I’m not sure if this is the right place to ask, but here it goes. This question is from my sister, who’s a busy teacher and mom of two, so she really needs reliable transportation. I couldn’t answer it, so I’m hoping someone here can help.
The reason I’m asking this forum is that I thought someone might have insights on the 2011 Honda CRV and whether this fix at 180K miles will keep it going, or if it will have more problems soon. Thanks in advance!
"I need advice on what to do with my 2011 Honda CRV. Here’s the situation:
Car: It has about 180,000 miles on it, and it’s been generally reliable, but it just broke down. Repair Quote: The repair shop says I need a new alternator and timing belt, which will cost around $1,500. Financial Considerations: I’d prefer to hold off on buying a new or used car for about two years until my husband’s car is paid off, since we can only afford one car payment. Driving Needs: I drive around 10,000 miles a year, so if I do the repair, I’d need the car to last another 20,000 miles, or roughly two years. Sell Options: I asked if I could just sell it as-is, but the shop offered me only $500-$700, which seems low. If I put in the $1,500, I think I could sell it for around $3,000 later, which could go toward a lease or a new car if I need to upgrade sooner.
Any thoughts on whether it’s worth putting the money into this car? I’d love to know if I can realistically expect it to last another 20,000 miles with these repairs, or if I should just cut my losses and consider a lease for a couple of years."
The 2011 CRVs have timing chains, not belts. Since they’re working on the alternator, I assume she meant the serpentine belt. The price for the alternator and belt seems high, but if the car is running fine otherwise, I’d get it fixed. It should easily last another 2 years with low mileage. At that price, though, you could take it to a dealership and get the work done with a warranty, and it might not cost much more.
If the alternator is still working but just not charging the battery properly, you could spend $40 to replace the serpentine belt yourself and get a new battery, saving a lot of money.
Also, you could go to AutoZone and have them check the alternator to see if it’s really failing or if the shop might be taking advantage because she’s a woman.
I’m guessing she needs an alternator and a serpentine belt. I’d get a second opinion because that job should be around $500-$750. Once the alternator is off, there’s no extra labor to put on the new belt—it’s a quick job.
You should find a better mechanic, not a dealership, and get it fixed. Parts wear out, but that’s normal for a car of that age. It didn’t really ‘break down,’ it’s just wear and tear.
I wouldn’t sell it just over an alternator and timing belt. Hondas are generally pretty cost-effective per mile. But at that age, you should plan on about $1,000 a year in repairs, which is like two months’ worth of car payments.
Shops often offer lowball prices for cars. Even if you want to sell, fixing it will get you more money when it’s running.
I’d say go ahead and fix it. Both repairs are fairly simple and don’t mean the car isn’t still in good shape. If you’re into DIY work, you could do it for a couple hundred bucks. Personally, I invest in almost any repair unless it’s something major like a new motor or transmission.
For example, my Honda with almost 300K miles needed some repairs, the shop quoted $1800, but we bought the parts for $300 and did it ourselves, and it’s running great. My husband’s truck with 220K miles needs a new motor and transmission, but we’re not fixing it because we don’t need the truck anymore. We’re just getting rid of it.
Fix it and keep driving it. Those are regular maintenance items, and the engines and transmissions in these CRVs are usually really reliable. Did you get the frame recall done yet? That’s something to look into as it could make or break the car.
My mom’s 2011 CR-V had something similar, and it cost $3K to fix it all at 115K miles.
The cost was mainly for the belt tensioner (failed), water pump (recommended due to mileage), power steering pump (leaking), serpentine belt (worn and snake-skinned), and condenser (the AC compressor had been replaced twice, so it was recommended to work with the second replacement).
She still needs to get the struts replaced because they’re worn out. If it were me, I’d recommend keeping the car and fixing it. Also, there’s a recall on the frame corrosion for 2007-2011 models if she lives in a salt-belt state.