The Death of a Minivan

I proudly drive a 1998 dinged up minivan... well, maybe not that proudly. It has been a very reliable vehicle so I have been trying to make it last for another 2 or 3 years when I figure we won't need a minivan anymore. It wouldn't start Sunday, I thought that perhaps the light was left on. We jumped it Sunday and let it run for a few minutes. It started just fine after that. I was taking it in for an oil change anyway on Monday morning so when I brought it in I asked them to rotate the tires, check the battery and do the oil change. 45 minutes later I was told that it needs new tires, and the lug nuts were so rusty they did not think they could remove the tires to rotate them with out replacing some lug nuts at $20 to $30 each. Since it needs new tires anyway perhaps I should wait and just replace the tires instead of rotate them. Oh and by the way, it also needs about $450 dollars in repairs. So lets see... $400 new tires+ $450 repairs + $200 the windshield it also needs... I told my husband that if it ever needed more than $1000 in repairs we should get a new car. I don't want a new car! I hate car shopping and We REALLY don't need to spend the money right now! So I left very depressed.

I ran some more errands after that. When I got back to my van it wouldn't start. It would not even crank a little. So I was going to have to jump it. However, the van was parked very close to the car in front of it. I couldn't walk to the front and reach the hood release latch. So I'd have to push it out of the parking stall, up hill, to get access to the battery to jump it. The person who parked on my left side had parked so close that there was no way I would be able to push the van with the door open to steer it and push it at the same time. Ugg! I sat there and said a little prayer and when I was done the lady parked in front of me got in her car and drove off. I quickly put my van in neutral and rolled forward. I finally was able to get it jumped and drove straight back to the auto shop where I very politely asked them if they checked the battery they didn't know so they checked it again "It has a charge now but that doesn't mean it will hold a charge for long. The battery is 4 years old, probably time for a new one for $100. Oh, and by the way your tire looks low let me fill it. "

I returned home stressed out and depressed and tried to get some house work done. When my husband came home an hour later he discovered the van had a totally flat tire. Me and my husband spent over an hour on our hands and knees trying to change the tire. Remember the rusty lug nuts?

We got the tire patched and a new battery, but, it looks like we will probably need a new vehicle. I messed up my bad knee and did something to my shoulder trying to help get the tire changed. I guess I am getting to be as old as the minivan. Should we replace me when I get too expensive to repair?