually suggesting that he should not be arsed getting it in a roadworthy condition and instead keep driving till he kills himself or some other innocent road user..and point in hand on your comment on not replacing timing belt...as with my earlier post people don't want to carry out basic servicing yet when cars die.. they all mean on boards..
In the ops case he stated that he was getting it serviced but maybe he should find a better mechanic..given the issues with his car..

troyzer

Turbohymac wrote: »

Well if you're getting the bearings done the brakes shouldn't cost big..maybe rear cylinders linings etc not expensive
..at that rate you're sorted no need to scrap..maybe change to a more observant mechanic.. and happy motoring

It's interesting that most comment on this thread either blame for not maintaining it properly or blame my mechanic for being crap/a chancer.

For argument's sake, can we just assume the family friend who is an area manager for a major garage chain knows what he's talking about and isn't ripping me off?

The car is old and up until the last year it's had very few issues. It's not really designed for the sort of KMs I was doing in my previous job. At motorway speed it's at 4,000 rpm in fifth.

Judging by DoneDeal, it's not worth spending that kind of money to get fixed and like I said I have to assume my mechanic is right.

He's not trying to rob me and I'm fairly confident he knows what he's talking about.

I understand that you're trying to give good advice but you're also ignoring the clutch. Again, the only two things I knew about were the clutch and the bearings and these are the two big ticket items. So the car is going to cost a minimum of €700 to fix plus it's due a service, so probably another €100.

That's already probably more than half the value of the car.

cpoh1

Turbohymac wrote: »

Hi. Cpoh1.

I fully realize that the ops car is a 13 year old yaris..not a 3 year old bmw..but are you actually suggesting that he should not be arsed getting it in a roadworthy condition and instead keep driving till he kills himself or some other innocent road user..and point in hand on your comment on not replacing timing belt...as with my earlier post people don't want to carry out basic servicing yet  when cars die.. they all mean on boards..
In the ops case he stated that he was getting it serviced  but maybe he should find a better mechanic..given the issues with his car..

Relax with the hysterics. I suggested he maintains the car enough to pass a roadworthy assessment from our designed body the NCTS. Do the NCT and any safety issues will be highlighted there.

Toyotafanboi

To be fair OP I think you had your mind made up before you opened the thread. For what it's worth, maybe you weren't expecting a favour but it doesn't sound like he's doing you any with that price.

Most stuff in the €5-6k bracket is going to need maintenance fairly soon anyway to be fair and if trading in off something in that bracket you'll be given around €50 for your Yaris. Its a bad enough financial decision to do this IMO.

Probably the most economical option is to spend the €1400 to fix the car, drive it until you are looking to move abroad. You'll never have a problem selling a Yaris with NCT for the guts of €1k so you don't really stand to lose much. You'll lose more than €400 selling a car you bought today for €6k in 6 months time.

troyzer

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

To be fair OP I think you had your mind made up before you opened the thread. For what it's worth, maybe you weren't expecting a favour but it doesn't sound like he's doing you any with that price.

Most stuff in the €5-6k bracket is going to need maintenance fairly soon anyway to be fair and if trading in off something in that bracket you'll be given around €50 for your Yaris. Its a bad enough financial decision to so this IMO.

Probably the most economical option is to spend the €1400 to fix the car, drive it until you are looking to move abroad. You'll never have a problem selling a Yaris with NCT for the guts of €1k so you don't really stand to lose much. You'll lose more than €400 selling a car you bought today for €6k in 6 months time.

I honestly didn't have my mind made up but obviously I've been chatting to other people as well not on Boards.

Clearly the €5-€6k option makes no sense given how I might be moving on in the next year or so.

I honestly don't think it makes sense to go out and get like for like.

€1,400 is a lot of money for me at short notice and I don't think you can be sure at all that I'd be able to claw back a grand. Like I said, the car seems to have reached tipping point where everything breaks and it's in the garage constantly. At some point you have to say stop, it isn't worth it anymore.

The other thing is I was trying to move away from the car anyway with bike to work. This is a cleaner break. I'll save money on the car and I'll still have access to a car if I need it ocassionallly.

To be honest, it seems like a no brainer to cut loose now. It's one less headache when I do decide to move to Canada (I'm eligible for permanent residency).

What remains to be seen is what to do with it now. It's drivable and with the bearings fixed it won't be dangerous. So do I try to flog it now with the NCT or do I drive it into the ground?

What can you realistically list the car for with a market rate seemingly around €1,500 for a good condition example and knowing the buyer would need to spend €1k minimum. I don't want to rob anyone.

Toyotafanboi

Its not so much what do you ask for it, you'll struggle to get anything is the reality. Knowing what it needs, most of those defects are obvious to potential buyers, if the car has a short or no NCT you'd be doing quite well to get €150.

troyzer

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Its not so much what do you ask for it, you'll struggle to get anything is the reality. Knowing what it needs, most of those defects are obvious to potential buyers, if the car has a short or no NCT you'd be doing quite well to get €150.

There's a company which will pick it up for scrap for €35. €115 for a few months of driving? Seems fair to me.

Especially since I don't pay insurance premiums. Long, long story.

troyzer

troyzer wrote: »

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Its not so much what do you ask for it, you'll struggle to get anything is the reality. Knowing what it needs, most of those defects are obvious to potential buyers, if the car has a short or no NCT you'd be doing quite well to get €150.

There's a company which will pick it up for scrap for €35. €115 for a few months of driving? Seems fair to me.

Especially since I don't pay insurance premiums. Long, long story.

Actually, more like €400 when you consider the cost of fixing the bearings.

Plus I'll have to throw €57 at the tax assuming it lasts until November.

troyzer

So I got the car back there. It was €280 for the bearings in the end and he put a bandage on my handbrake/topped up the coolant.

So the clutch needs to be replaced as does the entire hand brake, the rear brake liners, the front suspension links and the water pump (he said I'm probably going to have to check the level a few times a week). As well as a standard service, I also need the lenses cleaned on the lights, they're a bastard on these cars.

After the €280 for the bearings he said that the rest can be done for €900. Which is better than expected but still a lot of money considering that I could be back in the new year with something else wrong with it.

He said with the exception of the water pump, most of it is just wear and tear. Getting 180,000km out of a clutch isn't bad going and the car is otherwise healthy. Nothing wrong with the engine or gearbox.

€900 isn't apocalyptically bad and I don't need to do it right away. I'm starting to lean back towards just getting it fixed and hoping nothing else goes wrong.

I just booked it back in for the NCT I had already cancelled, the slot was open so I can get a full list of what needs to be fixed.

My mate said they'll probably catch most of what he's already listed but even if they don't the clutch and the pump need to be done.

troyzer

Quick update for anyone who's interested.

Car passed everything except headlight alignment and front suspension balance.

So other than needing new shocks (probably €200) nothing a service won't fix. It's going back in on Sunday after a service and repair on Thursday.

When it passes, I'll flog it. 15 months of NCT has to be worth something.

gwalk

so your mate telling you it would be €1,400 or so to get it back on the road was spot on so :rolleyes:

troyzer

gwalk wrote: »

so your mate telling you it would be €1,400 or so to get it back on the road was spot on so :rolleyes:

He didn't say that. He said it was €300 to get it back on the road and probably another €900 to get it past the NCT.

Obviously he was wrong, he was really surprised when I said it to him and he was the one who advised me to flog it because those other bits and pieces will still need to be done.