My car is four years old in June - currently on 72,000km (45,000 miles)

I'm thinking that this year is going be be very expensive for me for the following reasons:

Cam belt and water pump change is due

Rear shocks seem to be going

I have a quiet "whum whum whum" noise coming from the offside front wheel area at low speeds (up to about 30mph) - maybe wheel bearing??

Going to need new tyres soon (just unfortunate timing, that one)

So is the fifth year of a car's life when all of the consumables start to wear out?

Is there anything else I can expect to have to do?

Had my 4x4 since 2002 and most of the major expenses have been self inflicted ie remap which then caused the need for a new clutch! The cam belt one is annoying because they changed the time/mileage, and I'd be irritated about a wheel bearing, but tyres, brakes etc happens to all cars, so can't worry about them. Apart from the stuff I've caused its been ok. Forgot - the other self inflicted pain, 22mpg on the way home last night, hoofing it through puddles:D

Had the red one from new March 03, no problems yet @ 60k. Belt and wp changed...general servicing and still on original brakes.... perhaps i dont drive it hard enough.

Phil

52 plate, 98k miles. No more expensive than other cars, in fact less when compared to a nissan primera, citroen xantia.

Except far more really as I've modified this one do'h, strange how the mind switches things around, like the 8 sets of tyres I've had.

August 2001, so seven years old this year, 69.000 miles on the clock and still going stong.

Loads on here know the car, and know its been used not abused, and everything that needed to be done, was done before it failed.

I have never kept a car over two years in the past, but this one still brings a smile to my face.

This is a bit more reassuring I was beginning to worry a bit!

I'm on the original brakes too - pads and discs!

What about the exhaust? I guess that should last well - especially as there's no salting of the roads here.

Alternatively looksee if you can 'trade up' - weighing in what the forthcoming big service and other unseen 'issues' might cost you (if you get my drift).

Go on, treat her this year Rob, she's followed you all that way after all!

You're right, the 4th year does hit you a fair bit, with the cambelt and pump change especially. But no more so than any other car really...

Steve

Alternatively looksee if you can 'trade up' - weighing in what the forthcoming big service and other unseen 'issues' might cost you (if you get my drift).

Go on, treat her this year Rob, she's followed you all that way after all!

You're right, the 4th year does hit you a fair bit, with the cambelt and pump change especially. But no more so than any other car really...

Steve

I can't part with my baby!

Plus four years old is pretty new for a car in NZ. Average is 8-10 years I think.

Probably because of the climate, they tend to last people a bit longer? Like mentioned earlier with the road salting issue.

Could be a cultural thing as well, of course - a view that if it isn't broken, carry on using it!

Steve

There's a lot of reasons. We get a lot of second-hand Japanese imports, which last forever so hang around a long time.

Wages here aren't all that high, so not many people can afford a new car.

They don't salt the roads (I see people using 30 year-old Alfas as daily drivers!!) Rust free!

There isn't the pressure here to have a new car or to change it every couple of years.

My Mk1 will be 4 in July - only 37k on the clock so far. Things I've had to do:

- O2 sensor: done twice. Seems to go every 2 years! Maybe as a result of lots of stop/start driving in town.

- Front shocks: Both replaced, I put that down to the horrendous amount of ramps near work, home and on every rat-run i use!

- Tyres: 3rd set on front, 2nd on back.

- Read window washer: rubber pipe came loose, so no water from washer. Easy fix

Defo sounds like you've got a bearing gone. Shouldn't be too bad to replace. Had a word with my local independent garage on the cam belt etc as I guess I'm also due that pain - they've never seen a cam belt go at 4/5 years. Mileage they reckon is by far the best indicator (and the way you drive!). 60k would be what they recommend, not 4 years. Sounds sensible to me.

Mine's not 4 until September - just coming up for 39000 miles. On its second set of tyres, had a front wheel bearing replaced (under warranty), needs new rear discs and pads (partly due to the fact that the front pads are Pagid Blues, so the back brakes are working harder), and finally there is either a loose connection or the front Lambda probe is faulty.

Apart from that, no problems, despite the beast being abused on a daily basis :D

I got my 53 plate on 29k and it's now on 71k 2 years later, I had trouble with wishbone bushes and a lambda probe popped but other than that it's been servicable parts only.

Which is good as my last car had a new head and a new gearbox in the same time !!!!

Mine is 6 years old and done 57k, since i got it almost 2 years ago its needed a new wheel bearing,new coils(failure was brought on by the remap) a fair few annoying niggles here and there that were either easily fixed or dissapeared by them selves and have been told the brakes will need replaced all round soon but considering its still on its original discs aint that bad i guess.

I forgot I had a bearing done as well

sounds like a common fault !!!

Well my MOT is due at the end of the month and have to say that im not worried.

Like Gerry stuff gets replaced before its due and once you get the expensive stuff done you shouldnt need to do it any time soon.

mines a 2001 on 40k and ive owned it for only 7-8months and done about 12k in that time and only things ive done asside from servicing i have

fitted new front discs and pads,

cambelt is been done again just incase,

tyres front set and will be doing all 4 by end off summer

rear discs will be changed by end of summer

had a new MAF when remaped as tuners picked up it wasnt working quite right at the time

ive got a reccuring 17705 fault which im in the process of narrowing down and all other

it gets a hard life but is looked after and money spent when needed.

if you sell the car now youll probably loose out a lot on the value due to the work that needs doing to it. id do the work then if i find something that would be better then id sell otherwise stick with it as if it aint broke dont fix it.

Neither of mine have made it to the 3 year mark :(

However, they both covered well over the 100k mark in the 2 and a bit years I had them. I think I ran the full length of the service schedule many times over. I did start a thread to get the running costs of various skodas and listed all I'd had done and the costs involved - not sure it would be any use but well worth a search...

Mine is 5 years next month. On original everything except tyres and having had the belt n pump done last year. ( which according to the guys that did them, had no wear anyway )

Sailed through the MOT's no probs.

It is only at 30k though.

Thanks guys - I'm feeling reassured now!

I intend to keep the car for a few years yet so I will be looking after it properly

I too recently looked seriously at changing it. Probably for a MK2 vRS, but have decided to keep it for at least another year, probably more. By which time it will be around the crazy mark of 35k miles

Mine's 5yrs and 3 months old and fine. I have had faults but not they've been unlucky rather than age related IMHO. My biggest expense has been the cambelt/water pump.