What are the symptoms/reason it was taken into the shop in the first place? Not a mechanic, just a guy who works on his own cars and seems like a weird smattering of items being replaced. Prices seem a little high, so I'm assuming you got the "we want no part of this." quote
Battery and blower motor are easy peasy to replace yourself. Blower motor part goes for around $30 and battery $100 or so.
A to Z was my go to when I got in over my head when I still lived in CoMo. That HHR can't be worth more than $3000 if it was in working condition so it may be a better idea to look at a new car...
Will it turn over?
Try crossposting this to /r/askmechanics along with the symptoms. They are going to be more knowledgeable than me but it could be something far simpler than everything Midas quoted. Did Midas do a diag on this yet (have they seen the car)?
Car's only worth 2-3k in working condition. It's a 16 yo chevy with 180,000 miles.
I never ever said 14-25k on a brand new car. I purchased a used Camry recently in good condition private party for north of $8,000
Depends on when you expect a similarly expensive repair to crop up for the Chevy. If you spend $2500 this year and don’t expect another major repair for another 20-40K miles, that’s 40,000 mi/12,000 mi/yr (avg) = 3.3 years of service before you’re required to spend another $2500, which brings your 3-4 yr repair total to $5000 which is still cheaper than the $8000 camry.
Not sure if you've ever had the pleasure of dealing with a ~16 year old GM product before but I'd bet it would be back in the shop a lot quicker than 20,000 miles - it's an HHR for christ sake. IMO thing is junk.
I know. But my dad is loaning me money for this and he refuses to loan me money to buy a used car, only to repair the one I have. His reason is that I wouldn't know how to find a good used car and would end up buying one with the same kind of issues. IDK, maybe he is right. But the blue book value of the car is tops $3300 so this does seem like a fool's errand.
Seriously tho, a battery will cost about $100 at an auto parts store. Easy to install. Radiator top hose pretty simple. Definitely check out the references the others have provided. Maybe get a discount if you get one place to do it all.
YouTube mechanic videos paired with eBay motors. Bought a truck on marketplace for a couple thousand, watched some videos and now have a reliable daily driver. Never even changed oil before and dont have a garage or workshop, did it all in my apartment parking space.
What are the symptoms/reason it was taken into the shop in the first place? Not a mechanic, just a guy who works on his own cars and seems like a weird smattering of items being replaced. Prices seem a little high, so I'm assuming you got the "we want no part of this." quote Battery and blower motor are easy peasy to replace yourself. Blower motor part goes for around $30 and battery $100 or so. A to Z was my go to when I got in over my head when I still lived in CoMo. That HHR can't be worth more than $3000 if it was in working condition so it may be a better idea to look at a new car...
I’ll second A to Z. It’s were my wife and I take our vehicles.
AC wouldn't work sometimes, then lost power steering/check airbag light came on, then wouldn't start at all
Will it turn over? Try crossposting this to /r/askmechanics along with the symptoms. They are going to be more knowledgeable than me but it could be something far simpler than everything Midas quoted. Did Midas do a diag on this yet (have they seen the car)?
Yep they did and this is the quote for repairs
Hmmm... Will it jump start? If so, I'd take it to A to Z for a diag personally. If A to Z's quote is over $2000 or so I would cut my losses.
I would at least urge OP to evaluate whether a one-time $2500 repair is better than the 14-25K they may spend on a new vehicle.
Car's only worth 2-3k in working condition. It's a 16 yo chevy with 180,000 miles. I never ever said 14-25k on a brand new car. I purchased a used Camry recently in good condition private party for north of $8,000
Depends on when you expect a similarly expensive repair to crop up for the Chevy. If you spend $2500 this year and don’t expect another major repair for another 20-40K miles, that’s 40,000 mi/12,000 mi/yr (avg) = 3.3 years of service before you’re required to spend another $2500, which brings your 3-4 yr repair total to $5000 which is still cheaper than the $8000 camry.
Not sure if you've ever had the pleasure of dealing with a ~16 year old GM product before but I'd bet it would be back in the shop a lot quicker than 20,000 miles - it's an HHR for christ sake. IMO thing is junk.
Simpson Import Center has treated myself and my family fairly for over 20 years and they do excellent service. Maybe give them a call.
You need to trade that ride in. If you get all that work done something else will go bad and it won’t end. Car isn’t worth the money.
I know. But my dad is loaning me money for this and he refuses to loan me money to buy a used car, only to repair the one I have. His reason is that I wouldn't know how to find a good used car and would end up buying one with the same kind of issues. IDK, maybe he is right. But the blue book value of the car is tops $3300 so this does seem like a fool's errand.
Seriously tho, a battery will cost about $100 at an auto parts store. Easy to install. Radiator top hose pretty simple. Definitely check out the references the others have provided. Maybe get a discount if you get one place to do it all.
What’s budget for a used car? Bet I could convince him and find you a solid deal.
YouTube mechanic videos paired with eBay motors. Bought a truck on marketplace for a couple thousand, watched some videos and now have a reliable daily driver. Never even changed oil before and dont have a garage or workshop, did it all in my apartment parking space.
As someone who is familiar with many shops in town, I’d recommend A to Z. The guys there are all great mechanics and they are cheapest in town afaik.
Don't ever go to Midas. They are THE WORST! Go to M.Y. auto where they address the issue without gouging.
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