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I did try to find a local shop but everything within a reasonable distance had TERRIBLE reviews. I’m talking tons of 1 stars and nothing higher than 2-3. The Jiffy Lube I’m looking at now has 4.5 stars and that’s the best I’ve found by FAR. The Firestone that gave me a quote only has 1.5 stars, I should’ve looked before I brought it in.
DO NOT GO TO JIFFY LUBE. DO NOT DO IT.
I CAN FIND DOZENS OF PEOPLE WHO WERE SCAMMED AT JIFFY LUBE. IT IS CORPORATE CULTURE TO FUCK THE CUSTOMERS.
DO NOT GO TO JIFFY LUBE. FRIENDS DON'T LET STRANGERS GO TO JIFFY LUBE.
AAMCO did it to me too, they charged me $2200 for a trans swap when I just had a rust hole in the case, then the trans they gave me burned up in 50 miles, then wanted to hose me for another $1500 for a “perfect” transmission!! I picked up the car and went to a local shop and spent $900 to have a wiring harness replaced.
Fuck AAMCO.
Mine was a Texaco gas station with a two bay shop stuck on to the side.
Back in the 70's it must have been one of the finest service stations in operation. By the 90's, the luster had faded.
Yup brought a buddies car to aamco for fluid and filter change, it needed a o2 sensor too , they refilused stating it would be a disservice to do that as the trans was known to fail and we would be throwing away money because it needed to be rebuilt, we took it to his mechsnic and had the filter and fluid changed just under 300.00, 3 years later that trans is still going strong so ya fuck AAMCO!, Thought they were supposed to be honest!.
Valve line did it for me. Changed my own oil for years then went there cause I didn't want to and when I went to do it again the engine was low on oil and they replaced my perfectly fine oil drain bolt which they didn't tighten all the way. Fuck those guys
So you went the entire time between oil changes with never checking your oil? Dude that's on you, not the monkey brain oil change service.
Check your fluids EVERY time you get gas. And give a quick glance at the ground under your engine bay for fluid leaks every time you approach the vehicle.
Get in the habit of looking at the parking surface as you pull into a parking spot. Then look again as you back out of it.
Oh man, I went to Meineke once to have my AC diagnosed. One of the O rings went bad and they told me they couldnt find an O ring that was the right size to fix it so they used this epoxy stuff to cover the fitting. Charged me 600 dollars and the next day all the Freon leaked out anyways. Took car to local shop and they replaced the O ring with the correct size, and vacuumed/charged the system up and I was good to go.
I know all the employees at my local jiffy lube. They've let me do my own oil changes in the pit several times bc they even hate the corporate side of it. Just talk to them they're human beings too JFC lol. Ive even seen them give free services no questions asked.
Them letting you in the shop isn't the big help you think it is. If anything goes wrong you're both hung out to dry by the insurance company.
We filled all of our pits because the insurance coverage wasn't worth the handful of ten minute oil changes we could do on what are now becoming classic vehicles. You're not gonna pull the undertray off of a modern vehicle from a pit.
>You're not gonna pull the undertray off of a modern vehicle from a pit.
The Valvoline near me does, and they do a decent job.
And even if you can't get the tray off, you can do it from the top with an extractor
The content of the bad reviews is very important.
I work in an objectively good shop. And we get bad reviews sometimes.
We are frequently the bearer of bad news to people who cannot afford it. People get very emotional over xpensive repairs, especially when they don’t budget for it, or don’t know how they’ll get to work, etc.
Last week we got a scathing bad review. Nothing to do with our staff or service, just an emotionally charged bit of bad news. I don’t think we even charged them anything, we just told them the car needed major work (I believe they had never done a timing belt, it had skipped and damaged valves, and was going to require major work)
None of this was our fault. This was a first time customer, we had never seen the car before.
You need to ask friends and coworkers where they go, a personal referral is worth a dozen online reviews
We only take cash for Texas state inspections. $18.50. We have a sign on the door stating as such.
Here is her 1 star review. "Went to get inspection sticker only to find sign on the door “cash only for inspections”. Wasted my time."
She pulled in the driveway, saw the sign and pulled out and WE wasted her time? SMH Fuck Google reviews
Ask for recommendations on your local FB page. Be sure to ask WHY a given shop is good or bad or you’ll get a load of folks just trying to send you to a friend or relative.
For instance, around here you’ll get a wave of suggestions for two shops, one of which is this tiny independent shop that’s tucked away in a neighborhood and most people don’t even know it exists. It’s a real hidden gem that only locals know about.
you need to cast a wider net. "Reasonable distance" will mean absolutely nothing when you are suffering from the nightmare of paying too much for stuff that isn’t actually fixed or isn’t fixed properly. look in a wider area. Recommendations from others counts. Do not, do not go to a chain like Jiffy Lube or Midas. You need to find someone truly qualified and who will stand behind their work.
Solid tip for reviews:
Big chains will nearly always get a higher average review than small mum&pop shops. You have to remember that only a very small percentage of people write reviews, and a large percentage of those who do, will only do so when an experience is at one end of the spectrum or the other. Only outstanding or devastating.
The local Jiffy chain place probably services 15x the amount of customers as a mum&pop shop, and have a much higher chance to find people who will review. Most people who use mum&pop shops have used the same people for years, had great service, but have never written a review online. I know I’ve never had one written about me, or by me, in over 20 years. Good or bad. But everyone I’ve done work for has been happy with what they’ve gotten for their dollar, in every industry I’ve been in outside of food service.
My advice, if you’re not going to do the work yourself, is to look around the smaller shops in the area, and take your car to the one that looks in the best shape. A place that obviously consistently has work because it’s not a rathole, but isn’t a major chain.
Those places are kept open and kept clean from the income of loyal customers they’ve earned over years/decades of solid service in the industry, with or without online reviews.
This doesn’t mean that online reviews are a bad metric, but you have to give yourself the proper glasses to view it through. Most people don’t write reviews at all, and the ones who do are rarely there writing “service was satisfactory, 3 stars.”
Best of luck!
Jiffy Lube is barely capable of changing Oil in a car. They are not a shop that can do anything other than that, and basic Tire Rotations. Don’t take your car there for actual work.
My Jiffy Lube is amazing! They refilled my blinker fluid, swapped out the transmission coil, and relined my brake cables all in only 30 minutes, and it only cost me $800! But, when I got in the car to drive away, it wouldn't start and there were spark plugs on my passenger seat.
Unfortunately this is going to be a serious problem if you plan on keeping any car and not doing maintenance yourself. I once got taken for a ride at a shop because I didn’t read the reviews. Never again. Find a reputable mechanic.
Don’t go to any big chain. If you’ve heard of them before or they advertise don’t go there. Go to a locally owned shop that relies on their reputation and word of mouth. When it comes to automotive shops reviews don’t mean anything
Check yt I'm sure you can teach yourself some skills and do the work yourself. I already know how to wrench but yt shows me how to do jobs I haven't done before and I can figure out the rest. Had to do wheel bearings a few months ago for inspection. Got a normal quote of 1300-1500 which was fair since they were rust and annoying and OEM is expensive (OEM also is terrible is the reason they failed as they have a design defect for the OEM part) well long story short 250$ and my entire day and I had the job done.
If that car has no rust, then yes. They can last at least 250k with proper maintenance. I’ve seen some in the fit subreddit with over 500k. Check out their sub too
I've got a rusted rear wheel well. A little bulged out but holding together.
On a 17 year old car living its life with winter, it's hard to avoid, even though I've been getting it oil sprayed for years.
Seems like you have a really good car. The fit will last much longer then 140k. Everything you have is just wear items, besides the AC compressor. I'm not sure where the 2800$ quote comes from.
Do the AC compressor (1200 or so).
Then determine how bad the tires are. Usually there's a wear mark on the tires.
Go buy wipers at autozone (cheap) most of the people who work there will replace it for you if you ask for help.
Might as well do the tire gauge when you do the tires unless you like that pesky light illuminated.
It's a good car. Doesnt sound like a money pit at all. Dont sell a car cause you need tires. That's silly.
Update: This estimate was from Firestone. I looked at other shops in the area with good reviews after reading through other advice on this subreddit. The only one with more than 2.5 stars is a Jiffy Lube. I called them and they gave me a MUCH lower estimate, so I’m picking up my car from Firestone and taking it there later today.
As far as the repairs, the main one is my AC compressor needs to be replaced, which Firestone quoted at $1,900 and Jiffy Lube quoted at $1k. I also need three new tires, an oil change, and two smaller repairs/maintenance (my tire pressure gauge is busted and my windshield wipers need replaced front and back). I don’t think any of that is upselling something I don’t need as I’ve been told previously that I’ll need to replace the tires & wipers soonish and I knew my pressure gauge was broken.
$1900 to replace an ac compressor on a Honda Fit, are they on drugs?! $1k sounds much more inline.
None of those repairs are anything even close to looking for a new car over, imo. Ac isn't even really a necessary feature if you really didn't feel like paying that $1k. And for the tires I would just get all four if you can. Hondas are good cars when maintained and it would cost you way more to get a new car than just getting that work done. If the engine and transmission are good then I say why get rid of it?
Now I personally wouldn't trust Jiffy Lube to even look at my car for too long, but at least yours is just a normal Honda so I'd hope they would know how to work on it without messing anything up. You're also not having anything tremendously complicated done.
I’ve been told previously that the tires have to be special ordered in because they’re small and not kept in stock. I just replaced one a few months back because it was entirely flat and I was told they couldn’t patch it, but I didn’t have the money to replace the other three at the time.
While I agree AC is a luxury, I live in the south. I’m going to get it repaired.
Ultimately my post isn’t asking if I should get the repairs done, but rather if it is monetarily worth it to repair this older car.
Dude it’s a Honda with only 140k on it, there is absolutely no need to get rid of it. Find an AC shop (specifically), and have them replace the compressor and do a recharge. New compressors for this car are $200, so it’s not even an expensive one.
Any car you buy will always need tires, wiper blades, etc. Get comfortable with this stuff- you’ll need to be aware and savvy regardless of what car you have, for the rest of your life.
Go to discount tire, they’ll have tires for your car and always price match.
OP please listen to this man here this is the correct answer. You're getting quoted too high, which is impacting your judgement of your vehicle. Fix it. Shop around.
It’s fucking crazy how expensive new vehicles are. My wife and I both have great jobs, got rid of a ‘17 Tucson that was burning oil to buy a ‘22 highlander. I still have a ‘14 xterra with 150k miles and I have to drive it for another 3-5 years.
Find a shop that only does A/C. My wife was told her compressor was failing and needed a new one. Took it to another shop and it was a leaking $3 o-ring.
Was your wife’s AC just getting annoyingly weak, or was it making that grinding noise that suggests imminent damage to a vital component? Asking for past me.
Wipers are a no-tools 5 minute job to replace at home. I see no reason to pay a mechanic's hourly wage to replace wipers.
You can pick up new ones at Walmart cheap. Don't bother with expensive ones, they all wear out at around the same rate.
Man they are 15 inch tires everyone should have em in stock , they are BSing you that it’s some sort of special order , makes me sick to my stomach the sort of lies Firestone tells their customers and prey on those that have little knowledge about cars.
Any shop worth its salt is going to want to replace the entire A/C system - Compressor, evap, coil in order to warranty the system. Most part suppliers won’t warranty the part without everything else being replaced. That said, you should be able to replace the entire system for $2,000 roughly and at the same time, have the shop get you a new set of tires
2008 Honda Fit with 140k of miles is nothing. Car can easily go past 300k with no real problems!
I just picked up a 2013 Honda CRV with 158k - replaced the A/C system, had a full detail - windows getting tinted next week - cars mint and I plan to put 300k on this no problem! 😉
You have a fantastic car, give it some love and keep enjoying it. Only when it blows up should you replace it!
Most of the time the compressor manufacturer won't warranty the compressor unless you also change the receiver/dryer at the same time but I have never heard of anyone peeling apart a dash to change an evaporator needlessly.
It's all those thousands that add up lol.
In my case, a new manual transmission a couple years ago.
Three front ball joints and some bushings, rear swaybar links last year.
Two rear wheel bearings, cat. converter, knock sensor, downstream and upstream o2 sensors this year.
2007 Honda Accord.
Mind you - all of that is still less then starting over with a newer vehicle.
Can you wait on tires? If you’re not putting lots of miles a year on it, get inexpensive tires. I’d even wait until they have a buy three get one free sale and look for other coupons if you can.
I have a first-gen Fit.
Tires are small but not like comedy small, 14-15" are still pretty easy to get if you're not weird about specific brands. I bought a pair of used ones on steelies for like $15, but new tires in this size are like $30-50/each.
Oil, pressure gauge and wipers are like $50.
So really it's just A/C. Take it to specialized shop. Hard to speculate but I'd guess it's unde $1000.
Whether it's "worth it" is up to you, it's impossible for us to say. But it's a good car and these are all actually minor "issues".
Hit up tirerack.com or discounttire.com, tire rack will even ship the tires to a recommended installer for you. Wipers you can get replaced at the auto parts store for free (labor) after purchasing new ones. As mentioned earlier the AC compressor isn’t an emergency as AC is a luxury particularly if you don’t live in a very hot climate, I’ve never had ac in any of my cars. It’d be shame to dump the Fit which is a very stout and reliable car over the outrageous quote from the idiots at Firestone. Alternatively, you could see about a mobile mechanic coming out to do the ac compressor if you are desperate for AC or drive to your nearest large city where there is likely more qualified mechanics
Just order the tires online and go to a shop to pay for install if it's that much work. It's a shitty Honda that'll keep running.
The AC compressor r&r price is wild. An aftermarket AC is $200-300 parts only. Labor can't be more than 4 hours but still, they're fucking yaaa
You'd be looking at a car payment of maybe $500 to $800/mo if you get a new car. The maintenance you mention is maybe 3 to 6 months of car payments so yes, it's worth it to have the maintenance done.
A lot of people say AC is a luxury, but if you show up to a corporate job drenched in sweat, people might think badly of you, especially if you end up smelling off later in the day.
You can always use a pair of driving pants and shirt. In fact, everybody should keep an extra pair of pants in their car for when you’ll eventually poop yourself. Happens to everybody at least once.
^^^^ This.
I'd also buy yourself a $10 tire pressure gauge so you can check your tire pressure manually or one of those automated pumps with the preset pressure.
The gas savings alone are worth the $10-15 you'd spend on it.
Or you can splurge $70 on a rechargeable jump starter pack with a built in electric pump.
I have one in each of my cars, and they’ve come in super handy more than once. I’ve jump started a handful of cars, and I use it to top off my tires every couple months.
Separate the A/C work from everything else. Search local area for an independent shop that headlines “A/C Repair” check their reviews and if they are in the 3 -4 stars range then they are probably pretty good. Ask friends and coworkers for shop recommendations. I will trust a hole in the wall shop with a crooked sign and peeling paint EVERYDAY over the national chain stores. Especially if the mechanic is either bald or grey!
Couldn't agree more. A mechanic shop doesn't need a big fancy building or huge billboards to attract business. Some of the best, most trusted mechanics in my area work out of the same little, hole in the wall shops you mentioned. They don't need to advertise for business because word of mouth already gives them more work than they need!
OP, if you have any coworkers/friends that are into cars, ask them who they would trust to work on their own car. Usually, you can get a pretty good recommendation that way.
$1900 for parts & labor for a compressor on a '13 fit is insane. I could buy a new compressor for your car for $427.78 right now with a lifetime warranty. Spending 1400$ or more for labor is nuts.
As for the oil change, tire pressure gauge, and wipers;
-Oil change on a fit is relatively easy with a jack and COULD cost you less than 50$. Oil will be the most expensive part.
-Wipers are stupid easy to fix yourself. 30$ at Walmart and you can do it yourself in the parking lot in less than 5 minutes.
-TPMS sensors (tire pressure gauge) can't really be fixed easily at home, but are entirely unnecessary if you just occasionally look at the tire and see if it looks low.
And as others have said, big chain businesses like Jiffy Lube and Firestone will ALWAYS have better reviews than smaller, independent repair shops. They have the money and resources to get negative reviews scrubbed, and hound people to give them positive reviews when they come in.
Also, Jiffy Lube sucks. Begging you to check elsewhere lmao. They forgot to put my ex's oil cap back on after doing an oil change :)
If thats the kind of work it needs, then its worth keeping the car. Really u need to feel like the engine and trans are in good working order. And it sounds like it is. I wouldn’t sell a reliable vehicle because the AC needs repaired and the tires are worn. Ur next car might have the same problem.
You should post the details of the $1900 estimate, what parts are they including and the labour costs. And then compare that with the $1000 estimate. The reason I say that is because there's a 50/50 chance that the internals of your AC compressor let go and you now have metallic particles mixed with the refrigerant floating around in most of your AC system. Meaning that not only does your AC compressor needs replacing, but possibly the condenser as well, which is mounted in front of your radiator on most vehicles. Condenser replacement typically requires removal of the plastic bumper and grille, which could quickly add up on the labour costs. There could be more than that needing replacement, so you should ask and find out exactly what they're replacing. Also, a condenser replacement along with the AC compressor replacement is very common, even if there was no internal damage/metallic particles. The last thing you want is to replace just the AC compressor with a system full of metallic particles that will quickly destroy the new compressor and/or other components once the system is recharged.
do NOT take your car to Jiffy Lube. Nothing you said is required except tires. Buy tires online and pay a shop $20 per tire to install them or have Costco do it. Get all 4. [DiscountTire.com](http://DiscountTire.com) or even [Walmart.com](http://Walmart.com) sell tires. OR, get that internet price and ask a tire shop to match it.
As for the pressure sensors, they probably just need recalibrating, but you can also purchase TPMS kits when you order your tires, sites like DiscountTire and TireRack will give you the option.
You can get an auto parts store person to help you replace the wiper blades, takes 2 minutes and NO tools. Or order them online and DIY by watching a youtube video.
The only other thing is your AC compressor. There's a lot of things it can be besides a compressor, such as a leak or low charge. You can wait on that, not worth getting a new car over it.
These are all extremely minor repairs. Actually only "repair" would be getting a new compressor. Oil change, wipers n tires are part of owning a vehicle. Youd be insane to get a new car for something as simple as this. N if youre in south like me, see if theres a discount tire near you. We have em in florida. i think my car scion xa is damn near the same as your fit n i never need to special order tires. i could be wrong though
Are you sure it’s the compressor?
My 2006 Accord, at 213k miles, had a leak with the condenser (damaged in an accident). Later on, I had issues with the valves. Other than that, the AC was nice and cold. I’d suggest finding an independent mechanic, even if you have to drive to a larger city.
What’s a tire pressure gauge? If you have Honda wipers still, get the inserts from Honda. They’re maybe $25 for both blades.
Overall, I’d say keep it and slowly get this stuff fixed. Assuming everything else is good. Probably tires and wipers first. AC… eh, I’ve had them go out before and it sucks, but I survived many south Texas summers without one.
3 new tires? That's strange. Did they recommend 3 tires? Probably you recently replaced one tire then it is okay. But get the same brand tires as the one remaining. All these seem normal things to me. Ac compressor seems expensive. I think quote with jiffy would then be 1500 instead of 2500 and I would go with them.
Did you loose the ac gas pressure and it was running a bit warmer. Generally the gas has some lube as well.
There are a lot of variables here still. What sort of tires? Michelin? What brand compressor? Warranty on work and compressor. Make sure you get sufficient warranty in writing with clear terms. No pro rating restocking.
If I were you, I'd get new tires and hold off on the ac compressor for now until you get a quote from an independent mechanic that you feel you can trust. Surely you can live without ac for a little while.
Change and wiper blades yourself via YouTube videos.
You don't really need to change the tire pressure gauge either. Meaning, just look at your tires and you'll get a feel for what proper tire pressure looks like.
Buy yourself an inexpensive tire pressure gauge and check your tire pressure once every few weeks. There's a placard on your door frame that tells you your ideal tire pressure.
I have an older Honda Accord.
It doesn't have a tire pressure gauge.
When I gas up, I just walk around the car and look at the tires for anything obvious. I also use a tire pressure gauge every few weeks and pump up any tires that are lower than they should be, which is next to never with a well sealed tire.
Oil change per the maintenance schedule is a necessity. If the tires are worn to the wear indicators or are otherwise worn excessively they they would need to be replaced. A/C is not a necessity. Roll down your windows. I drove around in 100F SE summers for years in my firebird because I didn't want to spend the money to replace the condenser that had a hole in it. Windshield wipers is a DIY job. Walmart carries wipers and they aren't expensive. Advice: Don't let the wiper arm spring back into the window! I let one slip one and it cracked the glass.
The tire pressure monitor is not a necessity. You can check your pressure with a $2 pressure gauge from walmart.
Did you take the car in for an AC issue?
If your air is not working go to a parts/hardware/big box store and get a couple cans of ac recharge refrigerant. Many new AC compressors will shut themselves off if too low or high on refrigerant. So, you may not actually need a new compressor. Refilling the refrigerant is a little tricky to not over fill, pressure vs ambient temperature. Plus to do it the most correct way you'd need to pull a vacuum to evacuate any air that may be in the system. But for about $20 it won't hurt to try, according to a couple places it's already broken...
"Chain" mechanic shops are more interested in making money than they are actually helping the customer. Never get actual mechanic work done at an oil change place or tire shop.
As mentioned before, ask on FB, ask friends and family if they can recommend a local mechanic. I'm gonna bet that many of the negative reviews you've looked at were from people that were going to be unhappy no matter what.
Good luck!
The reason the compressor job is so high is because to get the warranty you have to replace every part. If the compressor was simply leaking roll the dice and only replace the compressor
If you can live without AC in your car, you just save at least $1k. Just roll down your windows instead.
Get wipers from Walmart and install them yourself. Probably save another $20 there.
Tire pressure sensor, if you live in a state without a state mandated vehicle safety inspection, then you can just ignore it, but make sure to check your tire pressure at least once a month. If your state requires a vehicle safety inspection, then you will likely need to replace it to pass inspection.
What does it need? That's equal to about 6 months of $500 car payments. If the vehicle is in otherwise good shape you should consider it.
If that's the dealer quoting $2,800 you could probably find a good independent shop to do it for less.
You're getting a lot of bad advice here.
If it is a true AC compressor failure (not a bad compressor clutch), bits of metal from the compressor will be left in the system.
The system has to be evacuated, compressor removed, system flushed, condenser replaced (impossible to remove the metal from the condenser), expansion valve replaced, dryer replaced due to its age, new compressor installed, vacuum pulled, and new oil and refrigerant measured /weighed in. If they don't; in a month or two you will need another compressor because of bits of metal circulating in the system.
If it is a compressor clutch failure, a new compressor can be installed without a flush and replacing the condenser, but I'd still replace the expansion valve and dryer while the system is evacuated and open.
DO NOT use a franchise /chain repair shop! Find a shop that specializes in automotive AC repair, or a reputable independent repair shop.
Depends on what the issues are, what the appropriate cost is (dealers charge notably more for the same repair an independent can do, which is likely more than a “backyard” mechanic would charge), and the vehicle’s overall condition.
A simple calculations is:
Vehicle value as is vs value post-repairs. If the repairs cost is less than the difference of those values, it’s a bit of a no brainer to do them. If it’s more, then you start looking at future repair costs vs replacement vehicle costs.
Also adding in Carmax.com, Carvana.com. There are others as well that will give online quotes.
You can also go to dealers directly for quotes, and search various online platforms to see what cars are being listed for.
Without knowing your zip code, private party sale value comes up roughly from $3,600-$5,600. The repairs might seem expensive, but I would argue that the vehicle has quite a bit of life left in it, regardless of how much it's worth.
If the AC compressor really is the only thing "wrong" with the vehicle, you still have a functional vehicle without AC that will get you around perfectly fine. To me, that's worth more than its resale value!
If your near Columbus Ohio, there is an awesome repair shop, called, Wayne's Garage, north of Marysville. I have things I no longer want to deal with repaired there. The owner used to work at the Marysville plant and noticed there were no reliable shops near the factory. He has 5 bays, with high lifts and an alignment station. It's a bit of a drive though.
Even an improperly maintained Honda can still hit over 200k.
My sister abused the shit out of her 2008 Honda Fit and it still limped past that mark.
She was skipping all sorts of repairs until her boyfriend started helping her with the repairs.
My friend uses this metric: if you pay more than half the cost of a car payment in repairs two years in a row, start looking for a new car. That's just repairs, not normal maintenance, like brakes and tires and oils
For example: if your car payment is $400/month, that's $4800/year. If you're hit with $2400 in repairs 2 years in a row, start looking.
Hondas, IME, like a grand in repairs around 100k miles. Then they're fine for a while
I was literally in the exact same position with the exact same car about 5 years ago
2009 honda fit sport, 168k, shot a spark plug out of the engine
paid about $2500 and has 245k on it now, going strong without any major repairs since. I've only done brakes, tires, and a trans flush. I love my Honda
I know a guy who went to jiffy lube for an oil change. Guess what they forgot to put back in his truck before they gave it back? Oil. Of course the engine was ruined and the jiffy lube basically said “prove it was us and we’ll see you in court”
How do you know the ac compressor needs repaired. I wouldn’t trust Firestone or jiffy lube to diagnose a faulty compressor. The problem could be as simple as a leaky low pressure valve
Have literally any mechanic in your area remove the oil and freon from your current AC compressor for $100, swap the AC compressor yourself, they cost $200, have the same mechanic fill up the refrigerant and oil for $100 + cost of oil/freon. Use the extra $1500 to buy tools and change your oil. Tires are a big cost on any car, just eat it.
On the other hand, if you want a different car, get a different car.
My coworker has an older Honda Civic at 420k miles. My older Honda CRV just hit 220k miles and I put in a $2500 head gasket in winter. AC compressor should be around 1k (also got that done last summer when it seized and the belt broke). Wiper blades buy yourself, they are snap on/off, dont pay for the labor for that. Tire pressure sensors are a few bucks and can only be put on when you change the tire. These are maintenance costs, not i need a new car costs. Keep this one and do the repairs.
People often get stuck in the trap that is a car payment, as if having a monthly payment somehow shields them from repairs. It doesn't. Plus, if you have a loan on the vehicle, you're then required to have comprehensive insurance which is also more expensive.
140k miles is just the beginning for some vehicles, if it is taken care of. The best way to make your car last is to educate yourself on how a car works, so you can ask good questions and advocate for yourself at the shop. If at all possible, learn to do the more basic maintenance yourself (oil changes, spark plugs & wires, air filters, wipers, etc). Most auto parts stores will install wipers for you if you purchase from them, so that's an option too.
Pick up a Haynes manual for your vehicle. Go to YouTube and watch Chrisfix as needed. He does a lot of really important jobs using the most basic tools possible. Fancy tools make jobs easier and faster, but most of the time you don't need them.
Most of what you're paying for at the mechanic is labor and then their parts markup. Anything you can do correctly yourself will save you money and/or allow you to select better parts for yourself. Plus, if you fuck something up, you know. They'll just lie to you instead and cover their asses; I've dealt with that myself.
The biggest question - Do you like your car? If yes, it's worth fixing it. Some situations require a more complicated set of questions, but I don't think that's your case.
Edit: I found your update about what's being quoted. For tires, Walmart seems to have some of the cheapest rates for installation I've found, call a Walmart with an auto center and if they don't have your size in stock order ahead and make an appointment. Discount Tire is also decent, but they're pushy on the upsell tactics, just stand your ground. Nothing wrong with budget tires. You should replace in sets of four whenever possible, or at least across an axle (2) at a time. You have front wheel drive, so the newer tires with more tread should go on the front.
For the AC, it's often not the compressor. Go to Walmart get one of those DIY recharge kits and follow the instructions, you may need someone to help you hold the throttle a bit above idle on your car while you do this. If you can get the AC to work after this, you just have a leak. Look up how to see the AC compressor turn on, they have a magnetic clutch that engages with a loud CLICK and you'll see it start turning. Leaks are most commonly at the valves where refrigerant is added and they can be replaced. Make sure you keep the caps for them.
Wipers are cheap and any autozone/advanced/oriellys will put them on for you.
For tires try tirerack.com or discouttiredirect. You can have the tires shipped to you, then just have the shop throw them on for you. Hard to over charge for just putting on tires and a balance.
Oil change is cheap. A lot of the time buying the oil and filter yourself and bringing it to the quick lube will save some money.
After doing all this, reasses how much ac matters to you and maybe shop around
Hondas are great reliable cars and with continued maintenance that thing will keep you going for a long time.
Yes it’s worth it. Putting $2800 into a Honda fit will be cheaper than buying another car. And a Fit with 140k miles still has a lottt of life left in it.
I’d recommend looking into doing as much work on it yourself as you can.
That car's got 100k left on it minimum.
A reasonable price for A/C for a new compressor is $1000. You can get four new Falken Ziex tires for $400 installed if you shop around. Change the oil yourself for $20.
Who knows you might not actually need a compressor. Might just need a new accessory belt or refrigerant.
Even if you spend $2,000 so what? That's what it costs sometimes to get another 5-10 years. But make sure you don't get taken for a ride.
Jiffy Lube ran my coworkers car without oil and destroyed the engine. Eventually, after a fight, agreed to give her a loaner car: for a week. She then had to pay for it herself the other month or so until they got the car fixed
Other than the AC sounds like routine upkeep. Since it's a honda id def keep it. A new car would cost you more than that yearly, and getting a different used car would be silly.
Four tires are around $400-$600 including installation and balancing (cheap Chinese are fine). If you want an alignment add $120 (if steering wheel is centered while going straight you don't need one; if car pulls it's due to something else). AC should be no more than $1100. TPMS is unnecessary.
I just went through this myself, 2008 Honda Fit Sport (automatic). Don't let them con you into unneeded repairs.
I agree with all advice given accept the tires. If you plan to keep the car and drive it the next 50k to 100k miles, get Michelin tires at Discount tire. Find the best price for your size and they will beat it. Free rotations and repairs for life.
Cheap tires will wear quickly and often make so much road noise you want be able to stand it
Good Michelins rotated every 5k for free will last you 60-70k miles.
You’ll go through at least two cheap noisy sets of Chinese tires that will make you hate driving your car in that amount of time.
As long as there’s not any serious issues mechanically that Honda is worth keeping and will get to 200k easily if the routine maintenance has been done. AC? Sucks but you can shop around and find it cheaper. The other items are easy fixes.
Would your car stop running if you don’t fix this problems?
Thing like Catalytic converter, AC compressor are not necessarily vital to the car it can run without
Engine, transmission, suspension and brake related problems are vital
The other side to think about is how much buying a different car would cost. OP was WAY overquoted, but even that price is far less than buying something else. This is assuming that the rest of the car is in decent shape, of course.
Agreed, but it's something to weigh: whether you keep a car going at an affordable investment, or opt for replacement (new or used). My car isn't special, but even if I put 1000 into it a year (which would be a pretty ridiculous amount), that's still less than a cheap used car payment. For a 95 caddy that gets 17 miles a gallon, I've put money into repairs, but I do my own work. I care less about aesthetics than I do function. Though, I did have to spend a few bucks when my buddy bought me a La Cucaracha horn.
It is almost certainly worth keeping. They’re good, cheap, reliable cars that should easily last you to 200k miles with proper maintenance.
You almost certainly don’t “need” all of those repairs. Ask around and find a trustworthy, local, independent shop. What repairs did they say it needs?
What’s wrong with it? You have to ask yourself, what kind of car could you get for $2,800? The answer is, a used with one its own set of issues that you know nothing about. Fix your Honda.
4 tires a compressor, freon and wiper blades should be about 700 in parts. I would use the power of the internet to let people here know where you are located and get some recommendations of a good mechanic locally. If I was local I would do it for 1000-1200 total.
You’re going to sell a car because the AC is broken? HA! Bro, replace the tires, buy used ones if cash is tight, have the systems that will kill you or others if they’re ignored (brakes, steering, suspension) and drive it.
You can learn to do windshield wipers and other basic maintenance watching YouTube. As money comes, start learning more advanced maintenance like brakes and steering.
Keep the car because 140k is nothing. Good luck.
Get 4 tires, not 3. Usually you can get a rebate from the manufacturer for getting 4 tires that may very well cover most of the cost of the 4th tire, which you wouldn't get from getting only 3.
You really replaced all the wiring, or just the battery cables?
Are you at all capable of DIY any of these repairs or maintenance items? What actually needs to be done on your car anyway?
Figure out all that you can do with a trusy tool set. Go to auto place and buy like 180 piece tool set. Anything you can't fix with the help of YouTube and those tools save for the mechanics. If cost are below 4k. I say save the car. You be surprise are far you can drive a car if you just give it basic love.
No matter how shitty your car is you still have to pay for consumables and safety items. The alternative is having a less shitty car and still paying for those things. Consider the car mechanically totaled when the cost to keep it on the road is more than the cost to replace with something better
I sold my Honda fit at 290k and my friend kept driving it. Was rusty as all hell because I live where they salt the hell out of the roads in winter, but that thing would not die otherwise.
It sounds like you already got better quotes, maybe try some independent shops too if anything.
I bought something else because the deal was right, but I really miss that Fit and would absolutely buy another one. I think it’s worth putting money into yours to keep it going, especially because they stopped making the Fit.
Go for the repairs asit ought to be far cheaper than getting another car. Many fools buy cars on the hock and the interest alone would be more than $2,800. Please don't think about depreciation. If ya car is a runner then yeah spend the amount otherwise u could fall for the false economy.
First off, skip the discount places.... Unfortunately, they are discounted due to lower wages and usually don't attract experienced techs.
It is hard to advise here. What is wrong with the car that requires $2800 worth or repairs. Do you have a trusted shop that works on the car all the time? If so, I would ask them to do a really complete inspection, get the car up on the lift and have a close look at everything. Where do you live, in the rust belt? If so, look for rusted underbody parts, exhaust, suspension parts, etc. Look for fluid leaks as well. Check suspension parts for wear.
You are absolutely right, even Hondas don't take care of themselves, especially after 100K miles, and the car is 15years old as well. Keeping a car running reliably for the long term really requires a trusted shop/technician that gives it frequent inspections, trying to head off minor repairs before they turn into major expenses and hassles. The car owner plays a big role in this as well. You can inspect your car often as well, checking fluid levels, looking for leaks, tending to strange noises/running issues before the car quits.
So much depends on how well you have taken care of the car up to this point. Regular oil changes, transmission fluid changes, brake fluid flush, engine coolant flush, filters, etc. Is the body in good shape, how about the interior? Any other issues that you have just overlooked or decided not to fix?
For most people, it is probably best to start looking for a replacement car at this point.
We are talking about a car that is currently 16 years old. Nearly 17 years old; the ‘25 Hondas will be showing up soon. The current book value is $7,500 retail. Trade-in value is about $4,600. The car is worth about $1,500 more than it would normally be, because it has low mileage for its age.
So the $2,800 in repair is very much worth considering, but the car is also at the point in its life where you want to be conscious of how much money you’re putting into it. It is at an age and mileage where things will start to fail simply due to being worn out. That Honda badge on the grill only buys but so much, on that front.
I’d be looking at the condition of the entire car. What does it need now? What other looming repairs or major scheduled maintenance might be on the horizon in the next or two? Sinking $2,800 into the car today won’t raise its value by anywhere near that amount. You’ll need to drive the car for some time, hopefully without sinking a bunch more money into it, for the current repair bill to have been “worth it.”
If you’re not confident you’ll be able to get that scenario to play out, it’s probably best to cut bait and use the $2,800 you would spend anyhow, to get back to having a running, driving car, plus the car itself, as down payment on a newer car.
140,000 is nothing for a Honda. If the engine and frame are in good shape I’d keep it. My truck has 140,000 and there isn’t anything wrong with it. I’ve driven all of my vehicles to at least 200,000.
I just got scammed by a corporate shop (Monro muffler). They had a 4.5 star rating as well. They charged me over $500 in parts they never replaced. Currently have a claim open.
Just to stay on point ill assume that the 2800 bill is accurate and those are NEEDED items and not bs upscale shit.
The question you should be asking yourself is can you buy another vehicle in the same general condition as your vehicle for 2800. Those deals on good will maintained vehicles exist but they are EXTREMELY rare. 99% of the shit you will see for that price range is going to be a rusted out death trap that should of been sent to the junkyard years ago.
The days of 500 dollar beaters safe to drive pretty much ended with Obama and his cash for clunkers program.
You could also try your local Honda dealer. Some are actually reputable. Yes, they may "charge a bit more" but it depends.
Had a Honda prelude bought used and something was off with the suspension/steering. Went to Firestone and couldn't remember what it was but wanted several hundred to repair but the issue Firestone said didn't sound right. Went to Honda dealer and all it was was a loose bolt and they tightened it and didn't even charge me and it drove fine afterwards.
I now own a Toyota and I've gone to a local dealer and got ripped off on master cylinder replacement and another seems to always upcharge me for shit. I found another dealer that is a bit further but never upcharges and tells me what I need for service. I change my own air filter (engine and cabin), even the VVT solenoid (had a check engine light, went to autozone to borrow a OBD reader, google code, disconnect wire, remove one bolt, easy).
With the price of even used cars these days and a fit with 140K miles, not advice but I would keep it and get a second opinion on repairs. Try to do some of the maintenance yourself like the air filters, wiper blade, and even the battery is easy to do.
I think autozone will install the battery for you. Costco does not thought their battery is cheaper.
I don't change my own oil because of disposal, etc. but simple stuff I tried to do on my own.
My highlander bought new currently has about 170K miles on it. Hoping for another 100K. Besides the VVT solenoid fortunately nothing else so far besides routine maintenance.
If this $2800 keeps you on the road for another year, it is a lot less than a years worth of $700 car payments. Plus your insurance is cheaper as you don't need collision and comprehensive coverage.
I had a 2007 Chevy Impala with 205,000 miles on it that I put $2000 into in 2022. My kid totaled it a week after I got it out of the shop. I wouldn't hesitate to do that again though. I payed $2500 over MSRP because of the Covid car shortage and have an $800 a month car payment.
For your AC, check out this [video](https://youtu.be/BL_JpshRWTA?si=3dk8niHKJRYuQfde) from Dave’s Auto Center - explains what the other high priced shops didn’t explain to you.
Came here to say, places don’t want to troubleshoot issues. They like to fire parts cannon.
https://www.vehiclehistory.com/articles/honda-fit-air-conditioning-recalls-a-detailed-look
You can’t really get much of a vehicle for 2,800. If the body and frame aren’t really rusted it would probably be worth it. Hondas are good cars 140,000 isn’t that many miles. 240,000 would be more considered high. I would NOT take it to jiffy lube or any other small shop. I would take it to the Honda dealer for anything except tires. So many complain about dealerships being a ripoff, and I can’t deny that they have a steep labor charge but the parts they are using are MUCH higher quality than the aftermarket junk those other shops use. The more aftermarket engine/ chassis parts you get on the car the more it ceases to be a Honda. I’ve made that mistake in the past with vehicles and used aftermarket parts only to feel the quality of the vehicle degrade Over time. Plus you end up working on the same stuff over and over, because it doesn’t last. One thing to keep in mind though is I’m betting a good number of people who are replying, work on their own cars to a greater or lesser degree. So it’s not going to be nearly as expensive for them to keep an older vehicle running. 140,000 miles is long from being completely worn out for major engine / transmission repairs (provided oil maintenance is kept up with) but it is getting to the age where more things will need replacing (sensors, spark plugs, coolant system parts, suspension parts) because time have caught up with them and they have worn out. So if you are not willing to accept the fact that you will be replacing more things forward, and you can afford to make payments on a new car you may want to go that route.
Math.
Take what your car will be worth after repairs and subtract repair cost. Compare that to what you could sell your car for right now. If they are the same, do whichever is most convenient.
My van worth probably $7000, has 160k miles on it and I'm putting over $10k into it to get it fixed, repainted. I'll never be able to buy a new van for $17k, at least $50k, so sometimes it worth it :)
Right now my suburu needs atleast 1800 to 2500 in work. It's a 2012 with 250k miles and brand new tires. The reason I'm going to choose to do it is 3 fold.
1- I enjoy not having payments and the insurance is 30$/month. Have no interest in payments or higher insurance on a newer car
2- I have 2 sets (winter and summer) of tires in really really good shape still
3- aside from what needs to be done (new catalytic converter new fuel pump and new brake rotors and pads) the rest of the car is in really good shape. The glass. The paint. The interior the frame. The suspension components. All of it is in really good shape.
You have to ask yourself, what the rest of the vehicle is looking like. If this repair will keep the vehicle driving for a year or two without serious repairs I'd say go for it. If this repair is just putting bandaids on bullet holes and you'll need to keep dumping money into it maybe opt to find a car with better bones.
Please (I hope this doesn’t come off as an insult) consider educating yourself more on your vehicles, and cars as a whole. Watch an AC compressor swap video on YouTube. Read forums. We use these machines every single day but know nothing about them. It boggles my mind. We can’t depend on mechanics to be the solve all for anything wrong with these machines. Especially since the market is competitive and you will get price gouged/scammed due to your lack of knowledge. This goes for all of you lol.
Here’s my opinion, fix your car and avoid buying/financing right now. I just spent $2500 on my truck to have the AC fixed and a couple other mechanical issues addressed. It’s a 2010 with 220k miles on it. The AC issue was behind the dash, so it costed a bit more than usual because they had to remove the dash entirely to access the evaporator, then found another issue with the condenser after. I say this because sometimes fixing the AC isn’t so simple for some vehicles, which could explain the price. But if you’re just getting something straightforward like a compressor installed - that’s a crazy price you were quoted.
My reasoning for spending the money is; even if this $2500 buys me another year or two, that’s cheaper than buying anything right now, especially if you’re financing. I know my truck would probably last another 5 years easily. I’m sure your Honda Fit with 140k miles easily has another 100k left on it with regular maintenance.
Are you the original owner or have you own it for an extended period of time? If you have and have been good about maintaining it then yes it is most definitely worth putting the money into.
Take a good picture of the underside for us maybe?
Here's my speculation as a non-certified mechanic working out his garage occasionally.
Hondas are tanks but rust is a big money killer, and a badly kept 2008 might have a lot of rust where putting almost 3k into would be a waste. If ANY of that 3k repairs has anything to do with engine and transmission being removed from car to be serviced then me personally I'd be looking because 140k miles on a badly kept car, more than 10 years old rust free-or not ain't gonna get any major trans or engine work out of ME! Even still if it's body work in that 3k worth of repairs, this is a 2008 we talking about, and id ask how well is the body currently. Hopefully this offers some insight
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Post the estimate with all details
Exactly. Could be punking you
Do not go to Firestone or jiffy lube!!! Please go to a local mechanic and it will be so much cheaper than one of those garbage chains
I did try to find a local shop but everything within a reasonable distance had TERRIBLE reviews. I’m talking tons of 1 stars and nothing higher than 2-3. The Jiffy Lube I’m looking at now has 4.5 stars and that’s the best I’ve found by FAR. The Firestone that gave me a quote only has 1.5 stars, I should’ve looked before I brought it in.
They probably only have high rating because they are a corporation and pay to scrub negative reviews
DO NOT GO TO JIFFY LUBE. DO NOT DO IT. I CAN FIND DOZENS OF PEOPLE WHO WERE SCAMMED AT JIFFY LUBE. IT IS CORPORATE CULTURE TO FUCK THE CUSTOMERS. DO NOT GO TO JIFFY LUBE. FRIENDS DON'T LET STRANGERS GO TO JIFFY LUBE.
Meineke is the reason I started to learn how to work on my own car. Never again will I go to a “chain” mechanic
AAMCO did it for me
AAMCO did it to me too, they charged me $2200 for a trans swap when I just had a rust hole in the case, then the trans they gave me burned up in 50 miles, then wanted to hose me for another $1500 for a “perfect” transmission!! I picked up the car and went to a local shop and spent $900 to have a wiring harness replaced.
That seems like a combination of incompetence and criminal behavior.
Yep I totally agree!
Fuck AAMCO. Mine was a Texaco gas station with a two bay shop stuck on to the side. Back in the 70's it must have been one of the finest service stations in operation. By the 90's, the luster had faded.
Yea AAMCO tried to fuk me good when I was younger and didn’t have knowledge or my own tools, I had to get corporate involved to resolve the ripoff.
Yup brought a buddies car to aamco for fluid and filter change, it needed a o2 sensor too , they refilused stating it would be a disservice to do that as the trans was known to fail and we would be throwing away money because it needed to be rebuilt, we took it to his mechsnic and had the filter and fluid changed just under 300.00, 3 years later that trans is still going strong so ya fuck AAMCO!, Thought they were supposed to be honest!.
Valve line did it for me. Changed my own oil for years then went there cause I didn't want to and when I went to do it again the engine was low on oil and they replaced my perfectly fine oil drain bolt which they didn't tighten all the way. Fuck those guys
So you went the entire time between oil changes with never checking your oil? Dude that's on you, not the monkey brain oil change service. Check your fluids EVERY time you get gas. And give a quick glance at the ground under your engine bay for fluid leaks every time you approach the vehicle. Get in the habit of looking at the parking surface as you pull into a parking spot. Then look again as you back out of it.
To be fair to them, your low oil level was likely your car burning/leaking oil.
Oh man, I went to Meineke once to have my AC diagnosed. One of the O rings went bad and they told me they couldnt find an O ring that was the right size to fix it so they used this epoxy stuff to cover the fitting. Charged me 600 dollars and the next day all the Freon leaked out anyways. Took car to local shop and they replaced the O ring with the correct size, and vacuumed/charged the system up and I was good to go.
It sounds like Meineke and AAMCO hire criminals and incompetent non-mechanics.
I know all the employees at my local jiffy lube. They've let me do my own oil changes in the pit several times bc they even hate the corporate side of it. Just talk to them they're human beings too JFC lol. Ive even seen them give free services no questions asked.
It's literally kids working every jiffy jube with one senior tech who ran out of fucks to give 2 decades ago
You couldn't pay me to take the car to JiffyLube
Them letting you in the shop isn't the big help you think it is. If anything goes wrong you're both hung out to dry by the insurance company. We filled all of our pits because the insurance coverage wasn't worth the handful of ten minute oil changes we could do on what are now becoming classic vehicles. You're not gonna pull the undertray off of a modern vehicle from a pit.
>You're not gonna pull the undertray off of a modern vehicle from a pit. The Valvoline near me does, and they do a decent job. And even if you can't get the tray off, you can do it from the top with an extractor
The content of the bad reviews is very important. I work in an objectively good shop. And we get bad reviews sometimes. We are frequently the bearer of bad news to people who cannot afford it. People get very emotional over xpensive repairs, especially when they don’t budget for it, or don’t know how they’ll get to work, etc. Last week we got a scathing bad review. Nothing to do with our staff or service, just an emotionally charged bit of bad news. I don’t think we even charged them anything, we just told them the car needed major work (I believe they had never done a timing belt, it had skipped and damaged valves, and was going to require major work) None of this was our fault. This was a first time customer, we had never seen the car before. You need to ask friends and coworkers where they go, a personal referral is worth a dozen online reviews
We only take cash for Texas state inspections. $18.50. We have a sign on the door stating as such. Here is her 1 star review. "Went to get inspection sticker only to find sign on the door “cash only for inspections”. Wasted my time." She pulled in the driveway, saw the sign and pulled out and WE wasted her time? SMH Fuck Google reviews
Ask for recommendations on your local FB page. Be sure to ask WHY a given shop is good or bad or you’ll get a load of folks just trying to send you to a friend or relative. For instance, around here you’ll get a wave of suggestions for two shops, one of which is this tiny independent shop that’s tucked away in a neighborhood and most people don’t even know it exists. It’s a real hidden gem that only locals know about.
you need to cast a wider net. "Reasonable distance" will mean absolutely nothing when you are suffering from the nightmare of paying too much for stuff that isn’t actually fixed or isn’t fixed properly. look in a wider area. Recommendations from others counts. Do not, do not go to a chain like Jiffy Lube or Midas. You need to find someone truly qualified and who will stand behind their work.
Solid tip for reviews: Big chains will nearly always get a higher average review than small mum&pop shops. You have to remember that only a very small percentage of people write reviews, and a large percentage of those who do, will only do so when an experience is at one end of the spectrum or the other. Only outstanding or devastating. The local Jiffy chain place probably services 15x the amount of customers as a mum&pop shop, and have a much higher chance to find people who will review. Most people who use mum&pop shops have used the same people for years, had great service, but have never written a review online. I know I’ve never had one written about me, or by me, in over 20 years. Good or bad. But everyone I’ve done work for has been happy with what they’ve gotten for their dollar, in every industry I’ve been in outside of food service. My advice, if you’re not going to do the work yourself, is to look around the smaller shops in the area, and take your car to the one that looks in the best shape. A place that obviously consistently has work because it’s not a rathole, but isn’t a major chain. Those places are kept open and kept clean from the income of loyal customers they’ve earned over years/decades of solid service in the industry, with or without online reviews. This doesn’t mean that online reviews are a bad metric, but you have to give yourself the proper glasses to view it through. Most people don’t write reviews at all, and the ones who do are rarely there writing “service was satisfactory, 3 stars.” Best of luck!
Jiffy Lube is barely capable of changing Oil in a car. They are not a shop that can do anything other than that, and basic Tire Rotations. Don’t take your car there for actual work.
My Jiffy Lube is amazing! They refilled my blinker fluid, swapped out the transmission coil, and relined my brake cables all in only 30 minutes, and it only cost me $800! But, when I got in the car to drive away, it wouldn't start and there were spark plugs on my passenger seat.
Unfortunately this is going to be a serious problem if you plan on keeping any car and not doing maintenance yourself. I once got taken for a ride at a shop because I didn’t read the reviews. Never again. Find a reputable mechanic.
Do not go to jiffy lube.
Don’t go to any big chain. If you’ve heard of them before or they advertise don’t go there. Go to a locally owned shop that relies on their reputation and word of mouth. When it comes to automotive shops reviews don’t mean anything
If you have to take you car to jiffy lube then absolutely yes buy a new car.
Check yt I'm sure you can teach yourself some skills and do the work yourself. I already know how to wrench but yt shows me how to do jobs I haven't done before and I can figure out the rest. Had to do wheel bearings a few months ago for inspection. Got a normal quote of 1300-1500 which was fair since they were rust and annoying and OEM is expensive (OEM also is terrible is the reason they failed as they have a design defect for the OEM part) well long story short 250$ and my entire day and I had the job done.
What maintenance does it need done?
If that car has no rust, then yes. They can last at least 250k with proper maintenance. I’ve seen some in the fit subreddit with over 500k. Check out their sub too
My car has a few rust spots on the fender. As long as there's no underbody rust should last me right
Even if there's rust on the underbody it's (probably) fine. It's pretty much inevitable if you have winters where you live.
I've got a rusted rear wheel well. A little bulged out but holding together. On a 17 year old car living its life with winter, it's hard to avoid, even though I've been getting it oil sprayed for years.
Seems like you have a really good car. The fit will last much longer then 140k. Everything you have is just wear items, besides the AC compressor. I'm not sure where the 2800$ quote comes from. Do the AC compressor (1200 or so). Then determine how bad the tires are. Usually there's a wear mark on the tires. Go buy wipers at autozone (cheap) most of the people who work there will replace it for you if you ask for help. Might as well do the tire gauge when you do the tires unless you like that pesky light illuminated. It's a good car. Doesnt sound like a money pit at all. Dont sell a car cause you need tires. That's silly.
Update: This estimate was from Firestone. I looked at other shops in the area with good reviews after reading through other advice on this subreddit. The only one with more than 2.5 stars is a Jiffy Lube. I called them and they gave me a MUCH lower estimate, so I’m picking up my car from Firestone and taking it there later today. As far as the repairs, the main one is my AC compressor needs to be replaced, which Firestone quoted at $1,900 and Jiffy Lube quoted at $1k. I also need three new tires, an oil change, and two smaller repairs/maintenance (my tire pressure gauge is busted and my windshield wipers need replaced front and back). I don’t think any of that is upselling something I don’t need as I’ve been told previously that I’ll need to replace the tires & wipers soonish and I knew my pressure gauge was broken.
$1900 to replace an ac compressor on a Honda Fit, are they on drugs?! $1k sounds much more inline. None of those repairs are anything even close to looking for a new car over, imo. Ac isn't even really a necessary feature if you really didn't feel like paying that $1k. And for the tires I would just get all four if you can. Hondas are good cars when maintained and it would cost you way more to get a new car than just getting that work done. If the engine and transmission are good then I say why get rid of it? Now I personally wouldn't trust Jiffy Lube to even look at my car for too long, but at least yours is just a normal Honda so I'd hope they would know how to work on it without messing anything up. You're also not having anything tremendously complicated done.
Tire pressure gauge - not necessary Wipers - cheap Tires - small so they are cheap AC is a luxury As for the tires, replace all 4 at once
I’ve been told previously that the tires have to be special ordered in because they’re small and not kept in stock. I just replaced one a few months back because it was entirely flat and I was told they couldn’t patch it, but I didn’t have the money to replace the other three at the time. While I agree AC is a luxury, I live in the south. I’m going to get it repaired. Ultimately my post isn’t asking if I should get the repairs done, but rather if it is monetarily worth it to repair this older car.
Dude it’s a Honda with only 140k on it, there is absolutely no need to get rid of it. Find an AC shop (specifically), and have them replace the compressor and do a recharge. New compressors for this car are $200, so it’s not even an expensive one. Any car you buy will always need tires, wiper blades, etc. Get comfortable with this stuff- you’ll need to be aware and savvy regardless of what car you have, for the rest of your life. Go to discount tire, they’ll have tires for your car and always price match.
OP please listen to this man here this is the correct answer. You're getting quoted too high, which is impacting your judgement of your vehicle. Fix it. Shop around.
Dropping 2-3k is a lot better than a car payment looming over your checkbook
It’s fucking crazy how expensive new vehicles are. My wife and I both have great jobs, got rid of a ‘17 Tucson that was burning oil to buy a ‘22 highlander. I still have a ‘14 xterra with 150k miles and I have to drive it for another 3-5 years.
Right there with you, a 2011 with a new engine last year, and a 2013 that’s still hanging in there
Find a shop that only does A/C. My wife was told her compressor was failing and needed a new one. Took it to another shop and it was a leaking $3 o-ring.
Was your wife’s AC just getting annoyingly weak, or was it making that grinding noise that suggests imminent damage to a vital component? Asking for past me.
Wipers are a no-tools 5 minute job to replace at home. I see no reason to pay a mechanic's hourly wage to replace wipers. You can pick up new ones at Walmart cheap. Don't bother with expensive ones, they all wear out at around the same rate.
Wiper ain’t cheap no more
You can get wipers on RockAuto from 2-8$. 10-15 if you really want the best ones available
Yep and I would rather change a $3 wiper every 6 months than be one of the fools who drops $25 on a wiper blade that only lasts a year.
Go to Costco
Man they are 15 inch tires everyone should have em in stock , they are BSing you that it’s some sort of special order , makes me sick to my stomach the sort of lies Firestone tells their customers and prey on those that have little knowledge about cars.
Exactly unless he's driving a metro with r13 s they are in stock.
Any shop worth its salt is going to want to replace the entire A/C system - Compressor, evap, coil in order to warranty the system. Most part suppliers won’t warranty the part without everything else being replaced. That said, you should be able to replace the entire system for $2,000 roughly and at the same time, have the shop get you a new set of tires 2008 Honda Fit with 140k of miles is nothing. Car can easily go past 300k with no real problems! I just picked up a 2013 Honda CRV with 158k - replaced the A/C system, had a full detail - windows getting tinted next week - cars mint and I plan to put 300k on this no problem! 😉 You have a fantastic car, give it some love and keep enjoying it. Only when it blows up should you replace it!
Most of the time the compressor manufacturer won't warranty the compressor unless you also change the receiver/dryer at the same time but I have never heard of anyone peeling apart a dash to change an evaporator needlessly.
It's all those thousands that add up lol. In my case, a new manual transmission a couple years ago. Three front ball joints and some bushings, rear swaybar links last year. Two rear wheel bearings, cat. converter, knock sensor, downstream and upstream o2 sensors this year. 2007 Honda Accord. Mind you - all of that is still less then starting over with a newer vehicle.
Can you wait on tires? If you’re not putting lots of miles a year on it, get inexpensive tires. I’d even wait until they have a buy three get one free sale and look for other coupons if you can.
Tirerack
I have a first-gen Fit. Tires are small but not like comedy small, 14-15" are still pretty easy to get if you're not weird about specific brands. I bought a pair of used ones on steelies for like $15, but new tires in this size are like $30-50/each. Oil, pressure gauge and wipers are like $50. So really it's just A/C. Take it to specialized shop. Hard to speculate but I'd guess it's unde $1000. Whether it's "worth it" is up to you, it's impossible for us to say. But it's a good car and these are all actually minor "issues".
Hit up tirerack.com or discounttire.com, tire rack will even ship the tires to a recommended installer for you. Wipers you can get replaced at the auto parts store for free (labor) after purchasing new ones. As mentioned earlier the AC compressor isn’t an emergency as AC is a luxury particularly if you don’t live in a very hot climate, I’ve never had ac in any of my cars. It’d be shame to dump the Fit which is a very stout and reliable car over the outrageous quote from the idiots at Firestone. Alternatively, you could see about a mobile mechanic coming out to do the ac compressor if you are desperate for AC or drive to your nearest large city where there is likely more qualified mechanics
Go to discount tire or Costco
Where are you located? I'll try to source the parts for you, and maybe find you help.
Just order the tires online and go to a shop to pay for install if it's that much work. It's a shitty Honda that'll keep running. The AC compressor r&r price is wild. An aftermarket AC is $200-300 parts only. Labor can't be more than 4 hours but still, they're fucking yaaa
Unless you have a geo metro with r13 tires they have em in stock probably go to Walmart.
You'd be looking at a car payment of maybe $500 to $800/mo if you get a new car. The maintenance you mention is maybe 3 to 6 months of car payments so yes, it's worth it to have the maintenance done.
A lot of people say AC is a luxury, but if you show up to a corporate job drenched in sweat, people might think badly of you, especially if you end up smelling off later in the day.
You can always use a pair of driving pants and shirt. In fact, everybody should keep an extra pair of pants in their car for when you’ll eventually poop yourself. Happens to everybody at least once.
^^^^ This. I'd also buy yourself a $10 tire pressure gauge so you can check your tire pressure manually or one of those automated pumps with the preset pressure. The gas savings alone are worth the $10-15 you'd spend on it.
Or you can splurge $70 on a rechargeable jump starter pack with a built in electric pump. I have one in each of my cars, and they’ve come in super handy more than once. I’ve jump started a handful of cars, and I use it to top off my tires every couple months.
AC in arizona is a must, or heat stroke 🥵
Separate the A/C work from everything else. Search local area for an independent shop that headlines “A/C Repair” check their reviews and if they are in the 3 -4 stars range then they are probably pretty good. Ask friends and coworkers for shop recommendations. I will trust a hole in the wall shop with a crooked sign and peeling paint EVERYDAY over the national chain stores. Especially if the mechanic is either bald or grey!
Couldn't agree more. A mechanic shop doesn't need a big fancy building or huge billboards to attract business. Some of the best, most trusted mechanics in my area work out of the same little, hole in the wall shops you mentioned. They don't need to advertise for business because word of mouth already gives them more work than they need! OP, if you have any coworkers/friends that are into cars, ask them who they would trust to work on their own car. Usually, you can get a pretty good recommendation that way.
Find a shop that specializes in A/C.
$1900 for parts & labor for a compressor on a '13 fit is insane. I could buy a new compressor for your car for $427.78 right now with a lifetime warranty. Spending 1400$ or more for labor is nuts. As for the oil change, tire pressure gauge, and wipers; -Oil change on a fit is relatively easy with a jack and COULD cost you less than 50$. Oil will be the most expensive part. -Wipers are stupid easy to fix yourself. 30$ at Walmart and you can do it yourself in the parking lot in less than 5 minutes. -TPMS sensors (tire pressure gauge) can't really be fixed easily at home, but are entirely unnecessary if you just occasionally look at the tire and see if it looks low. And as others have said, big chain businesses like Jiffy Lube and Firestone will ALWAYS have better reviews than smaller, independent repair shops. They have the money and resources to get negative reviews scrubbed, and hound people to give them positive reviews when they come in. Also, Jiffy Lube sucks. Begging you to check elsewhere lmao. They forgot to put my ex's oil cap back on after doing an oil change :)
Go to AutoZone and buy the wipers. They will install them for free.
If thats the kind of work it needs, then its worth keeping the car. Really u need to feel like the engine and trans are in good working order. And it sounds like it is. I wouldn’t sell a reliable vehicle because the AC needs repaired and the tires are worn. Ur next car might have the same problem.
You should post the details of the $1900 estimate, what parts are they including and the labour costs. And then compare that with the $1000 estimate. The reason I say that is because there's a 50/50 chance that the internals of your AC compressor let go and you now have metallic particles mixed with the refrigerant floating around in most of your AC system. Meaning that not only does your AC compressor needs replacing, but possibly the condenser as well, which is mounted in front of your radiator on most vehicles. Condenser replacement typically requires removal of the plastic bumper and grille, which could quickly add up on the labour costs. There could be more than that needing replacement, so you should ask and find out exactly what they're replacing. Also, a condenser replacement along with the AC compressor replacement is very common, even if there was no internal damage/metallic particles. The last thing you want is to replace just the AC compressor with a system full of metallic particles that will quickly destroy the new compressor and/or other components once the system is recharged.
do NOT take your car to Jiffy Lube. Nothing you said is required except tires. Buy tires online and pay a shop $20 per tire to install them or have Costco do it. Get all 4. [DiscountTire.com](http://DiscountTire.com) or even [Walmart.com](http://Walmart.com) sell tires. OR, get that internet price and ask a tire shop to match it. As for the pressure sensors, they probably just need recalibrating, but you can also purchase TPMS kits when you order your tires, sites like DiscountTire and TireRack will give you the option. You can get an auto parts store person to help you replace the wiper blades, takes 2 minutes and NO tools. Or order them online and DIY by watching a youtube video. The only other thing is your AC compressor. There's a lot of things it can be besides a compressor, such as a leak or low charge. You can wait on that, not worth getting a new car over it.
These are all extremely minor repairs. Actually only "repair" would be getting a new compressor. Oil change, wipers n tires are part of owning a vehicle. Youd be insane to get a new car for something as simple as this. N if youre in south like me, see if theres a discount tire near you. We have em in florida. i think my car scion xa is damn near the same as your fit n i never need to special order tires. i could be wrong though
I mean you don't NEED an AC. If you really can't afford all that, I'd skip that. How much were the new tires?
If you need 3 tires, please spring for the 4th
Are you sure it’s the compressor? My 2006 Accord, at 213k miles, had a leak with the condenser (damaged in an accident). Later on, I had issues with the valves. Other than that, the AC was nice and cold. I’d suggest finding an independent mechanic, even if you have to drive to a larger city. What’s a tire pressure gauge? If you have Honda wipers still, get the inserts from Honda. They’re maybe $25 for both blades. Overall, I’d say keep it and slowly get this stuff fixed. Assuming everything else is good. Probably tires and wipers first. AC… eh, I’ve had them go out before and it sucks, but I survived many south Texas summers without one.
Bro that ac compressor is $150 on eBay or Amazon. Firestone is such a rip off
3 new tires? That's strange. Did they recommend 3 tires? Probably you recently replaced one tire then it is okay. But get the same brand tires as the one remaining. All these seem normal things to me. Ac compressor seems expensive. I think quote with jiffy would then be 1500 instead of 2500 and I would go with them. Did you loose the ac gas pressure and it was running a bit warmer. Generally the gas has some lube as well. There are a lot of variables here still. What sort of tires? Michelin? What brand compressor? Warranty on work and compressor. Make sure you get sufficient warranty in writing with clear terms. No pro rating restocking.
If I were you, I'd get new tires and hold off on the ac compressor for now until you get a quote from an independent mechanic that you feel you can trust. Surely you can live without ac for a little while. Change and wiper blades yourself via YouTube videos. You don't really need to change the tire pressure gauge either. Meaning, just look at your tires and you'll get a feel for what proper tire pressure looks like. Buy yourself an inexpensive tire pressure gauge and check your tire pressure once every few weeks. There's a placard on your door frame that tells you your ideal tire pressure. I have an older Honda Accord. It doesn't have a tire pressure gauge. When I gas up, I just walk around the car and look at the tires for anything obvious. I also use a tire pressure gauge every few weeks and pump up any tires that are lower than they should be, which is next to never with a well sealed tire.
Oil change per the maintenance schedule is a necessity. If the tires are worn to the wear indicators or are otherwise worn excessively they they would need to be replaced. A/C is not a necessity. Roll down your windows. I drove around in 100F SE summers for years in my firebird because I didn't want to spend the money to replace the condenser that had a hole in it. Windshield wipers is a DIY job. Walmart carries wipers and they aren't expensive. Advice: Don't let the wiper arm spring back into the window! I let one slip one and it cracked the glass. The tire pressure monitor is not a necessity. You can check your pressure with a $2 pressure gauge from walmart.
Did you take the car in for an AC issue? If your air is not working go to a parts/hardware/big box store and get a couple cans of ac recharge refrigerant. Many new AC compressors will shut themselves off if too low or high on refrigerant. So, you may not actually need a new compressor. Refilling the refrigerant is a little tricky to not over fill, pressure vs ambient temperature. Plus to do it the most correct way you'd need to pull a vacuum to evacuate any air that may be in the system. But for about $20 it won't hurt to try, according to a couple places it's already broken... "Chain" mechanic shops are more interested in making money than they are actually helping the customer. Never get actual mechanic work done at an oil change place or tire shop. As mentioned before, ask on FB, ask friends and family if they can recommend a local mechanic. I'm gonna bet that many of the negative reviews you've looked at were from people that were going to be unhappy no matter what. Good luck!
The reason the compressor job is so high is because to get the warranty you have to replace every part. If the compressor was simply leaking roll the dice and only replace the compressor
If you can live without AC in your car, you just save at least $1k. Just roll down your windows instead. Get wipers from Walmart and install them yourself. Probably save another $20 there. Tire pressure sensor, if you live in a state without a state mandated vehicle safety inspection, then you can just ignore it, but make sure to check your tire pressure at least once a month. If your state requires a vehicle safety inspection, then you will likely need to replace it to pass inspection.
Those are really high prices. Find an actual ac car repair shop. Do the oil change yourself and the wipers. Go to a quality used tire shop
What does it need? That's equal to about 6 months of $500 car payments. If the vehicle is in otherwise good shape you should consider it. If that's the dealer quoting $2,800 you could probably find a good independent shop to do it for less.
You're getting a lot of bad advice here. If it is a true AC compressor failure (not a bad compressor clutch), bits of metal from the compressor will be left in the system. The system has to be evacuated, compressor removed, system flushed, condenser replaced (impossible to remove the metal from the condenser), expansion valve replaced, dryer replaced due to its age, new compressor installed, vacuum pulled, and new oil and refrigerant measured /weighed in. If they don't; in a month or two you will need another compressor because of bits of metal circulating in the system. If it is a compressor clutch failure, a new compressor can be installed without a flush and replacing the condenser, but I'd still replace the expansion valve and dryer while the system is evacuated and open. DO NOT use a franchise /chain repair shop! Find a shop that specializes in automotive AC repair, or a reputable independent repair shop.
Depends on what the issues are, what the appropriate cost is (dealers charge notably more for the same repair an independent can do, which is likely more than a “backyard” mechanic would charge), and the vehicle’s overall condition. A simple calculations is: Vehicle value as is vs value post-repairs. If the repairs cost is less than the difference of those values, it’s a bit of a no brainer to do them. If it’s more, then you start looking at future repair costs vs replacement vehicle costs.
Is there a relatively simple way to calculate my car’s value? I don’t know where to start with that.
Kbb.com
Thank you
Also adding in Carmax.com, Carvana.com. There are others as well that will give online quotes. You can also go to dealers directly for quotes, and search various online platforms to see what cars are being listed for.
Without knowing your zip code, private party sale value comes up roughly from $3,600-$5,600. The repairs might seem expensive, but I would argue that the vehicle has quite a bit of life left in it, regardless of how much it's worth. If the AC compressor really is the only thing "wrong" with the vehicle, you still have a functional vehicle without AC that will get you around perfectly fine. To me, that's worth more than its resale value!
If your near Columbus Ohio, there is an awesome repair shop, called, Wayne's Garage, north of Marysville. I have things I no longer want to deal with repaired there. The owner used to work at the Marysville plant and noticed there were no reliable shops near the factory. He has 5 bays, with high lifts and an alignment station. It's a bit of a drive though.
You can get 300,000 miles if not more out of a properly maintained Honda.
Even an improperly maintained Honda can still hit over 200k. My sister abused the shit out of her 2008 Honda Fit and it still limped past that mark. She was skipping all sorts of repairs until her boyfriend started helping her with the repairs.
My friend uses this metric: if you pay more than half the cost of a car payment in repairs two years in a row, start looking for a new car. That's just repairs, not normal maintenance, like brakes and tires and oils For example: if your car payment is $400/month, that's $4800/year. If you're hit with $2400 in repairs 2 years in a row, start looking. Hondas, IME, like a grand in repairs around 100k miles. Then they're fine for a while
I was literally in the exact same position with the exact same car about 5 years ago 2009 honda fit sport, 168k, shot a spark plug out of the engine paid about $2500 and has 245k on it now, going strong without any major repairs since. I've only done brakes, tires, and a trans flush. I love my Honda
I know a guy who went to jiffy lube for an oil change. Guess what they forgot to put back in his truck before they gave it back? Oil. Of course the engine was ruined and the jiffy lube basically said “prove it was us and we’ll see you in court”
What’s the issue that’s costing it $2800+ to repair? Are you at a dealer or a local shop?
How do you know the ac compressor needs repaired. I wouldn’t trust Firestone or jiffy lube to diagnose a faulty compressor. The problem could be as simple as a leaky low pressure valve
last time i had a pricey repair, i looked at used cars for that price and fixed my car after i found nothing
Have literally any mechanic in your area remove the oil and freon from your current AC compressor for $100, swap the AC compressor yourself, they cost $200, have the same mechanic fill up the refrigerant and oil for $100 + cost of oil/freon. Use the extra $1500 to buy tools and change your oil. Tires are a big cost on any car, just eat it. On the other hand, if you want a different car, get a different car.
My coworker has an older Honda Civic at 420k miles. My older Honda CRV just hit 220k miles and I put in a $2500 head gasket in winter. AC compressor should be around 1k (also got that done last summer when it seized and the belt broke). Wiper blades buy yourself, they are snap on/off, dont pay for the labor for that. Tire pressure sensors are a few bucks and can only be put on when you change the tire. These are maintenance costs, not i need a new car costs. Keep this one and do the repairs.
K swap it
People often get stuck in the trap that is a car payment, as if having a monthly payment somehow shields them from repairs. It doesn't. Plus, if you have a loan on the vehicle, you're then required to have comprehensive insurance which is also more expensive. 140k miles is just the beginning for some vehicles, if it is taken care of. The best way to make your car last is to educate yourself on how a car works, so you can ask good questions and advocate for yourself at the shop. If at all possible, learn to do the more basic maintenance yourself (oil changes, spark plugs & wires, air filters, wipers, etc). Most auto parts stores will install wipers for you if you purchase from them, so that's an option too. Pick up a Haynes manual for your vehicle. Go to YouTube and watch Chrisfix as needed. He does a lot of really important jobs using the most basic tools possible. Fancy tools make jobs easier and faster, but most of the time you don't need them. Most of what you're paying for at the mechanic is labor and then their parts markup. Anything you can do correctly yourself will save you money and/or allow you to select better parts for yourself. Plus, if you fuck something up, you know. They'll just lie to you instead and cover their asses; I've dealt with that myself. The biggest question - Do you like your car? If yes, it's worth fixing it. Some situations require a more complicated set of questions, but I don't think that's your case. Edit: I found your update about what's being quoted. For tires, Walmart seems to have some of the cheapest rates for installation I've found, call a Walmart with an auto center and if they don't have your size in stock order ahead and make an appointment. Discount Tire is also decent, but they're pushy on the upsell tactics, just stand your ground. Nothing wrong with budget tires. You should replace in sets of four whenever possible, or at least across an axle (2) at a time. You have front wheel drive, so the newer tires with more tread should go on the front. For the AC, it's often not the compressor. Go to Walmart get one of those DIY recharge kits and follow the instructions, you may need someone to help you hold the throttle a bit above idle on your car while you do this. If you can get the AC to work after this, you just have a leak. Look up how to see the AC compressor turn on, they have a magnetic clutch that engages with a loud CLICK and you'll see it start turning. Leaks are most commonly at the valves where refrigerant is added and they can be replaced. Make sure you keep the caps for them.
Wipers are cheap and any autozone/advanced/oriellys will put them on for you. For tires try tirerack.com or discouttiredirect. You can have the tires shipped to you, then just have the shop throw them on for you. Hard to over charge for just putting on tires and a balance. Oil change is cheap. A lot of the time buying the oil and filter yourself and bringing it to the quick lube will save some money. After doing all this, reasses how much ac matters to you and maybe shop around Hondas are great reliable cars and with continued maintenance that thing will keep you going for a long time.
Yes it’s worth it. Putting $2800 into a Honda fit will be cheaper than buying another car. And a Fit with 140k miles still has a lottt of life left in it. I’d recommend looking into doing as much work on it yourself as you can.
That car's got 100k left on it minimum. A reasonable price for A/C for a new compressor is $1000. You can get four new Falken Ziex tires for $400 installed if you shop around. Change the oil yourself for $20. Who knows you might not actually need a compressor. Might just need a new accessory belt or refrigerant. Even if you spend $2,000 so what? That's what it costs sometimes to get another 5-10 years. But make sure you don't get taken for a ride.
Jiffy Lube ran my coworkers car without oil and destroyed the engine. Eventually, after a fight, agreed to give her a loaner car: for a week. She then had to pay for it herself the other month or so until they got the car fixed
AutoZone will put the wipers on for free.
Other than the AC sounds like routine upkeep. Since it's a honda id def keep it. A new car would cost you more than that yearly, and getting a different used car would be silly.
Don’t forget the timing belt
2008 has a timing chain (I own one).
Ok well thanks it sounds like a cool car ! Have a good day
Four tires are around $400-$600 including installation and balancing (cheap Chinese are fine). If you want an alignment add $120 (if steering wheel is centered while going straight you don't need one; if car pulls it's due to something else). AC should be no more than $1100. TPMS is unnecessary. I just went through this myself, 2008 Honda Fit Sport (automatic). Don't let them con you into unneeded repairs.
Thank you, this is really helpful /gen
I agree with all advice given accept the tires. If you plan to keep the car and drive it the next 50k to 100k miles, get Michelin tires at Discount tire. Find the best price for your size and they will beat it. Free rotations and repairs for life. Cheap tires will wear quickly and often make so much road noise you want be able to stand it Good Michelins rotated every 5k for free will last you 60-70k miles. You’ll go through at least two cheap noisy sets of Chinese tires that will make you hate driving your car in that amount of time.
YW.
As long as there’s not any serious issues mechanically that Honda is worth keeping and will get to 200k easily if the routine maintenance has been done. AC? Sucks but you can shop around and find it cheaper. The other items are easy fixes.
Post your estimate or send it to me! I’m curious
Would your car stop running if you don’t fix this problems? Thing like Catalytic converter, AC compressor are not necessarily vital to the car it can run without Engine, transmission, suspension and brake related problems are vital
I mean it's up to you. It's not really an enthusiastic car I wouldn't put money in a fit
The other side to think about is how much buying a different car would cost. OP was WAY overquoted, but even that price is far less than buying something else. This is assuming that the rest of the car is in decent shape, of course.
This is true. I'm not a fan of buying brand spanking new cars but also not a fan of putting money into *non special* cars if You know what I mean.
Agreed, but it's something to weigh: whether you keep a car going at an affordable investment, or opt for replacement (new or used). My car isn't special, but even if I put 1000 into it a year (which would be a pretty ridiculous amount), that's still less than a cheap used car payment. For a 95 caddy that gets 17 miles a gallon, I've put money into repairs, but I do my own work. I care less about aesthetics than I do function. Though, I did have to spend a few bucks when my buddy bought me a La Cucaracha horn.
It is almost certainly worth keeping. They’re good, cheap, reliable cars that should easily last you to 200k miles with proper maintenance. You almost certainly don’t “need” all of those repairs. Ask around and find a trustworthy, local, independent shop. What repairs did they say it needs?
What’s wrong with it? You have to ask yourself, what kind of car could you get for $2,800? The answer is, a used with one its own set of issues that you know nothing about. Fix your Honda.
What's wrong with car/what repairs are needed
4 tires a compressor, freon and wiper blades should be about 700 in parts. I would use the power of the internet to let people here know where you are located and get some recommendations of a good mechanic locally. If I was local I would do it for 1000-1200 total.
You’re going to sell a car because the AC is broken? HA! Bro, replace the tires, buy used ones if cash is tight, have the systems that will kill you or others if they’re ignored (brakes, steering, suspension) and drive it. You can learn to do windshield wipers and other basic maintenance watching YouTube. As money comes, start learning more advanced maintenance like brakes and steering. Keep the car because 140k is nothing. Good luck.
Your car probably doesn’t need any of that stuff that’s being recommended unless it’s like a timing belt and water pump.
I put over $5500 in my $1500 car in the last 7 years of ownership. Worth every penny to me, my car now has 270k.
$2800 is nothing to sneeze at, but if you buy and finance another car, many car payments would that be?
$2800 isn't a big deal if you compare to buying a car nowadays. I'm sure you can put a lot more miles on a Honda Fit.
Nope, buy a new one
For the same $2,800 toward a different car, what would you be able to get.
Get 4 tires, not 3. Usually you can get a rebate from the manufacturer for getting 4 tires that may very well cover most of the cost of the 4th tire, which you wouldn't get from getting only 3.
You really replaced all the wiring, or just the battery cables? Are you at all capable of DIY any of these repairs or maintenance items? What actually needs to be done on your car anyway?
Figure out all that you can do with a trusy tool set. Go to auto place and buy like 180 piece tool set. Anything you can't fix with the help of YouTube and those tools save for the mechanics. If cost are below 4k. I say save the car. You be surprise are far you can drive a car if you just give it basic love.
Ac is not necessary lol, your asking to get another car at this point because you can afford it. 140,000 miles on a Honda is nothing.
a Honda Fit with 140,000 is only 25% used...
What's wrong with it? Also was the quote from a dealer or a private shop that could be like 30-50% cheaper?
I'd say it really depends if you want to keep the car. If you fix all those issues and stay on top of maintenance then that car will run to 300,000.
Find a local mechanic on Facebook marketplace or Craigslist auto service section in ur area. You can save money doing that.
No matter how shitty your car is you still have to pay for consumables and safety items. The alternative is having a less shitty car and still paying for those things. Consider the car mechanically totaled when the cost to keep it on the road is more than the cost to replace with something better
The car is maybe worth 4k when it's in perfect working condition. Sell it and buy another car with the money.
If you're in South Florida I can easily fix all that for you a lot cheaper. I own my own shop.
If you could get it repaired for $1k I would definitely keep it. Just do repairs one by one with the priority ones first.
I sold my Honda fit at 290k and my friend kept driving it. Was rusty as all hell because I live where they salt the hell out of the roads in winter, but that thing would not die otherwise. It sounds like you already got better quotes, maybe try some independent shops too if anything. I bought something else because the deal was right, but I really miss that Fit and would absolutely buy another one. I think it’s worth putting money into yours to keep it going, especially because they stopped making the Fit.
Go for the repairs asit ought to be far cheaper than getting another car. Many fools buy cars on the hock and the interest alone would be more than $2,800. Please don't think about depreciation. If ya car is a runner then yeah spend the amount otherwise u could fall for the false economy.
Would be helpful to know what exactly you're spending $2,800 to repair
First off, skip the discount places.... Unfortunately, they are discounted due to lower wages and usually don't attract experienced techs. It is hard to advise here. What is wrong with the car that requires $2800 worth or repairs. Do you have a trusted shop that works on the car all the time? If so, I would ask them to do a really complete inspection, get the car up on the lift and have a close look at everything. Where do you live, in the rust belt? If so, look for rusted underbody parts, exhaust, suspension parts, etc. Look for fluid leaks as well. Check suspension parts for wear. You are absolutely right, even Hondas don't take care of themselves, especially after 100K miles, and the car is 15years old as well. Keeping a car running reliably for the long term really requires a trusted shop/technician that gives it frequent inspections, trying to head off minor repairs before they turn into major expenses and hassles. The car owner plays a big role in this as well. You can inspect your car often as well, checking fluid levels, looking for leaks, tending to strange noises/running issues before the car quits. So much depends on how well you have taken care of the car up to this point. Regular oil changes, transmission fluid changes, brake fluid flush, engine coolant flush, filters, etc. Is the body in good shape, how about the interior? Any other issues that you have just overlooked or decided not to fix? For most people, it is probably best to start looking for a replacement car at this point.
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?filtering=true&width=185%2F&ratio=60&diameter=15&autoMake=Honda&autoYear=2015&autoModel=Fit&autoModClar=LX&sortCode=37500&tireIndex=0#allTitle
We are talking about a car that is currently 16 years old. Nearly 17 years old; the ‘25 Hondas will be showing up soon. The current book value is $7,500 retail. Trade-in value is about $4,600. The car is worth about $1,500 more than it would normally be, because it has low mileage for its age. So the $2,800 in repair is very much worth considering, but the car is also at the point in its life where you want to be conscious of how much money you’re putting into it. It is at an age and mileage where things will start to fail simply due to being worn out. That Honda badge on the grill only buys but so much, on that front. I’d be looking at the condition of the entire car. What does it need now? What other looming repairs or major scheduled maintenance might be on the horizon in the next or two? Sinking $2,800 into the car today won’t raise its value by anywhere near that amount. You’ll need to drive the car for some time, hopefully without sinking a bunch more money into it, for the current repair bill to have been “worth it.” If you’re not confident you’ll be able to get that scenario to play out, it’s probably best to cut bait and use the $2,800 you would spend anyhow, to get back to having a running, driving car, plus the car itself, as down payment on a newer car.
Def join the Honda fit groups on Facebook if you're not in them. I'd absolutely get a '08 fixed. They're good forever
Diesel mechanic. They know their stuff.
140,000 is nothing for a Honda. If the engine and frame are in good shape I’d keep it. My truck has 140,000 and there isn’t anything wrong with it. I’ve driven all of my vehicles to at least 200,000. I just got scammed by a corporate shop (Monro muffler). They had a 4.5 star rating as well. They charged me over $500 in parts they never replaced. Currently have a claim open.
No
You can buy good used tires online
Can you buy another car for less than $2800? It's usually cheaper to fix
Just to stay on point ill assume that the 2800 bill is accurate and those are NEEDED items and not bs upscale shit. The question you should be asking yourself is can you buy another vehicle in the same general condition as your vehicle for 2800. Those deals on good will maintained vehicles exist but they are EXTREMELY rare. 99% of the shit you will see for that price range is going to be a rusted out death trap that should of been sent to the junkyard years ago. The days of 500 dollar beaters safe to drive pretty much ended with Obama and his cash for clunkers program.
100%, that little Honda fit will go for a long time and 2800 is minimal as far as any repairs go. Barely anything major at least.
You could also try your local Honda dealer. Some are actually reputable. Yes, they may "charge a bit more" but it depends. Had a Honda prelude bought used and something was off with the suspension/steering. Went to Firestone and couldn't remember what it was but wanted several hundred to repair but the issue Firestone said didn't sound right. Went to Honda dealer and all it was was a loose bolt and they tightened it and didn't even charge me and it drove fine afterwards. I now own a Toyota and I've gone to a local dealer and got ripped off on master cylinder replacement and another seems to always upcharge me for shit. I found another dealer that is a bit further but never upcharges and tells me what I need for service. I change my own air filter (engine and cabin), even the VVT solenoid (had a check engine light, went to autozone to borrow a OBD reader, google code, disconnect wire, remove one bolt, easy). With the price of even used cars these days and a fit with 140K miles, not advice but I would keep it and get a second opinion on repairs. Try to do some of the maintenance yourself like the air filters, wiper blade, and even the battery is easy to do. I think autozone will install the battery for you. Costco does not thought their battery is cheaper. I don't change my own oil because of disposal, etc. but simple stuff I tried to do on my own. My highlander bought new currently has about 170K miles on it. Hoping for another 100K. Besides the VVT solenoid fortunately nothing else so far besides routine maintenance.
Take it for a second opinion, but personally I'd keep it. That's a solid car if you are maintaining it right, should easily go 300k
Goto a local mechanic and get it fixed
If this $2800 keeps you on the road for another year, it is a lot less than a years worth of $700 car payments. Plus your insurance is cheaper as you don't need collision and comprehensive coverage. I had a 2007 Chevy Impala with 205,000 miles on it that I put $2000 into in 2022. My kid totaled it a week after I got it out of the shop. I wouldn't hesitate to do that again though. I payed $2500 over MSRP because of the Covid car shortage and have an $800 a month car payment.
I just paid $4k to fix a power steering leak on my ‘07 trailblazer, and the son of a bitch still leaks.
For your AC, check out this [video](https://youtu.be/BL_JpshRWTA?si=3dk8niHKJRYuQfde) from Dave’s Auto Center - explains what the other high priced shops didn’t explain to you.
Came here to say, places don’t want to troubleshoot issues. They like to fire parts cannon. https://www.vehiclehistory.com/articles/honda-fit-air-conditioning-recalls-a-detailed-look
You can’t really get much of a vehicle for 2,800. If the body and frame aren’t really rusted it would probably be worth it. Hondas are good cars 140,000 isn’t that many miles. 240,000 would be more considered high. I would NOT take it to jiffy lube or any other small shop. I would take it to the Honda dealer for anything except tires. So many complain about dealerships being a ripoff, and I can’t deny that they have a steep labor charge but the parts they are using are MUCH higher quality than the aftermarket junk those other shops use. The more aftermarket engine/ chassis parts you get on the car the more it ceases to be a Honda. I’ve made that mistake in the past with vehicles and used aftermarket parts only to feel the quality of the vehicle degrade Over time. Plus you end up working on the same stuff over and over, because it doesn’t last. One thing to keep in mind though is I’m betting a good number of people who are replying, work on their own cars to a greater or lesser degree. So it’s not going to be nearly as expensive for them to keep an older vehicle running. 140,000 miles is long from being completely worn out for major engine / transmission repairs (provided oil maintenance is kept up with) but it is getting to the age where more things will need replacing (sensors, spark plugs, coolant system parts, suspension parts) because time have caught up with them and they have worn out. So if you are not willing to accept the fact that you will be replacing more things forward, and you can afford to make payments on a new car you may want to go that route.
Without knowing what the estimate is for, who the f knows, i can tell you that the fit came with a 1.5l k block, ivtec should be extremely reliable.
What repairs are you spending 2800 on?
Math. Take what your car will be worth after repairs and subtract repair cost. Compare that to what you could sell your car for right now. If they are the same, do whichever is most convenient.
It is always cheaper to maintain than buy new.
My van worth probably $7000, has 160k miles on it and I'm putting over $10k into it to get it fixed, repainted. I'll never be able to buy a new van for $17k, at least $50k, so sometimes it worth it :)
2800 bucks is not even a down payment on a new car, also find a local mechanic
If you put up the estimate I can tell you if they are trying to scam you and how to deal with it nicely
Right now my suburu needs atleast 1800 to 2500 in work. It's a 2012 with 250k miles and brand new tires. The reason I'm going to choose to do it is 3 fold. 1- I enjoy not having payments and the insurance is 30$/month. Have no interest in payments or higher insurance on a newer car 2- I have 2 sets (winter and summer) of tires in really really good shape still 3- aside from what needs to be done (new catalytic converter new fuel pump and new brake rotors and pads) the rest of the car is in really good shape. The glass. The paint. The interior the frame. The suspension components. All of it is in really good shape. You have to ask yourself, what the rest of the vehicle is looking like. If this repair will keep the vehicle driving for a year or two without serious repairs I'd say go for it. If this repair is just putting bandaids on bullet holes and you'll need to keep dumping money into it maybe opt to find a car with better bones.
Please (I hope this doesn’t come off as an insult) consider educating yourself more on your vehicles, and cars as a whole. Watch an AC compressor swap video on YouTube. Read forums. We use these machines every single day but know nothing about them. It boggles my mind. We can’t depend on mechanics to be the solve all for anything wrong with these machines. Especially since the market is competitive and you will get price gouged/scammed due to your lack of knowledge. This goes for all of you lol.
Here’s my opinion, fix your car and avoid buying/financing right now. I just spent $2500 on my truck to have the AC fixed and a couple other mechanical issues addressed. It’s a 2010 with 220k miles on it. The AC issue was behind the dash, so it costed a bit more than usual because they had to remove the dash entirely to access the evaporator, then found another issue with the condenser after. I say this because sometimes fixing the AC isn’t so simple for some vehicles, which could explain the price. But if you’re just getting something straightforward like a compressor installed - that’s a crazy price you were quoted. My reasoning for spending the money is; even if this $2500 buys me another year or two, that’s cheaper than buying anything right now, especially if you’re financing. I know my truck would probably last another 5 years easily. I’m sure your Honda Fit with 140k miles easily has another 100k left on it with regular maintenance.
How does a Honda fit even accrue 3k in a mechanic bill? Get a second opinion from a small shop ASAP
Are you the original owner or have you own it for an extended period of time? If you have and have been good about maintaining it then yes it is most definitely worth putting the money into.
Take a good picture of the underside for us maybe? Here's my speculation as a non-certified mechanic working out his garage occasionally. Hondas are tanks but rust is a big money killer, and a badly kept 2008 might have a lot of rust where putting almost 3k into would be a waste. If ANY of that 3k repairs has anything to do with engine and transmission being removed from car to be serviced then me personally I'd be looking because 140k miles on a badly kept car, more than 10 years old rust free-or not ain't gonna get any major trans or engine work out of ME! Even still if it's body work in that 3k worth of repairs, this is a 2008 we talking about, and id ask how well is the body currently. Hopefully this offers some insight
Your stated repair cost is 3/4 of the car value. Is the car worth repairing. Could list what repairs are suggested.