Repair it or sell it? Clovis, CA
A repair shop can tell you what the fix costs. A dealer can tell you what the car is worth. Neither one can tell you which is the better move, because each of them only makes money one way. We do both under one roof at 1222 Barstow Ave, for customers across Clovis and Fresno, so we can usually quote the repair and make you an offer in the same visit, and you pick.
What is the car worth as it sits?
Not what it would be worth fixed — what it is worth right now, broken. That is the number the repair has to earn back.
What does the repair actually cost?
A real quote after we have looked at it, not a guess over the phone. Including whatever else we find while we are in there.
What is the next bill after this one?
A cheap fix on a car with three more failures queued up is not a cheap fix. We tell you what we can see coming.
What would replacing it cost you?
If the repair is half the price of the next car, fixing it usually wins. If it is not, it usually does not.
The repairs that usually start this conversation
Some jobs are worth doing on almost any car. These are the ones where it genuinely depends, and where we see people make the expensive decision by guessing.
Transmission rebuild or replacement
A transmission on an older high-mileage car often costs more than the car is worth. This is the single most common reason people ask us whether to fix it or sell it.
Engine replacement
On a car worth less than roughly twice the quote, this is usually the moment to sell instead. We will tell you which side of that line you are on before you commit.
Head gasket replacement
Worth checking the car value first. A head gasket on a tired engine is often the first of several bills rather than the last one.
Cost ranges for these jobs are on the repair page.
Get both numbers
Tell us about the car and what it is doing. Leave “What would you like us to do?” on its default and we will come back with the repair quote and an offer, so you can see them side by side.
Repair or sell FAQ
- How do I know whether my car is worth fixing?
- Compare the repair against what the car is worth as it sits, what the next bill after this one looks like, and what replacing it would cost you. Most people can only get one of those three numbers from a repair shop. We can give you all three, because we buy and sell these cars as well as fix them.
- Will you tell me to fix it just because you are a repair shop?
- We make money either way, which is exactly why you can ask us. If the repair is not worth doing we would rather buy the car than take your money for a job that leaves you worse off.
- Can you give me both numbers on the same day?
- Usually, yes — the repair quote and an offer on the car, from the same visit. Complicated diagnoses sometimes take longer, and we will tell you up front if yours is one of them.
- What if the car will not make it to you?
- Shako Towing, our sister company at the same address, can bring it in — call them on (559) 270-5796. Shako Towing runs Mon–Sat 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM, closed Sunday.
- Do I have to sell it to you if I get an offer?
- No. Take the offer, take the repair quote, or take neither and think about it. There is no obligation on either side.
- Will you buy it if it does not run at all?
- Yes. Non-running cars, dead engines, failed transmissions, salvage titles. That is ordinary here, and it is why the online instant-offer sites cannot compete with us on this kind of car.
Already decided to sell? We buy cars that do not run. Still driving it? Sell or trade it here. Car cannot drive to us at all? Towing is arranged through our sister company, Shako Towing, a separate business at the same address.