Is my 12-year-old car worth repairing?

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John Paul, AAA Northeast’s Motor vehicle Medical doctor, answers a question from a reader possessing difficulties with a very low-mileage 2010 Toyota.

Q. I have numerous issues about my 130,000-mile 2010 Toyota Camry. More than the previous a number of months, the look at engine gentle (code PO420) has been coming on continuously, and just about every time our mechanic has read the similar code which suggests a dilemma with the catalytic converter. More than this time, we have replaced the oxygen sensors, cleaned the PCV program, and changed the exhaust process like the catalytic converter. The motor burns about a quart of oil for every 600-800 miles, and we have included Techron to the gas. Is the car repairable or is it time to send out it to the junkyard?

A. Usually, a 12-calendar year-old Toyota with only 130,000 miles ought to have a great deal of lifetime left. A single achievable problem is the substitute catalytic converter. It has been my practical experience that some aftermarket catalytic converters are problematic. The PO420 code signifies an challenge with converter efficiency, and I suspect the aftermarket alternative is the difficulty. The oil intake difficulty should really just be monitored, and the amount topped off concerning oil variations. Almost any engine that utilizes oil can final a really extended time if the oil stage is stored entire. 

Q. I lately experienced my 2016 Jeep Compass’s oil adjusted at the vendor. The car or truck phone calls for 5W-20 conventional oil, and in the earlier, I always asked for 5W-20 artificial oil. I observed when I received home the maintenance buy explained they used 0W-20 artificial oil. Is that alright or need to I have them place in the 5W-20 oil? 

A. Any time probable I like to use the suggested quality and viscosity of oil. The appropriate oil, in accordance to the databases I use as nicely as the Jeep Compass owner’s manual, does list 5W-20 oil, and that is the oil I would use. Will the 0W-20 oil induce any damage? Not probable, but it is always ideal to use the manufacturer’s suggested oil. 

Q. I have 34,000 miles on my more mature Toyota Corolla and my automobile mechanic tells me that tune ups are out of date and spark plugs and other parts are good for 100,000 miles. What need to be carried out with my vehicle – transmission fluid drain, transform gasoline filter, anything at all else?

A. If this ended up my vehicle, I would change the oil at the very least after for every 12 months and use a good maintenance shop. A good quality repair service store will typically do an inspection of all of the critical fluids, air filter, belts, and cooling process. At 34,000 miles, your auto could be close to needing brakes and tires. Depending on its age, changing the brake fluid every 3-5 many years is a great notion as nicely as a yearly battery verify. If the car does have to have tires, possibly due to age or tread use, obtaining the wheels aligned will make sense.

Q. So a lot of internet sites are enamored with the Kia Telluride, saying it will be a great deal additional reputable than a Honda Pilot, to use a person illustration. I keep in mind when Volvo initial introduced the newer era XC90 in 2016. It was hyped as SUV of the Calendar year by several sources at the time, but has since been unveiled as a really problematic auto. Without a real heritage of extended miles driven, what are these promises of new introductory cars and trucks actually worth? The exact goes for premiums of depreciation as properly, it would seem. What do you feel?

A. You are right that without having restore/owner satisfaction details, you are only wanting at component of the new motor vehicle equation. The Kia Telluride is a incredibly great auto and capabilities extremely well. From its trip and dealing with to its infotainment procedure, the Telluride is well believed out. Even now, it is far too new to know how that exact same car will execute five to 10 years down the road. Pertaining to depreciation, Kia vehicles do depreciate more quickly than a equivalent Toyota or Honda, but I think that has additional to do (perhaps unfairly) with perception of the manufacturer relatively than actual car or truck high quality. 

John Paul is AAA Northeast’s Vehicle Medical professional. He has more than 40 yrs of experience in the automotive business enterprise and is an ASE-qualified learn technician. E-mail your car or truck question to [email protected] Pay attention to Car or truck Health care provider on the radio at 10 a.m. just about every Saturday on 104.9 FM or on the web at northshore1049.com.