Financial experts often advise that people drive their car as long as possible, to ensure that they get the most out of it. After all, every vehicle is a depreciating asset. At a certain point, drivers are unlikely to get much of a return when the car is sold. Might as well drive it into the ground, right?

Well, not so fast. There are many reasons why driving a vehicle too long is impractical, costly, and even dangerous. While financial prudence should be applauded, there comes a time when we should replace our beloved vehicles.

Let us have a look at 8 tell-tale signs that the time may be right to let your baby go.

8. Its Performance is Impacted by the Weather

If you’re driving a car that won’t start when its cold out or overheats when it’s hot, then chances are you need a new one. After all, your car’s performance and reliability should never be impacted by the weather. This only happens when a vehicle is really old, the battery is at the end of its life, or the radiator needs to be replaced. Not to mention other parts like the engine hoses and fan, etc.

This is a sad state for your car, one no owner should find themselves in. If you have to cross your fingers and mouth a prayer when you turn the key on a crisp winter morning or summer afternoon, then it’s time to consider an upgrade. Think of this situation as the universe sending you a sign.

7. Breakdowns and More Breakdowns

The occasional breakdown on an older vehicle should be expected and paying for needed repairs every now and again is reasonable. However, when a car starts breaking down with increasing frequency, it’s time to start thinking about getting another vehicle. As a general rule, you don’t want to experience more than two breakdowns a year. And by breakdown, we mean incidents that prevent the car from being driven and require major, costly repairs.

We’re not talking about having to replace the windshield wiper blades or the air filter. Or routine maintenance like brake jobs or replacing a torn set of tires. We’re talking about replacing radiators, exhaust systems, and fixing major engine/transmission malfunctions. If you get to a point where your car is breaking down every two, three, or four months, then you’ve got a problem child on your hands. Get rid of it.

6. Life Changes

That Toyota Yaris hatch was great when you were single and starting your first job. With a second baby on the way and more than one car seat to install, it might be time to get a new vehicle. You know, one that actually fits your current lifestyle. This might be stating the obvious, but our lives and lifestyles change as we get older. That can directly impact the type of vehicle we drive.

You may have sworn that you would never be someone who drives a minivan, but at age 35 and with three young kids and two Airedale Terriers in tow, you will suddenly appreciate the roominess. Isn’t it great how the seats fold into the floor? One sure sign you shouldn’t ignore is when you suddenly find that your car is no longer compatible with what you need to use it for. After all, how much soccer gear can you really fit into a Yaris?

5. You’re Spending More on Gas

The older the car, the less fuel efficient it will be. Each year, a new crop of cars come out and each one is a little more fuel efficient than the previous model. If you’re still driving that Isuzu Trooper that you bought in the early 1990s, chances are you’re spending a lot more time and money at the petrol station than someone driving a 2019 Nissan Qashqai.

While you might not be making any more payments on your old car, all those trips to the fuel pumps add up in terms of costs. It depends on how many kilometres you drive a week. I know a friend who lived in Johannesburg and worked in Brits. He was spending about R5000 on fuel a month. He decided to trade in his twenty-something year old Opel for a Kia Picanto. His fuel consumption went down from 12l/100km to about 5l/100km. He always claimed that his new Kia cost him nothing because he saved more in fuel a month, than the monthly repayments on his car.

If you are doing high mileage, it is definitely worth running the numbers and considering getting something more fuel efficient.

4. Spare Parts Are No Longer Available

You might want to keep your current car running as long as possible, but eventually it will become harder (and more expensive) to keep it on the road. This is because the spare parts needed to fix your make and model will eventually become hard to find. Mechanics will start telling you they will “order that part in” or they’ll have to “search the internet and see what’s out there” when it comes to the items needed.

This always sounds like someone else’s problem, one that only happens to Saab owners. However, there comes a time that even mainstream manufacturers stop keeping parts on hand for older models.

We have a request a part feature on the Start My car website, where customers can reach out and ask us to source parts. Every day, we do our best to assist customers who have been told by their mechanics and the dealerships alike that the part they need is no longer available.

Even worse, you might find that the manufacturer of your car has discontinued certain parts. Even worse than the even worse above is when the manufacturer itself has closed shop and no longer has a presence in South Africa. Daihatsu, Chevrolet, Dodge as well as a slew of Chinese manufacturers, including one aptly named Go Now, are now gone.

But the Daihatsu Sirion is a Toyota Yaris, and there will always be parts? Wrong. My sister waited 4 weeks for a part to be shipped in from Japan. While some parts may be interchangeable, many parts are not. It only takes one bad part to cause a breakdown.

A discontinued model, a long-gone manufacturer or a vehicle generation which ended over ten years ago. These are bad signs and a situation that will only get more expensive as time goes by. If you find that parts for your car are no longer easy to find and have to be specially ordered, then it is definitely time to start shopping for a new vehicle.

3. Insurance Costs are Rising

It’s an odd fact, but older cars can be more expensive to insure. Newer cars come equipped with safety features that are not available in older vehicles. They also might be easier to steal, depending on the model. Even if you have a spotless driving record, older cars can see your annual insurance premiums creep up – especially if you use the car to commute to work.

Paying attention to the insurance premiums on your car is just as important as the other costs associated with operating the vehicle, such as fuel, routine maintenance, and repairs. You don’t often think about your monthly insurance premium as a driving cost. It’s often lumped into that other category of “monthly bills I have to pay,” a quietly disappears in that big black hole of debit orders which go off on the first of every month. Especially if you have bundled it together with your household, content and life insurance. It can be more expensive than you realize.

2. Repairs Cost More Than the Car is Worth

The rule of thumb when it comes replacing an old car is when the repairs start to cost more than the damn thing is even worth. If you need to spend R30,000 for an engine repair, and the car is only worth R25,000, then it would be foolish to pay to have the vehicle fixed. I know of another friend (yes, I have lots of friends with car problems) who bought a Volvo XC90 for R60 000. Two months later the automatic gearbox packed up, and Volvo quoted, wait for it, R80 000.

You can also do the “tyre test.” When it comes time to put new tyres on the vehicle, ask yourself if the car is worth the cost of a new set of tires. If the answer is a resounding “no,” than you should immediately head out to buy a replacement. When paying to repair an old car is getting expensive and you are unlikely to see any return on your investment, then it is time to send that old car to the scrap yard.

1. Safety is Being Compromised

The biggest sign that you should buy a new car is when you feel that the safety of the vehicle is being compromised. No matter how well-maintained your car is, eventually it will become unsafe to operate. Old cars eventually become unreliable, and this can happen at dangerous times — like losing brakes or steering while you’re cruising down the highway.

I also always tell people, that a breakdown in South Africa put’s your life at risk. In other countries, it is an inconvenience. In South Africa, it is downright dangerous. We all remember the two people who needlessly lost their lives near Putfontein when their vehicle ran out of fuel. It can happen to anyone who is left stranded on the side of the road due to a vehicle breakdown.

Additionally, older cars do not have many of the advanced safety features that are found in newer vehicles. We’re talking about things such as ABS, airbags, electronic and stability control. If you (or your passengers) have a general feeling of uneasiness when riding in your vehicle, then it’s time to start shopping. Never compromise safety.