Got a new Car

So it all started a couple of weeks ago when we took our Impala in to a mechanic to get an oil change and to have some popping noises looked at.

The popping noises turned out to be a steering wheel issue that was easily fixed and we found out our front axles needed replacing. So the whole day cost us $600. Not pretty, but needed to be done and was done!

We get the car home and go to the store and notice that the oil change was NEVER done! UGH!

So the next day, I take it up to Wal-Mart so I can do some Super Bowl shopping while the oil is changed and the mechanic tells me he can't do it because my car is overheating and is leaking coolant everywhere!!! The amazing part is, it wasn't leaking onto the ground...

So Brian takes the day off of work on Tuesday to take the car back in to a DIFFERENT mechanic and they tell us that the coolant has been leaking into the bottom of the engine, our head gasket has blown and we would need a new engine!!! ARE you KIDDING ME? After we just dropped $600 at the last place for some friggin axles, now we need a new engine??? Oh, but they can get us a used one for about $3,000 or $4,000!!!! We just DON'T have that!!!

Totally ticked us off, because the 2nd mechanic told us that if the first place would have done the oil change like we asked, they would have found that problem!!! At which point we would have just brought the car back home instead of wasting $600 on new axles for a car we can't drive anyway!! You couldn't get 5 miles down the road without it overheating now!

Amazing how this problem didn't get noticeably bad until AFTER the first mechanic works on it....hmmmm.

Anywho, so Brian goes to this car lot that he had been driving past for months on his way to and from work! Walks right in, sits right down, puts $200 on a car and comes home! That easy huh? Should've done that a LONG time ago!

We could have put that $600 towards the new car rather than giving it to those incompetant mechanics!

The funny part with the new car is that he brought home a 2004 Pontiac Grand Am. At first we were satisfied with our last minute choice...but after driving it around for a couple days, we started realizing that maybe it was the wrong choice. It had a brand new sparkly engine in it, which was great, but meant that it obviously HAD to be replaced. The windshield had been replaced as well, because the stripping along the sides kept trying to come off. Because it was a 2004, there was no warranty on it, which made me uneasy. Especially after what we had just wen through with the Impala, I really just wanted something we could rely on for a while. Not to mention the 20 Carfax reports that came up on the car. We couldn't view them because you have to PAY to do that...but 20 reports was enough for me to get a bad feeling about this car.

So on Thursday, I was supposed to go up to the dealership to sign paperwork on the Pontiac.

Instead, we went up there and got a different car and returned the Pontiac, after I explained my concerns to them! They understood and granted our wishes.

So now, we have a 2007 Chrysler Sebring. It looks small, but there's actually MORE room in it than the pontiac had. It only has 13,000 miles on it instead of 67,000 that the Pontiac had and the Chrysler is still under Factory warranty, as well as dealer warranty.

The most amazing part is that the Chrysler only cost about $2000 more than the Pontiac did!!! WOW! We got quite the deal! We're happy now, however family road trips won't be an option for a while.

We plan to sell the Impala in a couple months when it's paid off, and then depending on how the money situation is, we may look into getting another car, but we're thinking we may wait at least a year for that. We just couldn't afford something big enough for ALL of us! LOL...Hell, we NEED a BUS! :)

Wish us luck!