Ugh. Car repairs suck. But are a necessity. My car is getting a bit long in the tooth; 17 years old and 250k miles. Had to get the battery replaced last week during the cold weather, but luckily that was free and under warranty. I also knew I had a coolant leak, but it hasn't been bad and even in the summer so long as I checked the coolant level all was alright so long as I filled it before going anywhere. This last cold snap made that leak so much more, and as I poured water in my reservoir it came out on the opposite side of the engine from where the water pump is... so long story short it is a busted radiator. Not too bad, considering it is still the factory part. Still, $540 is gonna be a big punch to the wallet. But, that does include everything; the tow to the shop, parts and labor, all the coolant and taxes. Looking it up online, it seems the rate ranges from $578 to $902. So considering that includes the tow and all taxes, I guess I can't complain.
Unfortunately it will still involve taking out a small loan to help with it all. :-/