1993 Toyota Camry 3.0 Liter Auto Trans 210,000 miles
3rd owner, car was well maintained and came with all maintenance/repair paperwork
Problems: Can smell exhaust at idle when hvac fan set to fresh air. Leaks (does not seem to burn, plugs at last tune up were clean) oil at oil filter bracket gasket and oil pan gasket. Two torn cv boots.
I like the car, it runs very well, interior is good and overall condition is good. I'm thinking my mechanic can do all of this for under $500. Is it time to get a different car?
Doesn't sound like it needs much, I've repaired cars with way more mileage than that. If it's otherwise in good shape I'd certainly fix it. (You'd probably have to spend around 10x that amount or more on a replacement car and it might wind up being in worse shape.)
It's cheaper to keep 'er. I would fix these things. It's totally worth it.
Can smell exhaust at idle when hvac fan set to fresh air.
This should be your biggest worry. Is the exhaust rusted to bits?
An exhaust system repair will easily exceed the value of the vehicle.
Leaks oil at oil filter bracket gasket and oil pan gasket.
it'll get worse before it gets better. It's up to you if it's worth fixing, like if it's leaving drips everywhere.
Two torn cv boots.
So you can expect to replace two CV axles soon. Around a hundred bucks a pop in parts.
Is it time to get a different car?
That's up to you and your budget. I couldn't be driving to work in something like this.
