7 Signs You Need To Replace Your Car

Those of us who own a car, always wish that it would last forever, but sadly nothing ever does. Whoa, too real? On a more cheerful note, change can be a brilliant means to escape the utter monotony of life! So, follow us on a journey as we decode the signs from the universe, saying: “It’s time for a change.”

WEIRD NOISES OR ODOURS

​With cars, there are normal noises and smells & weird noises and smells. The moment your car’s situation starts leaning towards the latter, it might be time to stop, think and then start looking for a replacement. For example, a loud squeaking or squealing noise while accelerating could mean there’s a problem with your engine belt, or for that matter the sweetish smell while the car is running or has recently been turned off could be the ethylene glycol in the coolant. It can signal a leaky radiator or hose or a leak in the car’s heating system. Obviously, we don’t mean that the first thing you should do when you hear an unusual noise or get a whiff of an unusual smell is get rid of the car. You should get the issue diagnosed, and hopefully fixed, and get on with life. But when these unusual noises and smells become a frequent occurrence – a new one popping up the moment you manage to control the previous one – your car might be nearing the end of its useful life.

SMOKE AND LEAKING FLUIDS

Too much smoke from the exhaust (or worse, from elsewhere in the car) is a bad sign. It signifies improper valve timing, leaks in the exhaust system, or the inability of the engine to either create a proper fuel-air mixture or combust it well. Further, your engine is full of fluids that are critical to its proper functioning. As such, the manufacturer takes great care to seal the parts that contain these fluids. These seals are supposed to last a long time, even under harsh conditions. Over the years, the seals, owing to wear-and-tear, might start coming apart, allowing the liquids to leak. This is a sure sign that your car is on its last legs. Leaks can be fixed for the time being, but their very occurrence is an omen –start looking for a replacement!

OVERHEATING AND RUSTING

The car manufacturers equip your car with robust mechanisms to keep its operating temperatures at optimum levels. And at Ford, you can be rest assured that the parts used are engineered with precision and promising quality. However, cars are machines, and the ravages of time take a toll on them. So, if your car is overheating constantly, these robust mechanisms have reached the end of the road. Repairing or replacing them can be prohibitively expensive and is unlikely to give you the reliability of the original set-up. Likewise, if you see rust developing in the car’s bodywork, fixing that issue is very difficult (and most likely, unsustainable). With both overheating and rusting, you are better off looking for a replacement than a fix.

OUTDATED TECH AND SAFETY FEATURES

The vehicle you have now might not just have expensive frequent repairs, it might also have outdated tech and safety features. More important of the two are the safety features: upgraded models are equipped with the newest safety features, which are almost certainly better for the driver and passengers. Consider this – in many older models safety features might just be confined to seat belts and airbags, but technology has advanced since then. A good example of this are the Ford vehicles available today. The Ford portfolio, in particular, comes equipped with a long list of features designed to perform safely, without compromising on the fun of driving- Traction Control, Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Hill Launch Assist, Active Rollover Prevention (ARP), Ford MyKey® , Rear Parking Sensors & Camera, SYNC® Emergency Assistance and much more.

Given this, in many cases, you might want to consider replacing your car simply because your current car is from an era when safety features were neither great nor commonplace.

SHAKY STEERING

Driving on poor roads over the years can play a number on the steering column of cars. It can lead to a shaky and an inaccurate steering. This, again, is a big repair job. Changing the complete steering column, even if mechanically feasible, will be exorbitantly costly. After factoring in the depreciated value of the car at the end of its life, you just might be better off simply changing it.

DECLINING FUEL ECONOMY AND POOR EMISSION TEST

As the engine wears down over tens or hundreds of thousands of kilometers, its efficiency inevitably reduces. Moreover, older cars feature older technology, which from a fuel efficiency perspective, almost certainly results in lower mileage. Apart from consuming more fuel, older cars are not very good at burning it, leading to poor performance on emission tests (potentially rendering them unroadworthy).

The vehicles of today offer better fuel efficiencies, thanks to the automakers who have been working towards improving this aspect of vehicles over the years. It is an important consideration for Ford vehicles, which is why the Ford engines offer great performance while consuming as little fuel as possible. The newly launched  Ford Figo AT  – the hatchback from Ford offers segment-best six-speed, torque converter automatic transmission paired to BSVI compliant three-cylinder 1.2L petrol engine, delivers fuel efficiency of up to 16km/l.  The Ford Aspire returns fuel economies of up to 18.5 km/l for petrol and 23.5 km/l for diesel, whereas the Ford EcoSport delivers 15.9 km/l and 20.9 km/l for petrol and diesel, respectively. Ford’s diesel engines are adept in delivering high performance while minimising fuel consumption. This also stands true for the recently introduced ‘EcoBlue’ BSVI Compliant diesel engine on the Ford Endeavour. They achieve this primarily by reducing friction among the various moving parts of the engine and using transmissions with wide ranges and tall ratios to keep the RPM low even while cruising at high speeds.

UNAVAILABILITY OF SPARE PARTS

A big problem with many older cars is that finding quality spare parts for them is difficult. After a few years of the model being discontinued, you might have a tough time finding even basic parts like side mirrors, handles, bearings, belts, etc. If you are already facing issues finding spares for your car, it may be time to move on.

It’s difficult to let go of a vehicle you’ve been closely associated with for several years, perhaps decades. To make that goodbye easier, Ford India offers a range of exciting products to meet diverse needs of its customers – ranging from entry-level hatchback and sedan Figo & Aspire to CUVs/SUVs FreestyleEcoSport & Endeavour. The power of choice provided by Ford also extends to powertrains – 1.2L & 1.5L petrol engine options and 1.5L & 2.0L EcoBlue diesel engine options – paired to different products, keeping in line with the road conditions of today, and boast some of the lowest costs of ownership in their respective classes. Simply Dial-A-Ford to schedule a test drive; we will send the car to your doorstep.

And as for selling your old car, we have you covered there too: at Ford Assured, we evaluate your old car, using established, proven formulae to ensure that you get the best possible value for it.