In January this year, the odometer on my 2002 G Wagon hit 150,000 miles. The 2002 has the ultra-reliable M113 V8 engine that easily can last for several hundred thousand miles. It’s the rest of the innumerable car parts that you have to worry about! This year, I spent less than $200 on an oil change (not at the Mercedes dealer!), and a cabin filter, and engine air filters, which my dad and I replaced ourselves. On my son’s truck, I spent about $60 on an oil change and a reverse light bulb. For my wife’s car, I spent about $1,000 on Service B (Mercedes dealership’s glorified and overpriced oil change) and another $1,000 on a key fob and programming (note to self: don’t lose the key fob, again).
After spending over $30,000 on car maintenance over the course of 2023 and 2024, I pray I’m done for 2025.
With Love,
P. Gustav Mueller, author of The Present