l want a car talk type answer.

l have a 1999 Chrysler Town & Country.Fully loaded.Runs well.Outside is fair, inside is good and mostly fully working well.

Problem is the car is worth about $3000 give or take.But l just had a $1000 brake job.And then to compound it, l had to have it towed and l added another $1500 for a hydraulic brake hose repair.(Im in NYC so l didnt have other options, what with alternate-side-of-the-street-parking.)

While under the car, the repair guy was freaked by the corrosion and rust.(Which was why the repair was so expensive.)Seems like my years of leaving the car at my country house parked on gravel has caused all the rust.

l asked him what might go next and he said, well l can tell you it seems safe to drive.

The car has 109000 miles.It had a transmission replaced at 60,000.It had a front end collision 5 years ago, well repaired at $10,000 under insurance.Its got lots of dents, scrapes and rust showing over one of the rear wheel fenders.

Its probably only worth $3000 to me, because that is what l just put into it.

l need it as a second car at my country house.Also useful to transport, very very occasionally large things like beds--(my kids are still needing transport that l occasionally provide), the very very occasion large groups of people, to act as a first car while my 140,000 mile Subaru gets its periodic repairs.

We're retired, but have some money.l dont wanna buy another car because it will probably be a Prius (we travel 300/wk to-fro our country house in Upstate NY) and it doesnt have all wheel drive like the Chrysler does (which l need to get up/down my country driveway), and l really really want another AWD minivan, even though my wife hates minivans (she is never been a Hockey Mom). (l got the minivan when l was still working, but l struck a deal with my wife and got it 1 year used.)

If l bought another used Subaru (the one l have is 2001), that would cost maybe $15000.The wife might agree to that.

The question:Do you advise me to keep the Chrysler (think safety and inconvenience) or sell it for the price of my repairs and buy something else.

l would sell it because it is already on it is way out. With the amount of miles on it & everything else, u will eventually have to continue spending more money on it on repairs than anything else which if u keep doing so u would have spent enough money to get a newer, lower mileage car. Just take it into a car dealer, get it appraised, see how much it is trade in value is, & go from there about what u & ur wife may like in an upgrade vehicle. You can more than likely get the van too because they r practically giving away cars anyway & at a good price due to the economy. If u want another van just get one. The prices r pretty low for them ranging 10,000-12,000 fully loaded at least where l am from. Try for a car toward the end of the year when the have all of their sales, u will really score big. That is my suggestion & something l would do.