"Fill your car up once....then, every time the needle drops to half a tank, fill it up again. You will never run out of gas again".
I had a volvo wagon once that managed to break that principle.
The mechanic told me that the wiring harness (it was at around 200k) needed to be replaced, and that the problem i was having was that the fuel system stopped being able to draw fuel through a powered secondary pump after about half a tank was used up.
Replacing the harness would have cost around 1700; I let the ex tell me I needed to junk the car rather than getting the work done. (In her defense, we did almost stall out, with a half tank in the car, on the way to the airport to get her on a plane.)
I regretted that decision many a time since. I'd been getting more and more done on the car, it's true, but it always passed smog without blinking and had awesomely good visibility.
I tried a used Rabbit after that, discarded it after about 18 months and picked up a versa hatchback, which has been reliable but has terrible visibility and is also curiously wide.
I paid more than 1700 for the rabbit, though not that much more, and I'm pretty sure the power wagon would have lasted several years more on the money I put into buying the rabbit in addition to being an awesome rolling campsite.
Still, though, the Versa was paid off very fast and has really never given me any trouble. It's nine now, I think, and has only been in for one round of major service - and that was PM, not a car fault. I put very few miles on it, about 6k / year, keep it in fluids and avoid standing on the gas pedal.
If Subaru ever gets the oil burning problem sorted out in the forester line, that's what I'm eyeing for a next car - I very much miss the visibility of the old Volvo to this day.