Why We Built This
Every year, millions of car owners face expensive repair decisions without good information. Should you spend $3,000 to fix your transmission, or is it time to buy a different car?
Most advice comes down to simple rules like "don't spend more than 50% of your car's value." But these rules ignore your specific situation: your budget, your timeline, your car's maintenance history, and your local costs.
How It Works
Our calculator uses real data to compare the total cost of repairing vs. replacing over your planning timeline. We factor in:
- Your car's current market value
- Estimated future maintenance costs based on age and mileage
- Average insurance costs in your state
- Depreciation over time
- Loan costs if you finance a replacement
- Trade-in value if you sell your current car
Our Data Sources
We compile data from multiple trusted sources:
- Kelley Blue Book for vehicle values
- RepairPal and YourMechanic for repair cost estimates
- National insurance databases for state-by-state averages
- Industry-standard depreciation rates by make and model
Who We Are
We're car enthusiasts and data nerds who got tired of seeing friends and family make expensive car decisions based on emotion or incomplete information. This tool is 100% free because we believe everyone deserves access to good financial information.
Questions or Feedback?
We're constantly improving this tool based on user needs. Have a suggestion or found a bug? We'd love to hear from you - a contact form will be added soon!