A month shy of eight years and our much loved S 85D has finally had a failure that is simply too much to consider repairing.....or should we take the $19k gamble?
Quickly, after it being suggested, during an unrelated service visit in January, that the rear suspension be replaced due to age and rusting, however being advised there was no need to repair immediately from a safety perspective, lo and behold the right (passenger) rear arm gave way last week.
Fortunately this occurred in a parking lot as opposed to a busy street, or on the highway at speed. Shudder to imagine what would have happened at 110kmh the multiple times we'd driven it between the Jan appointment and the parking lot a month later. Unfortunately the extreme angle, loud grinding of items as it was moved to be placed on the flat bed tow and the SC at the moment assumes may involve the half axle being bound in the rear drive motor has resulted in the SC estimating repairs will come out to approximately $19-20k including taxes and labour of $210/hour if the motor does need to be replaced. Estimate not including the rear drive unit is $14k. The estimates are so high as now the SC is insisting that the entire rear and front suspension arms, bars springs etc... need to be replaced.
So what to do? This car has served us well for the last eight years, whether daily commutes or long multi day road trips. However having made the decision eight years ago to drive it till it died here we are.....or are we? Looking for advice, hopefully not too much judgement on the question(?). Fix it for $20k, find someone that would pay more than that and what it would be worth in salvage? Fix it, keep it and pray it won't have any other issues in the coming two years....not that foolish and too expensive a bet to make. Or drag it home from the SC, and start looking for someone in the GTA (Toronto) that would like to buy it since it definitely still has many components that would be worthwhile to recover?
Quickly, after it being suggested, during an unrelated service visit in January, that the rear suspension be replaced due to age and rusting, however being advised there was no need to repair immediately from a safety perspective, lo and behold the right (passenger) rear arm gave way last week.
Fortunately this occurred in a parking lot as opposed to a busy street, or on the highway at speed. Shudder to imagine what would have happened at 110kmh the multiple times we'd driven it between the Jan appointment and the parking lot a month later. Unfortunately the extreme angle, loud grinding of items as it was moved to be placed on the flat bed tow and the SC at the moment assumes may involve the half axle being bound in the rear drive motor has resulted in the SC estimating repairs will come out to approximately $19-20k including taxes and labour of $210/hour if the motor does need to be replaced. Estimate not including the rear drive unit is $14k. The estimates are so high as now the SC is insisting that the entire rear and front suspension arms, bars springs etc... need to be replaced.
So what to do? This car has served us well for the last eight years, whether daily commutes or long multi day road trips. However having made the decision eight years ago to drive it till it died here we are.....or are we? Looking for advice, hopefully not too much judgement on the question(?). Fix it for $20k, find someone that would pay more than that and what it would be worth in salvage? Fix it, keep it and pray it won't have any other issues in the coming two years....not that foolish and too expensive a bet to make. Or drag it home from the SC, and start looking for someone in the GTA (Toronto) that would like to buy it since it definitely still has many components that would be worthwhile to recover?
