I'm looking for advice on whether to repair or not. My elderly mother has a 2003 Hyndai Elantra with 100k miles on it. We bought it from a shady car dealership (mistake we've had to learn a hard lesson from) last year. Since then, the radiator has burst, then a few months later the radiator tube burst. Both times the mechanic checked for head gasket leaks and said he found nothing.

Today, the bypass hose burst open. It's $160 to fix, including coolant flush. At this point, she simply needs a car to get her to and from doctors and senior activities -- she is extremely low income and can't afford a new car. I'm struggling with what to do. Why would all of these things go wrong if not for a faulty engine? The mechanic says it could just be bad hoses because it's a 12 year old car ... is this possible? The car does not overheat until these things end up going bad. It does tend up heat up quickly, but it doesn't go above where it should be ever.

Any advice is much appreciated -- I know the smart answer is to junk the car and replace, but since she cannot do that, I'm at a loss as to if fixing this is a bad idea.

 

If all those hoses are original, yes, they can burst from age.They don't last forever.

 

2003 Elantra with around 100k miles can be worth a a couple to a few grand depending upon condition. I wouldn't right away say to junk it. But, on an older car, things will begin to fall apart. The radiator burst should have been a sign to change all the hoses at the same time. Thus saving a little money and lots of headaches.

Now, whether to junk the car or not ... can't tell over the forum.
One has to look carefully at the overall condition of the vehicle.
Look at the front brakes and rotors to see if they are in good condition.
While checking the brakes, look at the CV axle and boots.
There should be no excessive grease everywhere. No broken boots
Bounce on the struts or shocks to see if they are good.
They should bounce once and return to steady almost immediately.
Check power steering pump and hoses to see for leaks.
Look at the wear pattern on the tires. Oh, see if the tires are the same brand
Different tires means that there was uneven tread wear and the wheels need alignment
The dealer changes tires to mask this problem.
Jack the car up and put on jack stands. Pull on the wheel to see if there is "play"
Unnecessary movement of the wheel, if it does then there could be problems with ball joints or tie rods.

See?? It is impossible to say whether to keep the car or fix it if one has no idea of the condition of the vehicle.