The original post: /r/askcarguys by /u/Dhanraj_01 on 2024-06-14 11:48:30.

Hey Reddit,

I need some advice on whether to keep or sell my car. Here’s the story:

I bought my first car, a 2012 Mazda 3 Sport, in December 2023 with 153,000 km on it for $8,000 CAD. I know it was overpriced, but the market was terrible at the time. My rookie mistake was not getting the car safetied before buying it. When I finally did, it turned out the car needed a lot of repairs.

My second mistake was choosing an expensive mechanic. He found several issues that needed fixing, including:

• Exhaust leak (replaced)
• Check engine light (minor evap leak, still on)
• Drive belts (replaced)
• New battery
• Lower ball joints (replaced)
• Front left and right (replaced)

These repairs cost me $3,000. I have no idea if these repairs were actually worth $3,000, but I had already spent a total of $11,000 in my first month of owning the car.

I decided to chalk it up to a tough lesson and move on, but then I went for an oil change recently and my mechanic found another issue. My brake fluid was leaking and my brakes were almost shot. This repair cost me another $400+tax, excluding the oil change.

In the last 6 months, I’ve spent around $3,400 on this car, and I’m financially drained. The car runs fine now but still has the minor evap leak code. I don’t know if I should cut my losses and sell it or try to keep it, hoping there won’t be more issues.

TL;DR: Bought a 2012 Mazda 3 Sport for $8,000. Spent $3,400 on repairs in 6 months. Car runs fine now but has a minor evap leak. Financially drained and unsure if I should sell or keep it.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

Edit: Forgot to mention, I am not mechanically inclined, so DIY repairs are out of the question for me.

— Confused and Broke