Should I continue spending money to fix and upgrade my 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander XLS V6 Automatic 6 Speed 4WD, I have 123,000 Miles on it. Right now the automatic driver and Passenger Side Mirrors are not working correctly they only turn left or right but do Not move up and down. Not sure how much this would cost to fix. Then the other issue is my exhaust system is rusting out from Northeast Weather+Salt will need to be replaced soon. And the vehicle needs a timing belt replacement. The left side rear passenger window is not going down and up properly. Is it worth continuing to fix and maintain it or stop throwing money into it instead save that repair and maintenance money to upgrade to a certified pre-owned vehicle or new vehicle(sell the Outlander)?

 

Well, there's still plenty of life in the engine and transmission. On the other hand, it doesn't take too many repairs before you've spent the same as the Blue Book trade-in value of the vehicle. The little crap things that accumulate (like your mirror problem) on an older vehicle drive me nuts.

My 08 has 143,000 and in hindsight I should have sold it a year ago before I had to do the exhaust and some other stuff. I will be replacing it in the spring or summer. Part of it depends on what you want out of a car, but for me this is our family road trip vehicle and at this point I would like something newer with the latest tech.

I expect most others on here will recommend you keep it - and I understand that logic - but for me, I think you should look at something new.

Good luck!

 

In some of my responses to your posted problems I was referring to avoid spending too much on your aging and ailing ride, especially (as per your declaration) that you are not a "fixer" type of person. It would only make sense keeping your car if you can fix most of the problems.

 

Agree with @AWCAWD. It really depends on what type of person/car-owner you are. If you are not a DIY'er, I'd definitely get rid of it to someone who is. These are not necessarily complex fixes that require a dealership, but they do require effort. At a certain age, these things are just going to get more frequent. This is a great car to DIY because of it's relatively simple design. I haven't had any similar issues yet, but I have tinkered around minor upgrades. Everything is straightforward and don't require a dealership computer to do unlike most new cars these days. Good luck on your decision.

 

My rule of thumb is if the monthly fixes are approaching the monthly cost of new vehicle....time to make the jump. I dont look so much at the value of the car. Maintaining a vehicle is generally cheaper month to month than buying a new vehicle...when staying in the same class.

 

I think there are three other factors for many of us on this forum: The enjoyment factor, and therapy factor and the peace factor.

Enjoyment factor: I am usually as happy as I ever am when I have a wrench in my hand and am working on a car, and it is rather rare for me to find other ways to be be quite so content.

Therapy factor: Further, I find, hour for hour, working on a car to be far more emotionally and psychologically stabilizing than any therapist. And at $150 / hour, a therapist is a lot more expensive. Frankly, avoiding the therapist pays for your parts in the first hour or two.

Peace factor: Finally, vehicles don't talk back, don't argue, don't whine, and don't say really p8zzzy things when you try to help them. Uninterrupted time working on a vehicle is a very welcome bubble of peace in my life.

 

Just had a Service Engine Soon Light I went to Autozone they pulled a P0172 MAF sensor running too lean. I need this Outlander to last me atleast until 250,000 miles. What should I fix first in order of importance? How much should a MAF replacement costs?

 

Check rockauto.com. They often have the best pricing.
Check that your MAF sensor is plugged in. Clean it.
Buy a cheap code reader so you can read your own codes and so you can clear codes.

 

Weird thing happened I filled up my tank and the light went away has not come back on for 5 days.

 

Nicely put. Never thought of working on cars in this way, but i must agree 100% with you

As far as the OP's original question - nothing of what you describe is a fatal flaw that requires dumping the vehicle. For a DIYer, none of it is a big deal, but rather an exuse to dust off the tools and spend some quiet time in the garage (or under the tree). However, if you have to pay shop rate at $80/hour for everything done to your vehicle, even small things will add up to serious money. In the end, it all depends on what kind of person you are. Can you tolerate the mirrors that may need to stay in one place, and slow windows? If so, put some money into the timing belt (to make sure your power train is reliable) and keep driving. There are very few things that need to be done to the old vehicle that will exceed the cost of buying new one. Plus, a new vehicle will need repairs too and the cost of replacing even the same component is likely to be higher.
You can think of car ownership this way:
Even if your vehicle is worth only $500 on a trade-in and you are struggling to justify having to buy a set of $600 super extra cruising tires for it. If you spend $600 on tires - you are done with the big ticket expenses for the month. If you were to buy a new vehicle (you'd probably finance it) you'd need to buy new tires for it too at some point (yes, it will happen 2-3 years down the road). But on top of your $600 tire cost you will have your monthly car payments. Add to it the cost of the insurance on the new vehicle and you worrying about every dent and scratch you are going to get in the supermarket parking lot... The cost of maintaining a good old vehicle is not anywhere near the cost of owning a new one. Mitsubishi are great vehicles as far as their engines and I think its worth keeping them. Mine (Montero) has over 245,000 miles on it. The plan is to roll over 300k and keep going...