A twelve-year-old car can be a trusty friend or a looming money pit—and most of us don’t know which until a big repair lands in our lap. We sat down with RepairSurge CEO Jon Vorisek to unpack a clear, data-driven way to decide whether to fix an aging vehicle or sell it with confidence. Drawing on usage patterns across manuals for 10,000+ models, John breaks down which repairs usually pay for themselves and where to draw the line using a simple 50-75-100 percent framework tied to your car’s value.

We walk through real-world scenarios—the “cheap” cabin filter buried behind a dash, DIY oil changes that aren’t worth the disposal hassle, and the stealth costs of design choices that turn a $20 part into a two-hour job. You’ll learn how the buyer’s “uncertainty tax” works when selling a car with issues, why repairing before selling can net more money, and how to compare total cost of ownership per mile if you’re eyeing a used replacement. John also shares the evolution of RepairSurge from a CD-ROM to a cloud platform with step-by-step procedures, wiring diagrams, torque specs, and live parts pricing you can pull up on any device.

We round things out with quick hits from the automotive world: Formula 1’s 2026 pivot to lighter, smaller cars aimed at better racing, NHRA team moves, NASCAR charter dynamics, and a tour through auto history from Lincoln’s aircraft roots to the Superbird’s NASCAR quirks. Plus, we touch on today’s market headwinds—from tariffs to a cooling EV demand curve—and why those forces shape what we buy, fix, and sell.

If you’ve got a high-mile car and a tough decision, this conversation gives you the math, the context, and the confidence to choose well. Listen, share with a friend who’s debating a big repair, and subscribe for more smart, practical car talk.

Be sure to subscribe for more In Wheel Time Car Talk!

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