need toyota related help

Ok, it's not for a truck, but i have a 2005 pontiac vibe. it's basically the same as a matrix with pontiac emblems, has the toyota 1.8L motor and everything. I have 206,000 miles on it right now, and i still owe 2 1/2 years on it. I have to put $750 in it next week for new struts all the way around, and the blower motor for my a/c quit today, that's another $275. I was told by the dealer that when a toyota motor goes, it's so expensive to rebuild it that it's cheaper to buy another car. He said it was around $8,000 for a rebuild of that motor. Any of you guys know if this is true? Because i have a friend who got a vibe because i like mine, his oil change place blew up his motor and he said it was around $3,000 to replace it. I'm looking at just taking a bath on it and trading it in on a new Dodge Caliber, since dodge now has a lifetime drivetrain warranty, as i drive appx. 1500-2000 miles a week, it would be a huge relief knowing that no matter how many miles i have on the vehicle, i can get it fixed under warranty. Any ideas on how much a toyota 1.8L motor should be? This is for my work vehicle that i need really bad, so it won't be a do it myself thing. Suggestions?

well, debt free is the way to go but i dont see that as an option here...

there is no way in hell that it would cost 8 gs to put in a motor unless that bitch is new everything. hell, the car as-is probably doenst even kbb at 8 grand.

i say put in a new blower motor yourself, hold off on the struts and drive the piss out of it til you pay it off. also, if you call the bankthen they will discount the payoff when you near the end. and drive it til the wheels fall off!

with gas prices being so fukin unpredictable i say FUK A CAR NOTE!!!!!!

oh, pm "jsondrops" (ill also text you his #) he works for a major toyota dealer and can get shit for you damned near at cost and ship it free.

text sent...

sorry bout the ? reply, the wife kicked me off the computer as soon as she found out i was on it. I'm all about keeping the vibe, i would say it's in fair condition, but i've needed new struts for about 9 months now, and i HAVE to get them, i can run over a dime and tell if it's heads or tails, the damn thing rides rougher than any lowrider i've ever driven, it's starting to shake shit apart in the interior, since i go down so many dirt roads. thakns for the info

you do know that dodge has a cap on gas at 2.99 for the first three years now. well for me the peace of mind is well worth the payment on a car. with that kind of miles on a gas motor you have got the good out of it. trust me.. it's not just the motor but the whole car will start falling a part. take the car and the grand or so you are going to spend and trade..
PLUS you can add a lifetime warrenty too the whole car now from dodge..

8k does not sound right.. hell when my ford 4.6 needed a new head this bs repair shop around the corner from my house said it needed the whole motor replaced and a motor would cost 6500. if you spent 8k call up lc engineering and hook that shit up.

finally found out the catch on the $2.99/gallon: it's only good for 12,000 miles a year. That's like 2 months of driving for me, but it would still save me about a grand a year, plus i dig the shit out of not having to worry about trading in my car every 2 1/2 years and being upside down as hell on them, if i get this, it'll be the first time in like 6 years i don't have to worry about that. thanks for the advice, peeps.

what the hell do you do for work, I am a tech who works all of san diego imperial and riverside county and I dont put that many miles on my van.

i'm a field rep for a mobile home mortgage company, the company i worked for before this one provided a company car, company credit card (to pay for tires, gas, hotels, food, etc) which was awesome but i never had any money at all, the wife was like "they pay for everything, so you don't need any money", the only time i got money was when i went to Oklahoma, she'd give me 20 bucks for toll roads for the week. This way, i have to drive my own car and pay for all upkeep, but i get $.49/mile. This is a shitload when you drive 1500-2000 miles a week. I cover the whole state of Arkansas and 3 counties in Louisiana, so i'm hopping around all week. Basically, we have a whole office full of people in Tennessee to call customers when they get behind on their mobile home payments, when they can't get hold of them or whatever, they send me out to the house to knock on the door. I don't have to collect money, i just have to put the customer on the phone to the office. It's a pretty sweet deal, i start work whenever (actually is better to leave later in the day), my boss is 700 miles away, and i come home when i want, as long as i get in 40 hours and my numbers look good, i can pretty much do what i want. Only downside is i get salary (not overtime), and i get paid the same in a 20 hour week as a 60 hour week. Only problem is, i don't think i've ever seen a 20 hour week, i average 55 or so hours a week. Wow, did'nt mean to write a novel, it's late, i'm half drunk and just rambling. Sorry.