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Needs repairs - long drive possible?
Hi everyone. I'm in a bit of a desperate situation and am really hoping someone here can give me some sound advice:
I drive a 2003 Xterra 4WD SE with 130k miles on it. I bought the car in 2005, and recently started having problems. In mid-June, the AC stopped working. It would blow out only warm air unless I was going over ~60 mph. I had it looked at, and the mechanic took things out and said something needed to be replaced. I didn't have time to get a new part because I was moving, so he put everything back and I made the 6 hour drive with no AC. I started having new problems on this drive. The engine was running hot, but I made it without incident. A little time after, it started jerking when shifting form first to second sometimes. I took it in to another mechanic, who saw that it was overheating badly and steaming. They refilled the coolant, and said to just keep replacing the coolant until I could replace it or get everything fixed. This was in early September... I tried to get a new car but had trouble financing until now. The repair was going to be at least $2500. I kept driving it to work (about 90 minutes a day) and replacing the coolant every few days, but this week it began rumbling underneath and also having trouble shifting. I'd like to make it to my mom's for Thanksgiving, but I don't know if the car will make it. The questions are:
-Do I pay for the repair or trade in for a new car?
-Can I make the drive back safely, or should I find another way back/get a new car by Wednesday?
Thanks so much...
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