My CR-V is old but serves me well in the past 15 years and only has 77,000 miles. Recently, I believe the alternator is dying as the headlights are flickering and the radio is going in and out with power issues. I replaced the AC compressor over the summer because it died and replaced the catalytic converter last year because it was stolen. I checked and it might still be worth like $4,000 if I sell it to one of those used car sellers. I do regular maintenance per the owner manual and have never gotten into any accidents. What else might I expect with a car at this age? Or should I trade it while it still runs? Thanks.
Hey man, if it’s rust-free, keep driving. Only 77k miles? Fuck, keep going. Just hit 285k km (178,000 mi) in my 2008. I drove my 2001 to 400,000km and just retired it out of wanting something slightly newer with no rust.
They salt the roads where I live, and so far it has held up much better than the first gen I bought (I undercoat it every year or two). I’ve been driving it since 198K Km. It’s honestly been a decent car for its age.
I’ve had to replace a few coolant pipe connectors (the factory ones aren’t great) and will be due for a new hose or two. I’ve done the AC compressor. The rest are just mostly normal car things like brakes and tires. I’ve had to replace spark plugs and ignition coils. I find the lock actuators suck, but that’s okay.
I’ve replaced everything but the manifold, catalytic, and the muffler itself (so basically some pipes and connector pieces).
I’ve had to replace a coolant thermostat.
When I got the car, I thought the speakers were blown - but all I needed to do was take the inside panels of the doors off and clean the speaker terminals because they had corroded. I’ve replaced a starter (read below for a good preventative tip).
There is only one particular weird repair I had. There is a coolant pipe that runs at the underside of the engine near the exhaust manifold. It is known to go bad (Part number 19510 Rtb 000). It’s a simple $30 part, but in order to get at it, you need to remove the exhaust manifold. This is a decent amount of labor, and it is also the same procedure to get at the starter - so replace the starter as a preventative measure while you’re down (up in) there.
I only have a 2WD, so you may want to ask around regarding 4WD maintenance or tips.
Just regular old car habits like checking fluids and watching for leaking fluids every time you walk up to it will go a long way.
I bought it for C$5000 in 2020 and I could sell it for C$4500-5000 now.
Keep on driving!
@Kai
Thanks for the tips. I assume you did all those yourself and I wish I was handy like you. This is my commute car now, so I don’t care how it looks outside as long as it runs and everything works as it’s supposed to. As for the rust, I believe it is at a normal level, so not a big issue there. The reason I don’t know if I should keep it or not is that I don’t know how much more money I might end up spending to keep getting it fixed instead of using the money for a down payment for a cheap car that is around $22,000.
@Noor
Only the easy things like spark plugs, ignition coils, the speaker problem, coolant pipe clips, etc. I don’t have a garage, and it sucks doing car work outside sometimes.
I have a good trusted mechanic with good rates. Sometimes it’s just better to have an expert do it.
@Kai
Yeah, I do everything I am able to get my hands on and have the confidence to do it. Otherwise, I let the professionals do the job. The mechanic in my neighborhood is pretty good too; I use them for all the work on this car. I will bring it over to see what is wrong this weekend. Thanks again.
You should sell it and let me know how much you want. I’d offer a solid $4,050 right now. 
Joking aside, I’d keep it until the wheels fall off.
Phoenix said:
You should sell it and let me know how much you want. I’d offer a solid $4,050 right now.
Joking aside, I’d keep it until the wheels fall off.
I am thinking to drive it until it’s not worth fixing too. Just don’t know how much I will need to spend to keep it running.
@Noor
An aftermarket alternator is a cheap and easy fix, and the radio could be nothing more than a corroded terminal in the plug on the back, but getting to it might be a little difficult though not technical. That’s a solid car and could easily run for three times the miles you have now. Considering the price of a new CR-V, or any other vehicle really, you could put a lot of money into your current ride and still come out ahead. Assuming you’re happy with the car itself, mechanical items aside.
@Phoenix
Yeah, no complaints from me about this car; otherwise I would not have kept it for this long. I agree with what you said too. I still keep full coverage insurance on this car; not sure if it’s worth it.