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Donating a Car to Charity Can Avoid Costly Repairs

February 3, 2015
Cars need maintenance and repairs on a fairly regular basis to keep them in good running condition. As a car gets older, repairs become more frequent and more extensive.Once repairs start adding up to a point where it becomes economically unfeasible to pay for them, it’s time to consider getting a new car.It is also important to decide what will happen to the old car.

Some people sell the car for scrap, but most people either decide on selling their old car or donating the car to charity.

There are a lot of factors to take into account before retiring a car, a few of which are discussed below:

  1. Age of the car: If the car is only a few years old and requires a major repair, then it is likely worth the money to pay for the repair. The rest of the car is probably still in good condition, and the damaged part would be worth replacing. An extensive repair on a 10 or 15 year-old car may be less feasible, as the car will likely experience other age-related problems after the repair.
  2. Frequency of repairs: A car that frequently needs repairs  is soon going to cost more than it’s worth and may need to be replaced. If the car needs the same piece or part repaired or replaced on a regular basis, this may be a sign of an underlying problem that has not yet been identified.
  3. Seriousness of repairs: If the entire engine needs to be replaced, along with bodywork and other problems, the repairs may be more hassle than they are worth. In many instances, car repairs are so expensive that performing them will not be cost-effective.

If you do decide your car needs to be replaced instead of repaired, it is important to make the right choice in disposing of it. Selling your car to a used car dealer will help you raise money for a new car, but you will also have to do repairs to get the most money for your car when you sell it.

By the time you have restored the car to a sellable condition, you may have spent as much on it as you will get from the dealer. That is seldom the best way to go.

Donating a car to charity might be the wiser option, especially since most car donation charities will accept a car as is. They will handle any necessary repairs themselves. In return for donating a car to charity, you will receive a tax deduction based on the value of the car and how the car was used by the charity.

If your car is over ten years old and in need of frequent and expensive repairs, consider donating it today. For more information, contact a car donation charity. Vehicles for Change would love to help you consider car donation.