Store a car for a kid?

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RamblinDoc
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Store a car for a kid?

Post by RamblinDoc »

I generally keep cars a long time (until they either die or the repairs exceed the value saved by maintaining them). I was hoping to keep my current car (2007 Nissan Murano) until my kid was old enough to drive (eg. let them use it for local trips around town). We’ve used this car to learn basic repairs and maintenance over the years, so my kid is somewhat familiar with the car and engine.

Unfortunately, I don’t trust this car for long trips anymore so will likely get a new (to me) car sooner than planned. The Murano needs some engine work and will likely be repaired and safe for driving, but I personally don’t want to take it on long trips.

My kid doesn’t start driving until 2 more years.

Given the price of the used car market, my choices are:

1. Keep the Murano until my kid is old enough to drive (2 years?) I’d store it at my house, drive it intermittently, maintain it etc.

2. Get rid of it now and deal with finding a third car for my kid in 2-3 years and hope the used car market has ‘normalized’.

I’m curious what the hive mind thinks about this.
Calico
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by Calico »

I had a similar situation a few years ago (but my daughter was going to be driving in one year, not two). I kept my old car for her and just made sure I drove it every now and then. I have no regrets. I liked that I knew the history of the car, knew it had been well maintained (I bought it new), and I knew that it had never been in an accident. She drove it for one year in high school (she was on the younger end). And now that she's away at college, it's sitting in the driveway again. Speaking of which, I better drive it again soon.

I don't work on cars like you do though. So I wanted to peace of mind of a car I knew well to give her. If you and your kid know how to fix cars, maybe that's not a big deal for you.
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Topic Author
RamblinDoc
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by RamblinDoc »

To clarify, we just do basic things (spark plugs, oil, change headlights etc). The engine work is for true mechanics.
RudyS
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by RudyS »

Having an OLD car is good for insurance. If you take it for a drive enough to get it good and warmed up once a week it should last. That's also help with the battery.
Rudedog
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by Rudedog »

Keep the car, drive it at least once a week.
chassis
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by chassis »

RamblinDoc wrote: Sun Mar 26, 2023 4:19 pm I generally keep cars a long time (until they either die or the repairs exceed the value saved by maintaining them). I was hoping to keep my current car (2007 Nissan Murano) until my kid was old enough to drive (eg. let them use it for local trips around town). We’ve used this car to learn basic repairs and maintenance over the years, so my kid is somewhat familiar with the car and engine.

Unfortunately, I don’t trust this car for long trips anymore so will likely get a new (to me) car sooner than planned. The Murano needs some engine work and will likely be repaired and safe for driving, but I personally don’t want to take it on long trips.

My kid doesn’t start driving until 2 more years.

Given the price of the used car market, my choices are:

1. Keep the Murano until my kid is old enough to drive (2 years?) I’d store it at my house, drive it intermittently, maintain it etc.

2. Get rid of it now and deal with finding a third car for my kid in 2-3 years and hope the used car market has ‘normalized’.

I’m curious what the hive mind thinks about this.
Sell it and buy an equivalent car in 2 years as the 2007 Murano. My son drove an 05 Murano and I did a lot of work on it. It will deteriorate quickly from here onwards.
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hammockhiker
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by hammockhiker »

RamblinDoc wrote: Sun Mar 26, 2023 4:19 pm I was hoping to keep my current car (2007 Nissan Murano) until my kid was old enough to drive
--------snip-------
I’m curious what the hive mind thinks about this.
You don't say (probably purposefully) whether you have a son or a daughter. If a son, remember that statistically he's more likely to be in an accident; this is why 16 year old boys pay higher insurance rates than 16 year old girls. My son, when he first got his license, proved those stats are correct. If you have a son, I'd keep the car assuming that seat belts and air bags are all okay. In other words, I'd make a decision based on the safety features of the car, not the mechanical trustworthiness of the engine and drivetrain.
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canidothat
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by canidothat »

RudyS wrote: Sun Mar 26, 2023 4:39 pm Having an OLD car is good for insurance. If you take it for a drive enough to get it good and warmed up once a week it should last. That's also help with the battery.
I agree, keep Murano and keep it warmed up. It will do as a first car, in my opinion.
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rustwood
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by rustwood »

I would dump it. We had a 2009 and had to get rid of it in 2019 because it was starting to show signs of a premature CVT failure. See https://www.motorverso.com/nissan-muran ... -to-avoid/
unstartable
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by unstartable »

Stability control is actually one of the safety features that makes a huge difference. Nissan calls this VDC (if equipped it should have a VDC off button). If it doesn't have stability control I would favor selling it and buying something else in 2 years.
Audioarc
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by Audioarc »

So that car will be around 18 years old by then?
aristotelian
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by aristotelian »

Audioarc wrote: Mon Mar 27, 2023 8:21 am So that car will be around 18 years old by then?
I prefer to think of it as 18 years young.

If it starts and drives, I would lean toward keeping it. Only question would be if there is a safety issue but nothing in the description indicates that.
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Watty
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by Watty »

Keep in mind that if you sell it you could put the money in the bank and earn around 4.5% so keeping it is costing you a couple of hundred dollars a year in lost interest.

You will also need to pay for things like car insurance for liability and if you have an umbrella policy it will be higher because of the number of cars. There will also be car registration and inspection costs.

Even though you are not driving it a lot over the next 2-3 year it will likely also develop more new problems that will need to be fixed too

You can crunch the numbers but with the lost interest I would not be surprised if it would cost you $500 to $700 a year or even more to keep the car.
RamblinDoc wrote: Sun Mar 26, 2023 4:19 pm 2007 Nissan Murano
It is already 16 or 17 years old and by the time your kid is ready to drive it will be be around 18 or 19 years old. I doubt it would last the kid through college so even if you keep it you may need to get a different car in a few more years anyway.

When I have tried to keep an older car I had continual problems with the rubber and plastic parts failing just because of their age. With one the plastic door handle broke off in my hand. That was not a huge problem for me to fix myself but it sure was inconvenient and getting inside the door to put the new one in was hard since my hand barely fit up there.

Many cars that age also have problems with things like the AC not working which can be a big problem in some parts of the country.

At some point cars just get too old to be worth the hassle if you can afford a newer car.
RamblinDoc wrote: Sun Mar 26, 2023 4:19 pm Unfortunately, I don’t trust this car for long trips anymore so will likely get a new (to me) car sooner than planned.
.....
I’m curious what the hive mind thinks about this.
You are in a fortunate situation since you can do a lot of work on cars yourself.

If I was in your situation I would sell it and buy a much newer used replacement car for yourself that you can then let your kid drive in two years. You would then need to buy a different car for you to drive.

If you are married and your spouse has a car then that might be a good hand-me-down car for your kid too depending on what it is and you could get a different replacement car for your spouse in 2+ years.

I don't know about other brands but Toyota made a lot of the advanced safety features standard equipment in 2018. I don't know the used car market now but you might be able to find affordable 2018 Toyotas that would have a lot better safety features than your current car or even a 2017 Toyota. A car like a 2018 Corolla with reasonable miles might even last your kid through college.

I had a 2018 Corolla so I mentioned that just because it what I know and the different safety features between the 2017 and 2018 models were so significant. I was not intending to say that it would be the best choice since there are so many other models available.
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lthenderson
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by lthenderson »

I'm similar to you that I tend to keep vehicles a lot longer than most people. As a result, we had three vehicles and only two drivers for a number of years. There were some things that I never thought about in that particular situation until they happened to me, especially since I was storing the vehicle outside. Rodents really played havoc on the car. Ground squirrels were nesting in the engine compartment and mice would chew air filters and wires. After a couple incidents of that, I was more than ready to move the car along. Other things that happened, falling leaves would will the drainage channels and caused minor flooding of the trunk area. Leaves also clogged the area of the air intake under the upper edge of the hood. Finally, the hot temps of summer seemed to degrade the windshield wipers faster when they weren't moved for long periods of time. They would stick to the windshield firmly enough that when I pulled them free, chunks of rubber would come off and leave streaks from then on.

All these things just got old after several years and I sold the car and never regretted it. However, our oldest has been old enough to drive for nearly a year now. Our plan was to replace one of our vehicles with a new vehicle (RAV4 Prime) and give the oldest our old RAV4 with an ICE. But we are still seven months on a waiting list for the Prime and counting so things aren't happening as fast as we'd hoped. Fortunately we are able to give her the keys and let her take one of our vehicles and make the other car work for both of us when necessary. We're just hoping that we get the Prime sometime before our oldest graduates and heads off to college.
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Watty
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by Watty »

After I made my post I realized that your user name is "RamblinDoc".

If that means that you are a well paid physician then that is important.

By the tone of your post I had assumed that money was a bit tight because of the age of your car and the work you were doing on it yourself to keep it running.

Your financial situation makes a huge difference in deciding what to do with the car and what sort of car to get your kid when they start driving.

If you have ample means then having anyone in your family drive a car that does not have a good set of the new advanced safety feature would not make a lot of sense. That does not mean that you need to buy an expensive car with all the latest safety features but any a newer mid-range Honda or Toyota would be have a lot better safety features than a 2007 Murano.

There are endless threads and opinions about which safety features are worthwhile a lot of really depends on what the cost of the safety features is relative to your financial situation.
mega317
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by mega317 »

Assuming you have the means--do you really want your kid stranded? Most of their driving time will be to school or activities when time is tight and being late isn't ideal. Or they'll be out who knows where at all kinds of hours. Do you really want to drop whatever you're doing to pick them up in any of those situations? I'd spend some money, if you can afford it, so everyone has reliable transportation.

I don't know maybe kids these days can just leave a dead car anywhere, get an uber, and let mom or dad figure it out on a more leisurely timeline.
sls239
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by sls239 »

Sell it.

A lot of teens aren’t particularly eager to start driving right away anyway. There is no need to rush it.
psteinx
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by psteinx »

The costs of an ~unused car sitting idle for ~2 years are not trivial:

1) Depreciation on the car. Likely to be GREATER than normal, as used car prices are high now and will probably be ~normal in 2 years.

2) Insurance

3) Registration and personal property taxes on the car

4) Storage space. If stored outside, is likely somewhat unsightly and "in the way". If garaged, may push a different car of yours outdoors, and/or consume garage space that you might want to use for something else.

Moreover:

A) You don't really know WHEN your kid will want/need to drive. Maybe right away when they get their license, but maybe not.

B) This car is not likely the optimal car for your kid. i.e. If your kid was 16 and in need of a car today, would you choose a (2 year older version of) this car for him/her? Perhaps not. Whether for reasons of safety, reliability, utility or whatever...

By selling the car now, you can pick out ~exactly what car is most suitable, and when.

I think people overestimate the round-trip transaction costs on a used car. They're not zero, but they're not SO high either. Compare those against the costs of keeping the car (1-4) and the advantages of probably getting a more suitable car at the right time (A-B).
Pdxnative
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by Pdxnative »

If you don’t trust it for trips you probably won’t trust it for your kid’s daily use. You’re probably fine if *you* get stranded on a freeway or downtown in the dark but you’re probably not fine taking the risk that your kid will. So unless you plan to let the kid drive your newer car as their daily driver and you stick with the old car, just sell it and buy a newer car for the kid when the time is right. Newer cars have better safety features not to mention CarPlay.
bloom2708
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by bloom2708 »

Pdxnative wrote: Tue Mar 28, 2023 1:58 pm If you don’t trust it for trips you probably won’t trust it for your kid’s daily use. You’re probably fine if *you* get stranded on a freeway or downtown in the dark but you’re probably not fine taking the risk that your kid will. So unless you plan to let the kid drive your newer car as their daily driver and you stick with the old car, just sell it and buy a newer car for the kid when the time is right. Newer cars have better safety features not to mention CarPlay.
+1

That car does not sound like "the one" to send your precious kid out in the world in. Sell it. Move on.

Sell it "as is" or put the fix money in and sell. Knowing you might not get all the fix money back out on a used/older SUV.
renter
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by renter »

If it were me I would get rid of this car.
HomeStretch
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by HomeStretch »

The vehicle is not reliable (you don’t trust it) and it lacks newer safety features. Rather than holding onto it, consider buying a new or recent-model-year used car for yourself or your child in 2 years. The child’s car is an investment for at least 6-8 years of his driving (high school, college, 1st job). The 2007 vehicle doesn’t sound like it will hold up for 8-10 more years.
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firebirdparts
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by firebirdparts »

2 years is nothing to a car; there's certainly some benefit to the universe of giving a kid a worthless car to learn on. The hive mind here is certainly going to tell you that kids should have a car with extreme safety features, preferably brand new. There are many very risk averse people. There's some benefit to that, for sure, but there's a cost to it as well.

As a practical car matter, it's fine. It's also fine to get rid of it and look for something else later on. Both fine.
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Boatguy
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by Boatguy »

Stability control wasn’t even mandatory until MY2012. I drove for years without it, but I sure wouldn’t let my son or daughter do so if I could avoid it. The more Nannie’s on the car, the better.
Skip Towne
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by Skip Towne »

I MIGHT hold on to a 16 year old Toyota or Honda for 2 more years. You are facing a conundrum of how good a vehicle to give a first-time driver. Safe - yes. A valuable collectors item - no ;-)

I'm not sure I'd put my kid into (another) older Nissan. Fact is - longevity is not part of the Nissan design plan like it is for Toyota and Honda. Vehicle churn and routine feature upgrades is the Nissan business plan. They were the originators of the 6 year, 3 vehicle lease - 2 years per vehicle.

If you are in a corrosion-prone part of the country be very mindful of checking for corrosion in the unibody frame, crossmembers, and suspension attachments.

The Nissan Maxima I kept for my daughter under a similar plan looked perfect - exterior, interior, under the hood. That was right up to the day the front crossmember broke while jacking up the car. The front crossmember holds up the engine. Your perspective on the safety of a vehicle changes when the motor starts to fall out ;-) And honestly before that, the car was starting to get to a point where every time I fixed something, something else went.
sleepy06
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Re: Store a car for a kid?

Post by sleepy06 »

I'd sell it and buy another one in a few years.
It's anyone's guess what the car market will be doing.
However, if you don't feel safe with it on road trips, I feel that is very instructive.
Make sure the car your offspring is driving is one you would feel safe taking a trip in.
One plus of selling it is they can help pick the vehicle you replace it with in a few years.
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