Serious question, is a 200k mile engine with a dead radio worth saving?

I keep seeing people on here saying to junk any car over 150k miles just because the radio screen is cracked or the CD player won't eject. But I just picked up a 2002 Honda Civic with 215k miles for $500 and all it needs is a $40 radio from a junkyard to work perfect. The engine runs smooth and the body has surface rust only. So am I crazy for thinking the radio is totally trivial compared to a good drivetrain? Anyone else think we give up on cars too fast over small electronics?

2 comments

2 Comments

holly_sanchez758d ago

$500 for a running Civic with a clean drivetrain is a steal. Swap that junkyard radio in and don't look back. Surface rust on a Honda that age is just patina, not cancer. ECU failures happen but they're not guaranteed, and an $800 fix still puts you way under a car payment. The real headache is letting the car rot over a dead radio and a maybe-problem. Drive it until the wheels fall off, then scrap it for $300. You'll come out way ahead.

veram998d ago

2002 Civics have a known issue with the ECU failing after 180k miles, mine did at 187k and cost me $800 to fix. Honestly, the radio is not the only thing about to go on a car that old. Once you start fixing one little thing, you find three more problems hiding behind it. Ngl, that body rust you call surface is probably worse than you think underneath. Tbh, paying $40 for a radio is just the start of a long, expensive headache.