Cars are an incredible luxury of the 21^stcentury that offer many benefits for drivers.

Yet, keeping a car too long can also have some downsides. In this article, we discuss 3 ways to determine if it’s time to scrap your car. Within each section, we emphasize tips that car owners can use to determine if the time is ideal for liquidation.

You Spend More Time Repairing Your Car Than Driving it

Cars are meant to be driven, not repaired. Sure, repairs might be necessary every now and then, but the primary purpose of a car is to provide a reliable means of transportation.

If you find yourself avoiding this kind of usage, then it might be time to bite the bullet and sell that antiquated hunk of steel and metal.

Spending a lot of time repairing your car can also put a dent in your bank account. If you’ve funneled significant funds into repairing your car, then it might be time to cut your losses. Investing in car repairs can be an addicting hobby, especially if you’re doing the repairs yourself.

Some methodical owners are obsessed with ramping up the features on their car, forgetting that this level of refinement requires a steep investment. This money would likely be better spent elsewhere, like purchasing a new car that is environmentally friendly.

Furthermore, sometimes maintaining and using a car can take up so much of our time that we start ignoring other aspects of our life. For example, some owners start spending most of their free time tinkering with their car’s parts and fixing it up. Yet, this might mean spending less time with your family, which could have many negative consequences if you are relied on as a parent or partner.

Your Car Is Negatively Impacting the Environment

Some cars are particularly bad for the environment. These kinds of cars are inefficient at burning gas for fuel, leading to an excessive emission of greenhouse gassesinto the atmosphere. This can lead to increasing levels of carbon dioxide, ocean acidification, and a profound loss of biodiversity.

Recognizing this shouldn’t be difficult, as the MPG (miles per gallon) that your car gets will be a good indication of its efficiency. We recommend determining your car’s MPG and then comparing these measurements over time. If you notice your car’s efficiency decreasing or fluctuating in some unusual way, this could be a sign that it’s time to invest in a car with fuel-efficient technology.

Also, a case could be made for getting rid of any method of transportation which relies on non-renewablesources of energy, like natural gas, oil, and coal.

Furthermore, keeping a car that runs on non-renewable resources supports the extraction of these kinds of resources, which has many negative effects on the environment. This is due not only due to actual process of extraction but the negative effects of having to transport this resource to the consumer.

Thus, if you can afford to do so, we recommend swapping any vehicle that runs on a non-renewable resource for a vehicle that runs on a renewable resource, like solar energy. For example, many electric vehicles can be charged from wind or solar energy, making them essentially emission-free.  

Our Final Thoughts on Scrapping Your Car

We think that many negative consequences can result from holding on to a car too long.

If any of the risks we discussed above apply to you, then we recommend selling your car and investing in a fuel-efficient vehicle.

There’s nothing to be ashamed of if it’s time to scrap your car. Many people are overly materialistic in our society and become too attached to their belongings.

It’s important to take a step back every now and then and realize that all things come to an end. Admitting this can make it easier to see our irrational attachments.

In the same vein, it’s also important to not flip to the extreme and suddenly start giving away all of your possessions. Some material items do have temporary value, even if they’ll go the same way as the rest of us.