How do you decide whether I should keep my car or replace it?

We don't decide for you — we give you the math. Three numbers do the heavy lifting: a 0–100 reliability score for your exact year/make/model/mileage, the repair-to-value ratio (how much you'd spend vs. what the car is worth), and a 12-month look-ahead at likely upcoming costs. You read those three side by side and the answer is usually obvious.

What's the rule of thumb — when does repair stop making sense?

Most people use this rough cutoff: if a single repair is more than 50% of the car's market value, or if your projected 12-month repair total is more than 50% of market value, replacement starts to pencil out. The Verdict shows you both numbers so you can decide.

Do I need a repair quote to run this?

No. The Vehicle Verdict ($79) works without a quote — it's a lifespan-and-reliability read on your exact vehicle. If you do have a quote, the Full Verdict ($129) adds line-item analysis, photo support, replacement-cost math, and a 12-month cost-of-ownership picture.

How is this different from asking my mechanic?

Your mechanic gets paid to fix things — so they have a conflict of interest, even when they don't mean to. We don't. We have no financial stake in your decision. We tell you the math; you decide.

How long does it take?

About 15 minutes from payment to delivery. Sent to your email when ready.

Can I share the Verdict with my mechanic or my family?

Yes — encouraged. You'll get a shareable link. Plenty of customers send it to their shop to talk through it, or to a spouse to settle the keep-or-replace argument with numbers instead of opinions.

What kinds of cars do you cover?

Passenger cars and light trucks, model years 1995 and newer — gas, diesel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-electric all in scope. We don't cover motorcycles, RVs, or heavy trucks (Class 7-8).

Is the Verdict reproducible? Can I revisit the same read later?

Yes. Every Verdict carries a permanent audit_trail_id. Same VIN + mileage + symptom in, same Verdict out — byte-for-byte, on a different day, on a different server. If a year from now you want to re-pull the same read against the same engine version, we can. That's the architectural difference between this and a chatbot.

NHTSA data-backed by VINAudit trail per VerdictDevon reviews every concern personallyBuilt by a former auto restoration shop owner

Keep or replace?

Should I fix my car, or buy a new one?

Name: Vehicle Verdict
Brand: RepairVerdict
Price: 79.00 USD
Availability: InStock
Author: Devon Smith

A 0–100 reliability score, repair-to-value math, and a 12-month look-ahead — so the keep-or-replace decision isn't a gut call.

10-second previewThen $129 for the full Verdict

Start a Vehicle Verdict — $79 Or go Full — $129 See how it works

Anchored to NHTSA recall + complaint dataDevon reviews every concern personallyBuilt by a former shop ownerNo quote required.

Audit trail per Verdict

Built by a former auto restoration shop owner. The point of the Verdict is to take the gut feeling out of a five-figure decision.

Informational analysis of your vehicle and any shop quote — we don't perform diagnostics or inspect your car. Verdicts are engine-driven, anchored in NHTSA data and a former shop owner's playbook. Always consult a licensed mechanic before authorizing repairs.

The number where the math flips

The 50% rule. The line where repair stops penciling out.

A useful rule of thumb: if a single repair is more than 50% of the car's market value — or your projected 12-month repair total is — replacement starts to pencil out. The Verdict gives you both numbers side by side so the keep-or-replace call is arithmetic, not a feeling.

$4,000 transmission on a $7,500 car? Over the line. Replacement pencils.
$1,800 timing job on a $9,000 car? Inside the line. Keep it.
$1,800 timing job plus a $3,200 forecast for the next 12 months on a $9,000 car? Now you're at 55% of value over a year. Closer call — and that's the math the Verdict puts on the page.

What you actually get

A plain-English read on whether your car still pencils out.

Not a database printout. Not a generic reliability index. A short write-up on your exact car at your exact mileage — score, math, and what to expect over the next year.

See what a check-up-style Verdict looks like

Common moments

If you're asking “is it time?” — you're in the right place.

The big repair just landed

Holding a $3k+ repair quote and wondering if the car is worth it.
Second major repair in a year — at what point do I stop pouring money in?
The transmission/engine/AC just went — repair, or trade it in?

High miles, daily driver

High-mileage daily driver — how much longer is it actually good for?
Approaching a big mileage milestone (100k, 150k, 200k) — what's coming?
No urgent issues, just wondering if I'm driving on borrowed time.

Life changed

New baby / new commute / new job — does this car still fit?
Pre-trip / long road trip coming — is it safe to take?
Lease ending and deciding whether to buy out the residual.

Already shopping

Comparing my repair bill against the cost of replacing it.
Looking at a used replacement — should I switch, or stay?

We answer that. Without trying to sell you anything.

Start a Vehicle Verdict — $79

Audit trail for every VerdictEach Verdict carries a permanent audit_trail_id. We can reproduce any score we shipped, byte-for-byte, on demand — and prove which inputs and which engine version produced it.

13-stage deterministic engineSame VIN + mileage + symptom in, same score out. The pipeline is mechanical, not vibes — reproducible on a different day, on a different server, by anyone with the inputs.

NHTSA-grounded by VINRecalls, complaints, and technical service bulletins pulled live from NHTSA against your exact VIN — not generic year/make/model lookups.

Powered by Anthropic ClaudeClaude Sonnet 4.6 renders the prose; Claude Opus 4.7 powers the deeper research passes. The deterministic pipeline produces the score — the model writes the explanation.

Built by a former restoration shop ownerDevon Smith ran a large vehicle restoration shop until a motorcycle accident closed it. He built RepairVerdict to give car owners the veteran-mechanic analysis he watched them go without.

One-time price · no upsellsNo subscription. No commission from shops. No affiliate referrals. We sell Verdicts; that is the entire business model.

Devon reviews every concern personallyDevon reviews every refund request personally against the Verdict's audit trail. No blanket calendar window — outcomes depend on the specifics, and Devon explains the decision either way.

How it works

Three steps. About 15 minutes.

1
Tell us about your car
Year, make, model, mileage, and what you paid. About 3 minutes — mostly dropdowns. No VIN required for a Vehicle Verdict.
2
We do the math
0–100 reliability score, market value, repair-to-value ratio, and a 12-month look-ahead at likely costs.
3
Keep, repair, or move on — in writing
A short Verdict in your inbox, with the math behind the call. Share it with your mechanic or your family.

More from RepairVerdict

At 100,000 miles? Milestone read At 150,000 miles? Milestone read At 200,000 miles? Milestone read How much longer is it good for?Considering a replacement? Run it on the VIN first How a Verdict is built (proof & receipts)

Honest answers

Keep-or-replace questions, answered straight.

The way I'd answer them on a phone call.

Different number from your mechanic is fine — and probably useful. Your mechanic is pricing one quote against their shop's labor rate. The Verdict prices against regional comps for the same job, plus the 12-month forward picture. Take both numbers, see where they diverge, and use that to either accept the quote, get a second quote, or push back on a specific line item. The Verdict is the data your mechanic is missing; your mechanic is the eyes-on-the-car your Verdict is missing.

Devon Smith. He ran a restoration shop — British marques were the specialty, but the work spanned the trade — until a critical motorcycle accident took him off the floor and closed the shop. Since then he has pivoted to building tools he wishes had been available for his clients — after watching too many customers make decisions without the information they needed, and watching others miss free coverage at the dealer. RepairVerdict is that tool: the veteran-mechanic analysis his customers should have had, completely automated.

All 22 questions

What this isn't.

The keep-or-replace math doesn't apply if your car has a salvage title, frame damage from a wreck, or has been sitting with a major mechanical failure for years — those are total-loss situations, not investment decisions. The Verdict is for owners with a running, titled car and a real question about whether the next twelve months are worth the spend.

Don't guess at a five-figure decision.

Fifteen minutes with us costs $79. Trading the wrong car — or holding the wrong one another two years — costs a lot more.

Start a Vehicle Verdict — $79 See a sample first

Charged once. No subscription, no upsells. Refund requests reviewed case by case — see the refund policy.

NHTSA data-backed by VINAudit trail per VerdictDevon reviews every concern personallyBuilt by a former auto restoration shop owner

Keep or replace?

Should I fix my car, or buy a new one?

A 0–100 reliability score, repair-to-value math, and a 12-month look-ahead — so the keep-or-replace decision isn't a gut call.

10-second previewThen $129 for the full Verdict

Start a Vehicle Verdict — $79 Or go Full — $129 See how it works

Anchored to NHTSA recall + complaint dataDevon reviews every concern personallyBuilt by a former shop ownerNo quote required.

Audit trail per Verdict

Built by a former auto restoration shop owner. The point of the Verdict is to take the gut feeling out of a five-figure decision.

The number where the math flips

The 50% rule. The line where repair stops penciling out.

$4,000 transmission on a $7,500 car? Over the line. Replacement pencils.
$1,800 timing job on a $9,000 car? Inside the line. Keep it.
$1,800 timing job plus a $3,200 forecast for the next 12 months on a $9,000 car? Now you're at 55% of value over a year. Closer call — and that's the math the Verdict puts on the page.

What you actually get

A plain-English read on whether your car still pencils out.

Not a database printout. Not a generic reliability index. A short write-up on your exact car at your exact mileage — score, math, and what to expect over the next year.

See what a check-up-style Verdict looks like

Common moments

If you're asking “is it time?” — you're in the right place.

The big repair just landed

Holding a $3k+ repair quote and wondering if the car is worth it.
Second major repair in a year — at what point do I stop pouring money in?
The transmission/engine/AC just went — repair, or trade it in?

High miles, daily driver

High-mileage daily driver — how much longer is it actually good for?
Approaching a big mileage milestone (100k, 150k, 200k) — what's coming?
No urgent issues, just wondering if I'm driving on borrowed time.

Life changed

New baby / new commute / new job — does this car still fit?
Pre-trip / long road trip coming — is it safe to take?
Lease ending and deciding whether to buy out the residual.

Already shopping

Comparing my repair bill against the cost of replacing it.
Looking at a used replacement — should I switch, or stay?

We answer that. Without trying to sell you anything.

Start a Vehicle Verdict — $79

NHTSA-grounded by VINRecalls, complaints, and technical service bulletins pulled live from NHTSA against your exact VIN — not generic year/make/model lookups.

Powered by Anthropic ClaudeClaude Sonnet 4.6 renders the prose; Claude Opus 4.7 powers the deeper research passes. The deterministic pipeline produces the score — the model writes the explanation.

One-time price · no upsellsNo subscription. No commission from shops. No affiliate referrals. We sell Verdicts; that is the entire business model.

How it works

Three steps. About 15 minutes.

1
Tell us about your car
Year, make, model, mileage, and what you paid. About 3 minutes — mostly dropdowns. No VIN required for a Vehicle Verdict.
2
We do the math
0–100 reliability score, market value, repair-to-value ratio, and a 12-month look-ahead at likely costs.
3
Keep, repair, or move on — in writing
A short Verdict in your inbox, with the math behind the call. Share it with your mechanic or your family.

More from RepairVerdict

Honest answers

Keep-or-replace questions, answered straight.

The way I'd answer them on a phone call.

All 22 questions

What this isn't.

Don't guess at a five-figure decision.

Fifteen minutes with us costs $79. Trading the wrong car — or holding the wrong one another two years — costs a lot more.

Start a Vehicle Verdict — $79 See a sample first

Charged once. No subscription, no upsells. Refund requests reviewed case by case — see the refund policy.

Should I fix my car, or buy a new one?

The 50% rule. The line where repair stops penciling out.

A plain-English read on whether your car still pencils out.

Tell us about your car

We do the math

Keep, repair, or move on — in writing

What this isn't.

Don't guess at a five-figure decision.

Should I fix my car, or buy a new one?

The 50% rule. The line where repair stops penciling out.

A plain-English read on whether your car still pencils out.

Tell us about your car

We do the math

Keep, repair, or move on — in writing

What this isn't.

Don't guess at a five-figure decision.