It may not snap depending on the fault code. Our Explorer threw a fault code and my wife panicked. She had a rebuilt transmission put in that failed on a trip. I tried to convince her to keep driving with the fault. If the transmission goes, you have to replace it anyway. You may as well wait until it does fail.
How much to fix the AC and pull the dents?
The fault code from the tranny is 700. It means “check the tranny computer for the “real” fault code. :-)
But it ran low on fluid and I think that tripped it. Oddly, it never reset, even after 50 cycles. We had the fourth gear band get too worn on our old Lebaron and the car went in to “limp in” mode. It drops to second gear. After I got it fixed I discovered I could have saved $1,500 and just always used “D3”. I could have treated it as if “overdrive” went out. And with the kind of driving it had become delegated to, that would have been fine. I may find myself doing the same thing with the 300 if I don’t get rid of it.
Regarding the side of the car. It wiped out every body panel It would be a few thousand. Regarding the AC, we actually spent $1,400 on it before we left Seattle. It lasted a few months and failed. Turns out the “radiator thingy” under the dash is leaking. Another $600. We’d have done it but then the deer hit.
When several high ticket items are about to go, it’s no longer practical to just keep it going. And it’s also partly based on my income. If I was making $10 an hour, I’d fix it. I’d wear a t-shirt and shorts during the summer drives and I’d pray the tranny holds up. But I’m not in that situation. :-)