Happy and sad

Can one actually be 
happy and sad at the same time ?
Let me explain. 
(prepare for a long post)
January 2010 I practically stalked 
this nice lady so she would sell me her car.
You see, I saw her from the window in my office 
in this nice little Volkswagen every.single.day.
I would always look at it and say 
"Someday I'll buy that car from her".
Called her up one day and asked her if
she was going to sell her car, happens she was.
So I bought it.


I was 7 and it was Christmas all over again !
Meaning I was just so happy and excited.
Those two adjectives I very rarely describe myself as, 
I am saying this so you can picture how thrilled I was
to buy my dream car.
Then the nightmare began.
I decided to take it to the Volkswagen dealer to have it checked.
The result was a quote where I needed to have about 1,053.19 USD done in repairs which included a window mechanism. GULP.
I decided to do the basics which added up to 111.17 USD.
Seemed reasonable.
A few days later I went back to get other stuff done, that bill was 464.69 USD.
So I am thinking ok, I just bought this car and in less than 10 days have spent  575.86 USD in repairs but, it's just to get it running smoothly and that should be it.
After that, all I had to do was fix the window mechanism but I refused to pay
over 500.00 USD for that part.
Door and window mechanism fully exposed.
I could not use the "convertible" part of the car (soft top down) because the window was damaged.
So, I looked around and found a place that could fix, instead of replace the part. 
So, there I shed 160.00 USD more.
Now, in a matter of 3 months I had spent a total of 735.86 USD on repairs in my new-to-me car.
SO VERY CUTE ! I felt like a doll driving this car.

Also the cd player was not working. I ignored it. 
So in April I find that the car would not start.
Time for a battery change !
146.11 USD more.
In 4 months = 881.97 USD
Then the "check engine" light was turned on.
Oh, and did I forget to tell you about the airbag light on the dashboard ?
Yes, for a moment there the dashboard looked like a lit Christmas tree.
(see below)
However it was not a joyful moment.

Then the air conditioner.
It was not cooling well. Actually just not cooling.
I had it looked at and 35.00 USD later I am told 
that the evaporator needs to be replaced.
Shed out 500.00 USD more.

Comes July and my window mechanism dies (yet again).
I take it back and pay 120.00 USD.
It dies again and I pay 60.00 USD.
So it's September 2010 and my repairs are adding up to 
1,596.97 USD.
I take it to have the soft top checked, costs 40.00 USD 
(after I practically cry for a discount) and while in the shop
they break my tail light while changing a light bulb.
(they replaced the tail light)
The bulb was 34.88 USD
Then my (driver's) window mechanism dies.
So up to date: 1,671.85 USD
Then the soft top had to be repaired,
some minor gluing was billed to me at 331.27 USD
-
2,003.12 USD
-
Then another damn light bulb !
35.05
and more repairs
850.96 USD
giving me a
total of
2,889.13 USD
.
then something else
.
42.31 USD
total:
2,931.44 USD

I decided to sell it sometime after the 2,000.00 USD were spent.
People interested called me every other day, but nobody was buying it.
I had all sorts of things happen, such as someone trying to get a date out of it.
Odd.
Anyways, add all the time I wasted waiting around
for the car to be repaired. Catching taxis, asking for rides
and walking.
And all the crying and beating myself up for buying the car.
My dream was stomped on.
Oh ! also throw in the two parking tickets that I had to pay 
that belonged to the previous owner.
.
SO, after almost 3,000.00 USD in repairs in 
only one year and a half.....
I sold the SOAB.

It was my dream car.

These days, I am just a pedestrian.

Note to self: I am writing this post to remind me of all the crap I went through with the lovely little beetle. As I write it, I am actually sad that I sold it. However I am also happy that I found someone to buy it from me at 15% less than I had hoped to sell it for. 


13 comments

YASMINA CÁNOVAS said...

OMG... that woman could have done this for you!!! it's a nice car.

SayQueen

Shybiker said...

What a sad tale of woe. Like many beauties, she was high maintainance...

Anonymous said...

Aww, that's a really cute car but I'm so sorry it gave you so much trouble. That is really, really sad! I would have cried- car problems stress me out so much. It sounds like you did the right thing by selling it because so many small things were adding up to huge costs! One day you can buy a car that isn't cursed and you won't have these crazy problems!! I'm really sorry about this whole situation :-/

Anonymous said...

So very, very sad. She was such a pretty car! I've always loved VW Beetles, but your story may have cured me.

LyddieGal said...

awww that is so sad, i hope your next car treats you better.

right now i'm looking for a car. my dream car sounds similar - only a mini instead of a beetle.

after five minutes of discussing having a convertible car in New England it was established that: hard to cool in the summer, hard to heat in the winter, cant leave canvas top outside with potential for several feet of snow in winter, easy targets for theft...

so maybe the dream car will have to have the hard top. But even still i'll probably end up with a used honda or something.

Chic on the Cheap

Popcorn, Pugs & Peonies said...

That is a terrible story. The car is adorable! Absolutely adorable. I hate car problems. They make me so stressed out.

*Erin

Taylor said...

Beetle's are not reliable cars they always have something wrong and are expensive to fix.

Stacey said...

Geez, that sounds more like the nightmare car, that is a terrible story but very well-written :) I hope you find something else

Elaine said...

Oh, my goodness... This is why I don't do anything with cars!! I would've probably been in a worse situation.. I'm glad you got it off you rhands though! No more worrying!

Jan said...

Oh my goodness,we have had two beetles,years ago and the old sort y'know like Herbie,and loved them .what a nightmare for you ...love Jan xx

Bombshellicious said...

Aww I love VW Beetles but sorry you had so much trouble and spent so much money. I love my little blue mini and so far havent had to spend anything ... now I have said that I am sure I will have to soon hahaha. xx

Kristen said...

Ohhh, that stinks! My husband had a yellow non-convertible Beetle for nine years, and we sank a lot of money into that moneypit! I too was eying a convertible one a few years ago, then I got the next mechanic's bill for his car and I got over it.

Glad you unloaded it before it ran up even more bills.

Delane said...

THis is my fear in buying a used car, buying someone else problems.