GREENSBORO, N.C. —
"I'd love to have a new car but the cost of cars these days is prohibitive,” says Linda Burns.
Burns has a VW Beetle that has been around the block. That's a nice way to say it's seen a few years, 22 years in fact.
She's keeping the Beetle going because she has to and she's not alone.
A new nationwide survey shows for the first time, the average age of vehicles on the road is now over 12 years old. Mechanics say they're seeing a huge increase in customers trying to keep their clunkers.
“Sometimes people look for a new car, and they go out there and get frustrated and they come right back,” said one mechanic.
So, what should people do to keep their older cars running?
Maintenance is key, a small leak can cause a major problem.
Mechanics recommend replacing oil and fluids regularly,
don’t ignore the check-engine lights when they come on, and keeping the gas tank at least one-quarter full to help keep the fuel pump cool.
"It's just like your body, maintain your body, maintain your vehicle, it will run better and last longer," said another mechanic.
Just recently an expert from Consumer Reports talked about when a car is too old.
“When it's becoming unsafe to drive, unreliable, an old car is a great way to save money, especially if it's running well. An old car means old technology, lower fuel economy, and newer cars get better fuel economy. Also, is it letting you down, or is it making you nervous? Sometimes old cars are running great, I have a daydream of taking a road trip in a ‘65 convertible and that's a pretty old car,” said Mike Quincy from Consumer Reports.
I drove a 15-year-old car up until 2019.
My trick was the routine maintenance, and every year I took it to the mechanic and budgeted about $1,500 to do whatever work on it that needed to be done to keep it running well.
That $1,500 was cheaper than a car payment.