This starts the winter of 2012 a few months after we get to Germany. We buy two moderately cheap cars when we get here in order to not have car payments. One of them was an Opel Signum. Within a few months, this car developed transmission issues the dealer couldn't figure out. Then the alternator and wiper motor died, so we put $1400 into this car and still had transmission issues. Turns out this is a common problem, but they don't seem to keep transmissions around, so the car was pretty much junk. I sell it at a $8k loss! We buy a new-ish BMW X5 for my wife to drive and get away from used cars.
My Ford Mondeo is chugging along amazingly and I've made peace with the loss on the Opel. Then 12 Dec I hit a wild boar totaling the Mondeo. With the insurance money, I find another Mondeo that is in better shape, with less KM's and spend it all on this car. The car didn't pass inspection for rotting brake lines and an oil leak. I put new brake lines on, and cleaned up the oil leak. Didn't fix it as mechanic said it was rear main seal. I figured I'd try some Lucas Stop Leak, but with it cleaned up, I did pass inspection.
My wife's X5 failed inspection due to a cracked lense on the fog light. Options were to either replace the light, or remove both... WTH? Really? you're making me fix a part that is not at all necessary? That's Germany for ya! I have the new fog light sourced from ebay and just waiting for time to fix it.
Then last Friday I was taking my son into Karate practice and as I get within a few miles of base, my new Mondeo loses all power and starting
g white like a coal train. Urgh! I have it towed to my local mechanic that told me this morning that the HPOP failed sending metal frags into the entire injection system. Cost to fix is nearly double what the car is worth...So here I am, needing a new car to get me by for just a few more months and I feel like I've flushed enough money down the toilet on cars to pay for a complete restoration on my bronco! I don't know what to do. Buy another cheap junker and pray it holds out? That seems like my best option right now.
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